What question did this study set out to answer?

To explore how regime type influences the spending on diplomatic gifts, focusing on autocratic behavior in comparison to democracies.

“Ambassador, you’re really spoiling us!” Diplomatic gifts and profligate autocrats

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This analysis reveals that autocracies spend more on diplomatic gifts, highlighting the role of media scrutiny in shaping these practices.

To explore how regime type influences the spending on diplomatic gifts, focusing on autocratic behavior in comparison to democracies.
Analyzed a dataset of diplomatic gifts given to U.S. presidents from 2001 to 2018.
Conducted supplementary analyses to assess the impact of media on gift giving in democracies.
Conducted interviews with Norwegian diplomats about their perceptions of media scrutiny.
Autocratic regimes spend significantly more on diplomatic gifts than democracies.
New media in democracies effectively critiques lavish spending on gifts, influencing public accountability.
Interviews confirmed that domestic media scrutiny affects the nature of gift giving.

Sending et al. (2026) studied this question.

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This analysis reveals that autocracies spend more on diplomatic gifts, highlighting the role of media scrutiny in shaping these practices.