dictatorship government

The people living in dictatorships are often subjected to human rights abuses and severe limits to their personal freedom. . 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. [118][119][120][121], Most dictatorships exist in countries with high levels of poverty. dictator + -ship, as translation of Latin dicttra. Today, the term "dictator" is associated with cruel and oppressive rulers who violate human rights and maintain their power by jailing and executing their opponents. [143], Terrorism is less common in dictatorships. 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. [81] These reforms incorporated totalitarianism, fealty to the state, expansionism, corporatism, and anti-communism. Dictators use psychological manipulation, imprisonment, torture and murder to intimidate the citizens into complete obedience. - Definition & Examples, Probationary Period of Employment: Policy & Termination, Historical Cost: Definition, Principle & Advantages, What is Strategic Sourcing? The question for many constitutional regimes is whether the limitation and balance of power that are at the heart of constitutional government can survive the growing enlargement of executive power. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. dictatorship summary | Britannica 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. The dictatorship was revived 120 years later by Sulla after his crushing of a populist movement, and 33 years after that by Julius Caesar. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. The proclamation of emergency rule, for example, was the beginning of the dictatorships of Hitler in Germany, Benito Mussolini in Italy, Kemal Atatrk in Turkey, Jzef Pisudki in Poland, and Antnio de Oliveira Salazar in Portugal. 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. In 1989, the Soviet Union was dissolved, and communism was abandoned by the countries of Central and Eastern Europe through a series of revolutions. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free! [126] A military coup is often carried out when a regime is threatening the country's stability or during periods of societal unrest. 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. See examples of ancient and modern dictatorships. A dictatorship is a type of government in which a single personthe dictatoror party has absolute power. 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. Dictatorship - Wikipedia Dictators use intimidation, terror, and the suppression of basic civil liberties. Dictatorships can be formed by a military coup that overthrows the previous government through force or they can be formed by a self-coup in which elected leaders make their rule permanent. Some dictators also have a charismatic personality, according to Max Weber, which can make them appealing to citizens regardless of the force and violence they apply. [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. [48], An absolute monarchy is a monarchy in which the monarch rules without legal limitations. With the decline and disappearance in the 19th and 20th centuries of monarchies based on hereditary descent, dictatorship became one of the two chief forms of government in use by nations throughout the world, the other being constitutional democracy. On paper, Russia is a federal democratic state. Make a list of at least four leaders from world history that could be considered dictators. Korea experienced military dictatorships under the rule of Yeon Gaesomun in the 7th century[58] and under the rule of the Goryeo military regime in the 12th and 13th centuries. A dictator is an individual who forms a government where they make decisions without effective constitutional limitations. [106], The nature of dictatorship changed in much of the world at the onset of the 21st century. Between 1950 and 2016, one-party dictatorships made up 57% of authoritarian regimes in the world,[26] and one-party dictatorships have continued to expand more quickly than other forms of dictatorship in the latter half of the 20th century. Allowing the opposition to have representation in the regime, such as through a legislature, further reduces the likelihood of terrorist attacks in a dictatorship. Monarchy Lesson for Kids: Definition & Facts, Nigeria's Dictators & Their Impact on the Country. On average, they last twice as long as military dictatorships, but not as long as one-party dictatorships. [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. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 88,000 They may be military officers, party members, or friends and family of the dictator. [69], In the time between World War I and World War II, several dictatorships were established in Europe through coups which were carried out by far-left and far-right movements. Many are noted for their cruelty, while others are honored as national heroes. These individuals form an inner circle, making up a class of elites that hold a degree of power within the dictatorship and receive benefits in exchange for their support. Personalist dictatorships are more common in Sub-Saharan Africa due to less established institutions in the region. Military dictators may also be less trusting or diplomatic and underestimate the use of bargaining and compromise in politics. [43] This idea references the heavy reliance on repression of the public in order to stay in power, which creates incentives for all constituents to falsify their preferences, which does not allow for the dictator to know the genuine popular beliefs or his realistic measure of societal support. She has a Master's degree in History. Democracy Types, Principles & Examples | What is Democracy? Government type - The World Factbook - CIA [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. Most modern-day dictators rise to power for personal reasons, which are not usually benevolent or for the good of the country's citizens. In some such countries, elected presidents and prime ministers captured personal power by establishing one-party rule and suppressing the opposition, while in others the army seized power and established military dictatorships. Ecclesiastical - a government administrated by a church. [141], In a dictatorship, violence is used to coerce or repress all opposition to the dictator's rule, and the strength of a dictatorship depends on its use of violence. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Accessed 1 May. 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. He can rule on anyone,. 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. They are not held accountable for their actions and are free to do as they please, even limiting citizens' freedom and rights. Dictatorship or Totalitarianism is a situation where a single person or political party rules the entire country. dictatorship, Form of government in which one person or an oligarchy possesses absolute power without effective constitutional checks. Under this system, there are three types of dictatorships. [73], Dictatorships in Latin America persisted into the 20th century, and further military coups established new regimes, often in the name of nationalism. A Roman dictator was a special magistrate that was temporarily appointed by the consul during times of crisis and granted total executive authority. Personalist dictators may be members of the military or leaders of a political party, but neither the military nor the party exercises power independently from the dictator. Dictators make unilateral decisions that affect their countries without having to consult any other branch of government. [47] Personalist dictatorships also experience growth differently, as they often lack the institutions or qualified leadership to sustain an economy. Industrialization produces new, differentiated elites that replace the small leadership groupings that once controlled social, economic, and political power in the society. Putin's Russia is headed for a military dictatorship - and total collapse. A dictatorship leader is a political leader who possesses absolute power. With constitutional democracy, it is one of the two chief forms of government in use today. Early African dictatorships were primarily personalist socialist dictatorships, in which a single socialist would take power instead of a ruling party. [62][63][64] Maximilien Robespierre has been similarly described as a dictator while he controlled the National Convention in France and carried out the Reign of Terror in 1793 and 1794. [4] A unified inner circle has the capacity to overthrow a dictator, and the dictator must make greater concessions to the inner circle to stay in power. Parties formed after the seizure of power often have little influence and only exist to serve the dictator. Mao established the People's Republic of China as a one-party communist state under his governing ideology of Maoism. It is an authoritarian form of government where one person is in charge of enforcing and enacting the law. What Type Of Government Does Russia Have? - WorldAtlas [32], One-party dictatorships became prominent in Asia and Eastern Europe during the Cold War as communist governments were installed in several countries. [16], Most dictatorships are formed through military means or through a political party. Whether as presidential dictatorships or as military dictatorships, the regimes that came into being appear to have had common roots in the social and economic problems of the new state. 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. The term dictatorship comes from the Latin title dictator, which in the Roman Republic designated a temporary magistrate who was granted extraordinary powers in order to deal with state crises. Many forces at work in the late 20th and early 21st centuries have appeared to lend impetus to the rise of monocratic forms of rule. Dictatorship. Elections allow a dictatorship to exercise some control over the opposition by setting the terms under which the opposition challenges the regime. This person is called a dictator. Indeed, the constitutions of some Western democracies explicitly provide for the grant of emergency powers to the executive in a time of crisis to protect the constitutional order. [123], The type of economy in a dictatorship can affect how it functions. Lesley has taught American and World History at the university level for the past seven years. New forms of oligarchic rule have also made their appearance in many advanced industrial societies. 279 lessons. scholarly analysis of Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin and Mao, as well as Kim Il-sung of North Korea; Franois Duvalier, or Papa Doc, of Haiti; Nicolae Ceauescu of Romania; and Mengistu Haile Mariam of Ethiopia. Presidential System of Government Overview & Function | 7 Roles of the President, Landmark Cases Based on Constitutional Amendments. 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. dictatorship: 1 n a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.) copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. [14], Unless they have undertaken a self-coup, those seizing power typically have little governmental experience and do not have a detailed policy plan in advance. There have been a very great many military dictators; their . 150,000 protest Israeli judicial reform, Spanish PM voices support [28] Due to the structure of their leadership, one-party dictatorships are significantly less likely to face civil conflict, insurgency, or terrorism than other forms of dictatorship. 2023. Ancient philosophers descriptions of the tyrannies of Greece and Sicily go far toward characterizing modern dictatorships. The country suffered for many years under his, His enemies accused him of establishing a, Today, Russia under President Vladimir Putin is an autocracy verging on military, Lest this only conjure up images of a repressive, The latter includes the now-defunct dark web market Hydra as well as North Koreas infamous Lazarus Group, a team of hackers that carries out sophisticated cyber and crypto robberies to support the, After seven brutal years in power, the Armed Forces finally withdrew from the Executive, allowing open elections in which Alfonsn handily took the popular vote with a mandate to investigate the crimes committed during the 1976-1983 military, Inevitably, during his life, Pel encountered problems: his commercial activities were sometimes mired in controversy; at one stage he was labeled a left-wing antagonist of the Brazilian government, then was later described as being too conservative in his views of the Brazilian, Chilean author Nona Fernndez grew up alongside the violence of the Pinochet, At least since the infamous dread pirate Captain Flint haunted the pages of Robert Louis Stevensons Treasure Island, pirate vessels have been treated in the popular imagination as floating, Post the Definition of dictatorship to Facebook, Share the Definition of dictatorship on Twitter. Dictatorship - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com Nearly half of dictatorships start as a military coup, though others have been started by foreign intervention, elected officials ending competitive elections, insurgent takeovers, popular uprisings by citizens, or legal maneuvering by autocratic elites to take power within their government. 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. [68] The Spanish American wars of independence took place in the early-19th century, creating many new Latin American governments. [22], Military dictatorships are typically formed by a military coup in which senior officers use the military to overthrow the government. Government Overview, Purpose & Types | What is a Government? A totalitarian government has "total control of mass communications and social and economic organizations". The growing complexity of modern society and its government thrusts ever greater power into the hands of administrators and committees of experts. Learn the definition of a dictatorship and its main characteristics. After a brief period of constitutional rule, each of the former Spanish colonies in the Americas experienced a collapse of effective national government. The person dominates all the subjects of the country or state which he's ruling. [98] Several Middle Eastern countries were the subject of military coups in the 1950s and 1960s, including Iraq, Syria, North Yemen, and South Yemen. [64][65][66], Dictatorship developed as a major form of government in the 19th century, though the concept was not universally seen pejoratively at the time, with both a tyrannical concept and a quasi-constitutional concept of dictatorship understood to exist. Instead, dictators have ordinary titles such as president, emperor, great leader and similar monikers. 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. 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. The leader of a dictatorship is called a dictator. Nicolas Maduro Moros is a Venezuelan politician and has been the president of Venezuela since 2013. As the Cold War went on, the Soviet Union increased its influence in Africa, and MarxistLeninist dictatorships developed in several African countries. 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. Learn a new word every day. [37], Personalist dictators typically favor loyalty over competence in their governments and have a general distrust of intelligentsia. Although the term oligarchy is rarely used to refer to contemporary political systems, the phenomenon of irresponsible rule by small groups has not vanished from the world. [54][55] The concept of "dictator" was first developed during the Roman Republic. Current leader Kim Jong-un has consolidated his power, purging . 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. totalitarianism, form of government that theoretically permits no individual freedom and that seeks to subordinate all aspects of individual life to the authority of the state. They are not held accountable for their actions and are free to do as they please, even limiting citizens' freedom and rights, including: To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. An error occurred trying to load this video. A dictator is a government leader who rules with unquestioned and unlimited power. The demands of industrialization compel recruitment on the basis of skill, merit, and achievement rather than on the basis of inherited social position and wealth. While the term has been used several times throughout history, most common usage of the term is in relation to different types of dictatorships that existed in the 20th and 21st centuries. [82], Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party created a second fascist dictatorship in Germany in 1933,[83] obtaining absolute power through a combination of electoral victory, violence, and emergency powers.
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