This book is for students, researchers, and policymakers interested in unfair elections and African politics. It argues that how autocrats compete depends on the kind of relationships they foster with supporters and external actors. How Autocrats Compete helps us understand the current state of democracy, and how modern authoritarianism operates. 'Yonatan Morse's book is a must read for anyone interested in autocratic institutions or African political parties. It is a welcome qualitative analysis of autocratic parties that offers an in depth look at opaque organizations that nonetheless have had profound impacts on the political trajectories of the regimes they serve.' Natalie Wenzell Letsa, Perspectives on Politics