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Articles by Alexander Dukalskis

November 6, 2025

PR firms are working for brutal regimes, and getting away with it

Alexander Dukalskis
Many PR firms work for brutal regimes — polishing their image, attacking critics, and helping dictators cling to power. Alexander Dukalskis, Christian Gläßel, and Adam Scharpf ask: why does this happen, and what can democratic societies do to stop it?
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June 16, 2021

How ‘mask diplomacy’ helps cultivate a positive image of China abroad

Alexander Dukalskis
China seeks to control the international narrative on its role in the pandemic. But while Beijing cannot always deflect criticism, its mask diplomacy efforts and external propaganda streams do affect China’s image, write Samuel Brazys, Alexander Dukalskis and Stefan Müller
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May 12, 2021

How dictatorships manage their image

Alexander Dukalskis
Authoritarian states deliberately use a number of tools to manage their image internationally, writes Alexander Dukalskis. Creating positive news, distracting and silencing critique, and shaping elite opinion help make the world safer for dictatorships
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photograph of Alexander Dukalskis
Alexander Dukalskis
Associate Professor, School of Politics & International Relations, University College Dublin

Alexander's work has been published in several leading journals, including Government & Opposition, Review of International Studies, Journal of Democracy, Journal of Peace Research, and Democratisation.

Personal website

@AlexDukalskis

Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics

Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics
Oxford University Press, 2025

Making the World Safe for Dictatorship

Making the World Safe for Dictatorship
Oxford University Press, 2021

The Authoritarian Public Sphere: Legitimation and Autocratic Power in North Korea, Burma, and China

The Authoritarian Public Sphere: Legitimation and Autocratic Power in North Korea, Burma, and China
Routledge, 2017

 

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