The post-war experience of developing countries leads to two depressing conclusions: only
a small number of countries have successfully developed; and development theory has not
produced development. In this Article we examine one critical fact that might provide insights
into the development conundrum: some autocratic regimes have fundamentally transformed
their economies, despite serious deficiencies along a range of other dimensions. Our aim is
to understand how growth came about in these regimes, and whether emerging …