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What happened when these 6 dictators took over? - Stephanie Honchell Smith

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TEDEd Animation

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Under certain conditions, the idea of a dictator can sound appealing, like when a democracy isn’t functioning as it should due to corruption or political polarization. People may believe the solution is a "benevolent dictator"— a leader who only uses their absolute power for the common good. But can such a leader actually exist in today’s world? Stephanie Honchell Smith examines this common myth.

Ancient Roman statesman Cincinnatus is an example of a(n) ____.

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Stephanie Honchell Smith
  • Director Avi Ofer
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Composer André Aires
  • Sound Designer André Aires, João Pamplona Mendes
  • Produced by Gerta Xhelo, Abdallah Ewis
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Editorial Producer Shannon Odell
  • Expert Consultant Ruth Ben-Ghiat

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