On January 17th, DMGS Eurasia expert Edward Lemon spoke on a panel focusing on “Domestic and International Impacts of Kleptocracy” at the Kennan Institute in Washington DC. Dr. Lemon used the case study of Tajikistan, an impoverished post-Soviet state that has seen over half of its wealth plundered by its authoritarian regime, to illustrate how kleptocracy, or government by thieves, has important impacts on state development and national security. A kleptocratic systems of government creates few incentives for autocrats to relinquish power, can generate conflicts within the elite and has contributed to the development of transnational repression, the process by which dictators pursue their opponents abroad. Dr. Lemon was joined on the panel by Casey Michel, a journalist at Think Progress, who examined how the United States has become a haven for shell companies and secretive trusts, and Jodi Vittori, a fellow with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program. Dr. Vittori examined how kleptocrats have embezzled Western aid, specifically money intended to reform the security sector, and how this has created problems for US national security.
The event was part of the DMGS-Kennan Distinguished Speaker Series. The series brings together leading international experts to address issues related to politics and security in Eurasia.
