What are the characteristics of authoritarian government? Answer: this is a form of government that doesn't consider it's people's opinions and thoughts. they use force often and do not hold elections. there is usually one person or a smal group in charge of the government.
Authoritarianism
Most simply, authoritarianism denotes the absence of free elections and the presence of unconstrained power. In this form of non-democratic government, the power and authority wielded by the leader(s) is not contingent upon popular support from the citizenry. Authoritarian leadership may be single or group headed. When a single person heads the government, it is known as an autocracy. When an elite group of individuals head the government, it is known as an oligarchy; such an elite ruling group is also sometimes known as a junta. Furthermore, individual leaders may vary substantially in how they govern. Those who are somewhat concerned with the betterment of the public good are known as benevolent autocrats. Those who are concerned solely with advancing their own interests are known as dictators. Those who exhibit great enthusiasm for violence and bloodshed are known as tyrants. No matter which style of leadership is expressed in an authoritarian state, the interests of the rulers will always be paramount to the welfare of the citizenry because the rulers are not accountable to the people. Although some authoritarian leaders m ay come to power through elections, the y usually gain it through the use of force or violence. An authoritarian regime tends to overthrow the existing government in a coup d'état. Thus, leaders initially tend to assume a militant status, and then later convert to a civilian status for the sake of appearances. For example, Nassar of Egypt was a military commander before becoming president. This is a tricky game of grasping and maintaining political power. After all, as has been seen in Asia, Africa, and Latin Am erica, these regimes have often seized power only to be overthrown by equa lly forceful autocrats or juntas. In a system where power can be achieved through violence, there is always the risk that a stronger regime will come along and take it away. Consequently, authoritarian regimes, out of necessity, must tightly control the army and the police which are the primary means by which political opponents can be harassed, exiled, or even executed. Although there is no elaborate or guiding ideology of authoritarianism , there are defining comm onalties. Authoritarian regimes do not attempt to control every aspect of society and their main goal is sim ply the preservation of their own political power. Nonetheless, authoritarian states all tend to possess the following features, although they may vary greatly in the: 1) degree of oppression they impose upon the citizens. 2) amount of force, repression, and violence they use to achieve their goals. 3) degree of enforced public conformity through such means as suppression of intellectual freedom. 4) degree of public support that they enjoy. Authoritarian regimes express principles which are fundamentally at odds with d emocracy such as rule by a select few, suppression of the opposition, and so on. However, this does not necessarily mean that they are seen as lacking legitimacy in the countries in which they govern. They may be legitimized and also
gain popularity from a variety of means. For example, they may secure both legitimacy and popularity by bringing much needed stability and/or economic growth to the state. The presence of a charismatic leader can also be an important source of legitimacy and popularity for these regimes, as was the case with Qaddafi of Libya. Authoritarianism is the oldes t and most common form of government. For example, in Europe, fr om the Middle Ages to the French Revolution of 1789 absolute monarchy, a form of authoritarianism, was the only form of government in existence. Furthermore, the principle alternative to the monarchy in the Greek city-states was oligarchy, another form of authoritarianism. This form of government has likely been the norm throughout history because it is so simple. After all, it is the easiest to institute and it can still provide a straightforward and efficient governmental response to the need for order and stability, as well as a solution to severe social and economic problems. The deep roots of authoritarianism can be seen in the writings of Niccolò Machiavelli, the famous Italian political thinker, who wrote in 1532 about gaining and maintaining political power the authoritarian way. Despite the enduring nature of authoritarianism, the 1980s and 1990s have signified a shift away from this mode of governance as global enthusiasm for democracy has increased. However, the fact remains that the vast majority of states, especially those that are still developing, subscribe to this non-democratic form of government known as authoritarianism.
Authoritarianism System of government in which national traditions are rigidly enforced. Modern examples are Francisco Franco's regime in Spain (1939-1975), and the fascist regimes of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.
What is an authoritarian government? Answer: An authoritarian government is the form of government based on the principle of requiring obedience to the authority of one person or a small group of people. Other people must be obedient to the will of the government and they have little or no influence over the decisions made by the government. Authoritarian government involves a "top-down" command structure, often with elements of a military or quasi-military dictatorship.
To be classed as an authoritarian authoritarian or single party sate, a country or state will have the following: · Only one legal political party · A leader often chosen by/from the military following a coup · A leader or group who controls the state even though there may be other parties.
Overall, authoritarian and single party states have the following characteristics characteristi cs in common: · Little or no freedom of speech · No freedom of assembly-unable to hold meetings without the approval of the government · No freedom of movement-individuals movement-individuals need documents/internal passports to move around inside the country. · No freedom to travel aboard · No independent judicial system · All sources of informatio information n are censored-i.e media · Any opposition to the regime is harshly punished
Not all such authoritarian authoritarian or single party states have these characteristics characteristics and some some may be more or less oppressive than others. However, all will exercise strict control over the freedom of the people and will use a variety of methods to hold onto power.
