authoritarianism
Sign in to saveAuthoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political status quo, and reductions in democracy, separation of powers, civil liberties, and the rule of law. Authoritarian regimes may be either autocratic or oligarchic and may be based upon the rule of a party, the military, or the concentration of power in a single person. States that have a blurred boundary between democracy and authoritarianism have sometimes been characterized as "hybrid democracies", "hybrid regimes" or "competitive authoritaria
AI overview
Authoritarianism is a system of government where a single leader or small group holds strong central power, rejects multiple political parties, and limits democracy, civil liberties, and the rule of law. It matters because it fundamentally shapes how much freedom people have, how power is checked or unchecked, and whether citizens can participate in governing themselves.
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Article
32 sectionsContents
- Characteristics
- Constitutions in authoritarian regimes
- Current list of countries
- Historical
- Economy
- Institutions
- Interactions with other elites and the masses
- Manipulation of information
- Systemic weakness and resilience
- Violence
- Typologies
- Similar terms
- Subtypes
- Authoritarianism and democracy
- Competitive authoritarian regimes
- Authoritarianism and fascism
- Authoritarian socialism
- Libertarian authoritarianism
- Authoritarianism and totalitarianism
- Economic effects
- Military effects
- Historical trends
- Pre-World War II
- Post-World War II anti-authoritarianism
- 21st-century
- Contemporary
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Bibliography
- Further reading
- External links
Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political status quo, and reductions in democracy, separation of powers, civil liberties, and the rule of law. Authoritarian regimes may be either autocratic or oligarchic and may be based upon the rule of a party, the military, or the concentration of power in a single person. States that have a blurred boundary between democracy and authoritarianism have sometimes been characterized as "hybrid democracies", "hybrid regimes" or "competitive authoritarian" states.
The political scientist Juan Linz, in an influential 1964 work, An Authoritarian Regime: Spain, defined authoritarianism as possessing four qualities: Limited political pluralism, which is achieved with constraints on the legislature, political parties and interest groups. Political legitimacy based on appeals to emotion and identification of the regime as a necessary evil to combat "easily recognizable societal problems, such as underdevelopment or insurgency." Minimal political mobilization, and suppression of anti-regime activities. Ill-defined executive powers, often vague and shifting, used to extend the power of the executive.