Replication Data for: \"Dictatorships and Western Public Relations Firms\"

Why and when do dictatorships use Western Public Relations (PR) firms? About 80% of post-WWII dictatorships have enlisted US-based PR specialists. While emerging literature explores strategies of authoritarian image management, little systematic is known about the hiring of the dictators’ foreign helpers. We argue that authoritarian regimes can hire Western PR professionals i) to counter criticism, ii) amplify positive publicity, iii) stabilize foreign support, iv) or signal their allegiance. Our macro-quantitative analysis of thousands of contracts between authoritarian regimes and US-based PR firms (1945-2022) offers strong support for two of the logics and partial support for the others. We supplement these findings with evidence from five short case studies including China. Together, the findings are crucial for understanding how authoritarian regimes wield soft power and influence foreign public discourse and decision-making, with important implications for international security and the resilience of the global rules-based order.

独裁政权为何会聘用西方公共关系（Public Relations，PR）公司，又会在何时做出此类选择？二战后约80%的独裁政权均曾招募美国本土的公共关系专员。尽管现有新兴研究已对威权政权的形象管理策略展开探讨，但学界针对独裁政权聘用外籍公关服务提供者的系统性认知仍较为薄弱。我们提出，威权政权聘用西方公关专业人士的动机可分为四类：一是回击外界批评，二是放大正面宣传声势，三是稳固外国支持力度，四是彰显自身的效忠立场。我们对1945年至2022年间威权政权与美国本土PR公司签订的数千份合同开展宏观定量分析，结果为其中两类动机提供了强有力的实证支撑，对其余两类动机则提供了部分佐证。此外，我们纳入包括中国在内的五个小型案例研究的相关证据，以补充上述研究发现。综合而言，这些研究发现对于理解威权政权如何运用软实力影响外国公众舆论与决策具有关键意义，同时对国际安全及基于规则的全球秩序的韧性亦具有重要启示价值。