title: Whisper Sweet Nothings to Me Erdogan: How Economic Propaganda Works Under Authoritarianism
abstract: Most authoritarian regimes justify their rule based on economic performance. Yet, scholars are skeptical that authoritarian propaganda can increase performance evaluations. Through a case study of Turkey, combining qualitative, cross-sectional, and experimental analysis, this paper demonstrates that narrative-based economic propaganda can help electoral authoritarian regimes to preserve their support base even under difficult economic conditions. A national developmentalist narrative is central 