Understanding Kleptocracy

Matthew T. Page is a leading public intellectual focused on corruption and kleptocracy worldwide. In May 2023, the Putin regime banned him from entering Russia because of his anti-corruption work. Matthew is a longtime associate fellow with Chatham House. Prior to 2016, he served as the U.S. intelligence community’s top Nigeria expert. His first book Nigeria: What Everyone Needs to Know (2018) is one of the “three books you need to understand Nigeria,” according to the Washington Post. He is an alumnus of Oxford University and King’s College London.

'Understanding Kleptocracy provides a grand sweep of what kleptocracy is, how it works, and the various “species” in which it manifests. As the leading powers in the international system—the United States and China—increasingly exhibit many of the attributes of kleptocracy and with the growing role of corruption in democratic backsliding throughout the world, this book fills a crucial gap in the literature on governance. It is a must-read for scholars and practitioners across international relations, comparative politics, and political economy.'

• Introduction Chapter 1: What is a Kleptocracy? Chapter 2: Rethinking Kleptocracy Chapter 3: Species of Kleptocracy Chapter 4: Inclusion Chapter 5: Coercion Chapter 6: Contestation Chapter 7: Destruction Chapter 8: How Kleptocracies Spawn, Adapt, and Survive Chapter 9: Democracies’ Kleptocracy Problem Bibliography Index