In a dictatorship, a single person, a dictator, has absolute power over the state. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). In practice, however, many regard it as a dictatorship built around one man, President Vladimir Putin, who has been the leader of the Russian Federation since the year 2000. Democracy Types, Principles & Examples | What is Democracy? It has fewer advantages than disadvantages Advantages Low crime rates. [107] The development of the internet and digital communication in the 21st century have prompted dictatorships to shift from traditional means of control to digital ones, including the use of artificial intelligence to analyze mass communications, internet censorship to restrict the flow of information, and troll farms to manipulate public opinion. They usually allied themselves with a particular social class, and attempted either to maintain the interests of wealthy and privileged elites or to institute far-reaching left-wing social reforms. The dictatorship is characterized by concentrating power in a single person or small group , while in the democratic government system the separation of powers allows freedom to be maintained and the powers control each other. [106], The nature of dictatorship changed in much of the world at the onset of the 21st century. The rigging of elections is just one example of how citizens in a dictatorship have little to no personal freedom. While royal rule, as legitimized by blood descent, had almost vanished as an effective principle of government in the modern world, monocracya term that comprehends the rule of non-Western royal absolutists, of generals and strongmen in Latin America and Asia, of a number of leaders in postcolonial Africa, and of the totalitarian heads of communist statesstill flourished. [54], Asia saw several military dictatorships during the post-classical era. The earliest military dictatorships developed in the post-classical era, particularly in Shogun-era Japan and in England under Cromwell. These caudillos, or self-proclaimed leaders, usually led a private army and tried to establish control over a territory before marching upon a weak national government. The fascinating story behind many people's favori Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz! Marxist one-party states are sometimes distinguished from other one-party states, but they function similarly. Early African dictatorships were primarily personalist socialist dictatorships, in which a single socialist would take power instead of a ruling party. In a dictatorship, the dictator has absolute power. [89] Military coups were also a common occurrence after decolonisation, with 14 African countries experiencing at least three successful military coups between 1959 and 2001. Poverty has a destabilizing effect on government, causing democracy to fail and regimes to fall more often. They are not held accountable for their actions and are free to do as they please, even limiting citizens' freedom and rights. 1 : the office of dictator 2 : autocratic rule, control, or leadership people suffering under his dictatorship 3 a : a form of government in which absolute power is concentrated in a dictator or a small clique Communism and dictatorship b : a government organization or group in which absolute power is so concentrated This page was last edited on 27 April 2023, at 19:44. Dictators usually resort to force or fraud to gain despotic political power, which they maintain through the use of intimidation, terror, and the suppression of basic civil liberties. [19], Military dictatorships are regimes in which military officers hold power, determine who will lead the country, and exercise influence over policy. Leslie Beecher has been in the field of education for over 15 years serving as a tutor, teacher and instructional designer. All rights reserved. The crucial elements of both were the identification of the state with the single mass party and of the party with its charismatic leader, the use of an official ideology to legitimize and maintain the regime, the employment of a terroristic police force and a controlled press, and the application of all the means of modern science and technology to control the economy and individual behaviour. Members of the group will typically make up the elites in a dictator's inner circle at the beginning of a new dictatorship, though the dictator may remove them as a means to gain additional power. Dictatorship can be defined as a form of government in which the power is centralized. [103], Military dictatorships remained prominent in Latin America during the Cold War, though the number of coups declined starting in the 1980s. Human nature being what it is, dictators don't rise to power for the good of their nations (though they usually claim otherwise). Dictatorship - a form of government in which a ruler or small clique wield absolute power (not restricted by a constitution or laws). The Pern regime, for example, was established by nationalistic army officers committed to a program of national reform and ideological goals. Presidential System of Government Overview & Function | 7 Roles of the President, Landmark Cases Based on Constitutional Amendments. [37], Personalist dictators typically favor loyalty over competence in their governments and have a general distrust of intelligentsia. President Biden is expected to make his reelection announcement as soon as Tuesday, beginning the 80-year-old career politician's final campaign. (See personalismo.) However, over the years, these governments evolved into national leaders and were put in their position of power by nationalistic military officers. [13] After power is seized, the group must determine what positions its members will hold in the new government and how this government will operate, sometimes resulting in disagreements that split the group. That's because there's no other branch of government that is not controlled by the dictator. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has called on the people, especially the workers, to stand up against the government. Semi-competitive elections also have the effect of incentivizing members of the ruling party to provide better treatment of citizens so they will be chosen as party nominees due to their popularity. In some of these countries, presidents and prime ministers captured personal power by banning opposition parties and building replicas of the one-party systems of the communist world. Dictatorship is an old form of government with origins in ancient Rome. These movements were a response to what they perceived as decadence and societal decay due to the changing social norms and race relations brought about by liberalism. There have been a very great many military dictators; their . Dictatorships frequently hold elections in order to establish their legitimacy or provide incentives to members of the ruling party, but these elections are not competitive for the opposition. [31], Personalist dictatorships are regimes in which all of the power lies in the hands of a single individual. Dictators employ techniques of mass propaganda in order to sustain public support. A dictatorship is a form of government in which most or all authority of the country is in the hands of a single individual; the leader. In the Aristotelian classification of government, there were two forms of rule by the few: aristocracy and its debased form, oligarchy. Often, too, 20th-century dictators in Latin America allied themselves with a particular social class, attempting either to maintain the interests of established economic groupings or to press social reforms. [145], Van den Bosch, Jeroen J. J., Personalist Rule in Africa and Other World Regions, (London-New York: Routledge, 2021): 13-16, wave of left-wing revolutionary movements, List of countries by system of government, "Review: Totalitarianism, Social Science, and the Margins", "Generals, Dictators, and Kings: Authoritarian Regimes and Civil Conflict, 19732004", "Elites, Single Parties and Political Decision-making in Fascist-era Dictatorships", "Theories of dictatorships: sub-types and explanations", "Personalization of Power and Repression in Dictatorships", "The Tyranny of Dictatorship: When the Greek Tyrant Met the Roman Dictator", "The Five Ancient Criteria of Democracy: The Apotheosis of Equality", "When was the title Dictator perpetuus given to Caesar? Although similar in some respects to the dictatorships of the new countries, the caudillos of 19th- and 20th-century Latin America represented a very different type of monocratic rule. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Most dictatorship countries do not refer to their leader as a dictator, but rather as kings, presidents, prime ministers, etc. Try not to focus so much on whether you are right or wrong, but rather, ask yourself if the leaders that you put on the list fit the characteristics ascribed to dictators. Caudillos were often nominally constrained by a constitution, but the caudillo had the power to draft a new constitution as he wished. [78], At the same time, nationalist movements grew throughout Europe. Russia has all the working parts of a democratic state, but since Putin took power, experts believe these working parts have been made to serve him and those close to him. Most caudillos came from a military background, and their rule was typically associated with pageantry and glamor. [129] Revolution takes place when the opposition group grows large enough that elites in the regime cannot suppress it or choose not to. [24], Military dictatorships often have traits in common due to the shared background of military dictators. A dictatorship is a form of government where one person, or a small group of individuals, can make decisions without effective constitutional limitations. [122] The form of government does not correlate with the amount of economic growth, and dictatorships on average grow at the same rate as democracies, though dictatorships have been found to have larger fluctuations. They are often unstable, and the average duration of a military dictatorship is only five years, but they are often followed by additional military coups and military dictatorships. Dictators use psychological manipulation, imprisonment, torture and murder to intimidate the citizens into complete obedience. Fascism, in its National Socialist form, was primarily a counterrevolutionary movement that mobilized middle- and lower middle-class groups to pursue nationalistic and militaristic goals and whose sole principle of organization was obedience to the Fhrer. [56] Caesar subverted the tradition of temporary dictatorships when he was made dictator perpetuo, or a dictator for life, which led to the creation of the Roman Empire. Write an essay of approximately one to two pages that describes the characteristics of life under a dictatorship. For example, in 19th century Latin America, various dictators came into power after central authority collapsed in the nations recently freed from Spanish colonial rule. In a dictatorship, the dictator has. Ruling parties allow a dictatorship to more broadly influence the populace and facilitate political agreement between party elites. Dictators are incentivized to avoid the use of violence once a reputation of violence is established, as it damages the dictatorship's other institutions and poses a threat to the dictator's rule should government forces become disloyal. Stability in a dictatorship is maintained through coercion and political repression, which involves the restriction of access to information, the tracking of the political opposition, and acts of violence. [1], The dictator exercises broad power over the government and society, but other individuals are necessary to carry out the dictator's rule. Be sure to explain the role of the cult of personality and human rights abuses. [49] In an absolute monarchy, power is limited to the royal family, and legitimacy is established by historical factors. Indeed, in some circumstances, the new elites may use their power to convert themselves into a governing class whose interests are protected by every agency of the state. Example: A dictatorship exists when a leader has absolute power that is unchecked by any other branches of government. With constitutional democracy, it is one of the two chief forms of government in use today. Other factors associated with military coups include extensive natural resources, limited use of the military internationally, and use of the military as an oppressive force domestically. Putin's Russia is headed for a military dictatorship - and total collapse. These nationalist movements supported non-alignment, keeping most Middle Eastern dictatorships out of the American and Soviet spheres of influence. In many of the states of Africa and Asia, for example, dictators quickly established themselves on the ruins of constitutional arrangements inherited from Western colonial powers. Freedom House, the Polity data series, and the Democracy-Dictatorship Index are three of the most used data series by political scientists. In personalist dictatorships, the elite corps are usually made up of close friends or family members of the dictator, who typically handpicks these individuals to serve their posts. A personalist dictator will manage these appointees by segmenting the government so that they cannot collaborate. [136] Should a dictatorship fail, elections also permit dictators and elites to accept defeat without fearing violent recourse. Nazi Germany under Hitler and the Soviet Union under Stalin are the leading examples of modern totalitarian dictatorships. Exceptions to the pattern of poverty in dictatorships include oil-rich Middle Eastern dictatorships and the East Asian Tigers during their periods of dictatorship. Many of the classical conditions of oligarchic rule were found until the 20th century in those parts of Asia in which governing elites were recruited exclusively from a ruling castea hereditary social grouping set apart from the rest of society by religion, kinship, economic status, prestige, and even language. As the Cold War went on, the Soviet Union increased its influence in Africa, and MarxistLeninist dictatorships developed in several African countries. In which one may be a senior politician or any group owns all the authority for ruling over the country. Totalitarianism is a type of governmental system in which the government exerts a domineering level of control over the population. [33] A ruling party in a one-party dictatorship may rule under any ideology or it may have no guiding ideology. She has a B.S. [98], During World War II, many countries of Central and Eastern Europe had been occupied by the Soviet Union. [87] Populist movements were strengthened following the economic turmoil of the Great Depression, producing populist dictatorships in several Latin American countries. This person is called a dictator. [90] These new African governments were marked by severe instability, which provided opportunities for regime change and made fair elections a rare occurrence on the continent. Create your account. Make a list of at least four leaders from world history that could be considered dictators. Far-left and far-right dictatorships used similar methods to maintain power, including cult of personality, concentration camps, forced labour, mass murder, and genocide. Erdogan looked pale as he sat behind a desk surrounded by Cabinet members . [92] Deng Xiaoping took power as the de facto leader of China after Mao's death and implemented reforms to restore stability following the Cultural Revolution and reestablish free market economics. In other democracies, however, constitutional arrangements have survived quite lengthy periods of crisis, as in Great Britain and the United States during World War II, in which the use of extraordinary powers by the executive came to a halt with the end of the wartime emergency. Democracy and Dictatorship: Conceptualization and Measurement", "Democracy and Dictatorship: Conceptualization and Measurement", Divergent Incentives for Dictators: Domestic Institutions and (International Promises Not to) Torture, "Cooperation, Cooptation, and Rebellion Under Dictatorships", "How Foreign Aid Can Foster Democratization in Authoritarian Regimes", "Tyrants and Terrorism: Why Some Autocrats are Terrorized While Others are Not", "Dictatorship: Modern Tyranny Between Leviathan and Behemoth (Version 2.0) (english version)", 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198716204.001.0001, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dictatorship&oldid=1152037614. The simple forms of oligarchic rule associated with pre-industrial societies are, of course, rapidly disappearing. The modern caudillo proved to be less a provincial leader than a national one. Instead, dictators have ordinary titles such as president, emperor, great leader and similar monikers. [98], One of the tasks in political science is to measure and classify regimes as either democracies or dictatorship (authoritarian) countries. Single-party dictatorships were most common during the Cold War, with dominant-party dictatorships becoming more common after the fall of the Soviet Union. The use of the term dictatorship originated in the Roman Republic. It is an authoritarian form of government where one person is in charge of enforcing and enacting the law. In other new countries, the armies seized power, and military dictatorships were established. Under this system, there are three types of dictatorships. Modern dictatorships first developed in the 19th century, which included Bonapartism in Europe and caudillos in Latin America. dictatorship, Form of government in which one person or an oligarchy possesses absolute power without effective constitutional checks. [73], The first communist state was created by Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks with the establishment of Soviet Russia during the Russian Revolution in 1917. A dictatorship is a form of government, where one person effectively has all the power to run a country. Once in power, the dictators will use fear and violence to stay in office and suppress any opposition. [8], Totalitarianism is a variation of dictatorship characterized by the presence of a single political party and more specifically, by a powerful leader who imposes personal and political prominence. Ecclesiastical - a government administrated by a church. [142] The use of violence by a dictator is frequently most severe during the first few years of a dictatorship, because the regime has not yet solidified its rule and more detailed information for targeted coercion is not yet available. A Roman dictator was a special magistrate that was temporarily appointed by the consul during times of crisis and granted total executive authority. [57] The rule of a dictator was not necessarily considered tyrannical in Ancient Rome, though it has been described in some accounts as a "temporary tyranny" or an "elective tyranny". dictator + -ship, as translation of Latin dicttra. By contrast, dictators take power by force or by misleading the people. A dictatorship is a form of government characterized by the absolute rule of one person or a very small group of people who hold all political power. The Soviet economy became unsustainable, and communist governments lost the support of intellectuals. [95] A similar phenomenon took place in Korea, where Kim Il-sung created a Soviet-backed communist dictatorship in North Korea[96] and Syngman Rhee created a US-backed nationalist dictatorship in South Korea. Rule by dictator. In the most brutal dictatorships, the citizens live in extreme poverty because the government withholds food and supplies in order to keep the people under control. FM to become first Israeli minister in nearly 30 years to visit the closed central Asian dictatorship, an oil-rich state on Iranian border . Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. [10] Political scientist Juan Jos Linz identifies a spectrum of political systems with democracies and totalitarian regimes separated by authoritarian regimes with varied classifications of hybrid systems. A dictatorship is a form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, who hold governmental powers with few to no limitations on them. Military dictatorships are notorious for human rights abuses and the denial of political and social freedoms. Think back to what you have previously learned about history. The economic focus of a dictatorship often depends on the strength of the opposition, as a weaker opposition allows a dictator to extract additional wealth from the economy through corruption. [32], One-party dictatorships became prominent in Asia and Eastern Europe during the Cold War as communist governments were installed in several countries. They seize power to benefit themselves, their families and their close political allies. One moose, two moose. The constitutional systems inherited from the colonial powers proved unworkable in the absence of a strong middle class; local traditions of autocratic rule retained a powerful influence; the army, one of the few organized forces in society, was also often the only force capable of maintaining order; and a tiny intellectual class was impatient for economic progress, frustrated by the lack of opportunity, and deeply influenced by the example of authoritarianism in other countries. [26] Ruling parties in one-party dictatorships are distinct from political parties that were created to serve a dictator in that the ruling party in a one-party dictatorship permeates every level of society. Parties formed after the seizure of power often have little influence and only exist to serve the dictator. [18], A classification of dictatorships, which began with political scientist Barbara Geddes in 1999, focuses on where power lies. succeed. - Definition & Process, What is Neuroeconomics? A dictatorship is a form of government characterized by the rule of one person or a small group of people who have no checks and balances on their power. [124], Several factors determine the stability of a dictatorship, and they must maintain some degree of popular support to prevent resistance groups from growing. [74] The Bolsheviks consolidated power by 1922, forming the Soviet Union. However, his presidency came under dispute in 2019. A dictator that has concentrated significant power is more likely to be exiled, imprisoned, or killed after ouster, and accordingly they are more likely to refuse negotiation and cling to power. [17] Between 1946 and 2010, 42% of dictatorships began by overthrowing a different dictatorship, and 26% began after achieving independence from a foreign government. The result is that such regimes have no internal checks and balances, and are thus unrestrained when exerting repression on their people, making radical shifts in foreign policy, or starting wars with other countries. [50] Monarchies allow for strict rules of succession that produce a peaceful transfer of power on the monarch's death, but this can also result in succession disputes if multiple members of the royal family claim a right to succeed. Similarly, although the 1958 constitution of the Fifth Republic of France contained far-reaching emergency powers conferred on the presidentwhen the institutions of the Republic, the independence of the nation, the integrity of its territory or the fulfillment of its international obligations are threatened with immediate and grave danger, and when the regular functioning of the constitutional authority is interruptedtheir implicit threat to the constitutional order has not been realized. Definition of Dictatorship Noun Absolute, imperious, or haughty power or control. The communist and fascist dictatorships that arose in various technologically advanced countries in the first half of the 20th century were distinctively different from the authoritarian regimes of Latin America or the postcolonial dictatorships of Africa and Asia. The dictatorship is opposed to the democratic system of government. Elections allow a dictatorship to exercise some control over the opposition by setting the terms under which the opposition challenges the regime. The 20th century saw the rise of fascist and communist dictatorships in Europe; fascism was eradicated in the aftermath of World War II in 1945, while communism spread to other continents, maintaining prominence until the end of the Cold War in 1991. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. [60] During the L dynasty of Vietnam between the 16th and 18th centuries, the country was under de facto military rule by two rival military families: the Trnh lords in the north and the Nguyn lords in the south. Dictators are more likely to implement long-term investments into the country's economy if they feel secure in their power. [139] Since the end of the Cold War, more dictatorships have established "semi-competitive" elections in which opposition is allowed to participate in elections but is not allowed to win, with approximately two-thirds of dictatorships permitting opposition candidates in 2018. Unfortunately, dictatorships seldom usher in a nation's prosperity. [51] In the modern era, absolute monarchies are most common in the Middle East. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. This may be ensured through incentives, such as distribution of financial resources or promises of security, or it may be through repression, in which failing to support the regime is punished. [42] Within a personalist regime an issue called "The dictators dilemma" arises. [138], In the 20th century, most dictatorships held elections in which voters could only choose to support the dictatorship, with only one-quarter of partisan dictatorships permitting opposition candidates to participate.
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