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Authoritarian Regimes

Definition

Authoritarian regimes refer to political systems where power is concentrated in the hands of a single leader or a small group of individuals who exercise strong control over the government and limit individual freedoms.

Analogy

Imagine a school where there is only one teacher who makes all the decisions and students have no say in how things are run. The teacher has complete authority and can dictate what subjects are taught, how they are taught, and even what students can wear.

Related terms

Totalitarianism: Totalitarianism refers to an extreme form of authoritarianism where the state seeks to control all aspects of public and private life, leaving no room for opposition or dissent.

Dictatorship: A dictatorship is a type of authoritarian regime in which power is held by one person (the dictator) who exercises absolute control over the government.

Fascism: Fascism is an extreme right-wing ideology that promotes dictatorial power, nationalism, militarism, and suppression of individual rights in order to create a centralized autocratic government.