TrumPutin Puzzle

Take apart a few authoritarian leaders and it is surprisingly hard to tell them apart from one another.

This puzzle is made from busts of Trump and Putin, each composed of 20 pieces. All pieces are interchangeable within and between each bust. They can be assembled separately, but it's more fun to lay out all 40 pieces, mix them up, and see if you can tell them apart. It is surprisingly difficult.

Authoritarianism is on the rise globally. Authoritarian leaders may look different on the outside, but underneath they rely on the same structures. According to Wikipedia, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authoritarianism), political scientist Juan Linz defined authoritarianism as possessing four qualities:

1. Limited political pluralism, realized with constraints on the legislature, political parties, and interest groups;

2. Political legitimacy based upon appeals to emotion, and identification of the regime as a necessary evil to combat "easily recognizable societal problems, such as underdevelopment, and insurgency";

3. Minimal political mobilization and suppression of anti-regime activities;

4. Ill-defined executive powers, often vague and shifting, which extends the power of the executive.

Each bust is based on a 20 sided icosahedron. Each edge has holes for a pair of 3mm x 3mm cylindrical magnets to hold it all together.

The files are grouped in to "Top," "Top Edge," "Base," and "Base Edge." Each group contains five puzzle pieces. Pieces labeled "Top" share a vertex in the forehead area. "Top Edge" pieces all share an edge with a "Top" piece. Pieces labeled "Base" share a vertex at the base of each bust. "Base Edge" pieces all share an edge with a "Base" piece.

Separate files for each are provided, as well as "Combined" files to print groups out together.

If you choose to scale the files, keep in mind that the holes designed for 3mm x 3mm cylindrical magnets will no longer be the appropriate size.