Autocracy

A dictatorship is a form of government which is characterized by a leader who holds absolute or near-absolute political power. Politics in a dictatorship are controlled by a dictator, and they are facilitated through an inner circle of elites that includes advisers, generals, and other high-ranking officials. The dictator maintains control by influencing and appeasing the inner circle and repressing any opposition, which may include rival political parties, armed resistance, or disloyal members of the dictator's inner circle. Dictatorships can be formed by a military coup that overthrows the p

Autocracy is a form of government in which absolute power is held by one person, known as an autocrat. It includes both absolute monarchies and dictatorships, while it is contrasted with democracy and other forms of free government. The autocrat has total control over the exercise of civil liberties within the autocracy, choosing under what circumstances they may be exercised, if at all. Governments may also blend elements of autocracy and democracy, forming a mixed type of regime sometimes referred to as anocracy, hybrid regime, or electoral autocracy. The concept of autocracy has been recogn

thumb|233x233px|Pol Pot, leader of the [[Khmer Rouge, is widely regarded as one of the most brutal despots of the 20th century, responsible for the deaths of an estimated quarter of Cambodia's population.]] thumb|233x233px|Suharto, who ruled [[Indonesia from 1967 to 1998 under the 'New Order' regime, is regarded as a despot whose rise to power followed the 1965–66 anti-communist purges, during which an estimated half a million people were killed, and whose rule was marked by authoritarianism, repression, and endemic corruption.]]

thumb|King Jie of Xia holding a Ji polearm and sitting on two ladies. thumb|Killing No Murder, cover page, 18th century reprint of 17th century English pamphlet written to inspire and Tyrannicide|make righteous the act of assassinating Oliver Cromwell

The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy , the Roman Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in certain cases also popes – such as the pope of Rome or pope of Alexandria).

thumb|upright=1.6|World citizens living under different political regimes, as defined by Polity IV In politics, a regime (also spelled régime) is a system of government that determines access to public office, and the extent of power held by officials. The two broad categories of regimes are democratic and autocratic. A key similarity across all regimes is the presence of rulers of both formal and informal institutions, which interact dynamically to adapt to changes to their environment.

early 20th century Russian monarchist movement

fictional state in the Star Wars universe

1685 French decree

fictional political and paramilitary organization in the "Star Wars" universe

classification of socialist political or economic ideology

relic of the Russian tsars and Grand Dukes

Patrimonialism is a form of governance in which the ruler governs on the basis of personal loyalties which are derived from patron-client relations, personal allegiances, kin ties, and combinations thereof. Patrimonialism is closely related to corruption, opportunism, and machine politics. It can contribute to underdevelopment and weak state capacity.

thumb|right|220px|A statue of Julius Caesar, in the city of Rimini, Italy

form of autocracy specific to Grand Duchy of Moscow and later Tsardom of Russia and Russian empire

thumb|Ivory plaque with Emperor Constantine VII being crowned by [[Christ. The legend reads: "Constantine, in God [faithful], and of the Romans.]] Autokrator or Autocrator (, from + ) is a Greek epithet applied to an individual who is unrestrained by superiors. It has been applied to military commanders-in-chief as well as Roman and Byzantine emperors as the translation of the Latin title . Its connection with Byzantine and Russian-style absolutism gave rise to the modern terms autocracy and autocrat.

Byzantinism, or Byzantism, is the political system and culture of the Byzantine Empire, and its spiritual successors the Orthodox Christian Balkan countries of Greece and Bulgaria especially, and to a lesser extent Serbia and some other Orthodox countries in Eastern Europe like Belarus, Georgia, Russia and Ukraine. The term Byzantinism itself was coined in the 19th century.

right|thumb|Tsarina Marfa Apraxina of Russia, wife of Tsar Feodor III and [[Peter the Great's sister-in-law]] thumbnail|One of the young wives of Ivan the Terrible. Painting by Nikolai Nevrev, 19th century

mixed type of political regime that arises on the basis of an authoritarian as a result of an incomplete democratic transition

REDIRECT Oprichnina#Organization

imperialist ideological doctrine of Russian emperor Nicholas I

promotion of the former leader of Azerbaijan

form of non-democratic government

Hybrid regime with regular but unfair elections

novel trilogy by Jack Vance

political science book

Monocracy is a form of government and political system based on the personal rule of an individual without a specific origin, legitimacy, or rules for exercising and transferring power. It can also take the form of a dictatorship exercised in the name of a republic or democracy, or in the name of the people. The term doesn't refer to traditional monarchy and has a broader meaning. Monocracy is typically contrasted with collegial body, where power and authority are vested equally in each of a number of colleagues, rather than in a single individual.

Period of Charles I of England's reign