In An Autocracy, What Kind Of Power Does The Leader Hold?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Autocracy is a system of government in which absolute power over a state is concentrated in the hands of one person, whose decisions are subject neither to external legal restraints nor to regularized mechanisms of popular control (except perhaps for the implicit threat of a coup d’état or other forms of rebellion ).

In earlier times, the term autocrat was coined as a favorable description of a ruler, having some connection to the concept of “lack of conflicts of interests ” as well as an indication of grandeur and power. This use of the term continued into modern times, as the Russian emperor was styled “Autocrat of all the Russias” as late as the early 20th century.

In the 19th century, Eastern and Central Europe were under autocratic monarchies within the territories of which lived diverse peoples. Autocracy is the most common and durable regime type since the emergence of the state,

Contents

- 0.0.1 What is a government in which a leader or group holds absolute power?

1 What are the forms of autocracy?
- - 1.0.1 What leaders have absolute power?
  - 1.0.2 What is a leader who holds almost absolute power?
2 What is the best description of an autocracy?
- - 2.0.1 What describes an autocracy?
3 Why autocratic leadership is bad?
4 How is an autocratic leader chosen?
5 Who is an example of an autocratic leader?
6 Who holds power in a democracy?
- 6.1 What is elite democracy?
7 What is the definition of democracy for kids?
- 7.1 What are absolute rulers called?
- 7.2 Who was the most absolute leader?
8 Who was the best absolute leader?
9 What type of leader is the most powerful?
- 9.1 What is absolute power called?
10 What is it called when a dictator takes power?
11 What is a government with absolute power called?

What is a government in which a leader or group holds absolute power?

Joseph Stalin – After the death of the Soviet Union’s founder, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin ruled the the USSR in autocratic fashion. Photograph by Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images An autocracy is a form of government in which one ruler has absolute control and decision-making power. Autocracies have existed since ancient times, when kings and emperors ruled over great countries and tribal lands, and they exist today in the form of absolute monarchies and dictatorships,

Unlike in a democracy, the people living in countries with autocratic governments have no say in determining the nation’s laws, or in how those laws are enforced. An autocratic ruler is accountable to no one; there is no system of checks and balances, no constitutional limit on the ruler’s power, and the ruler is not held accountable by a cabinet of advisors, a system of courts, the people, or the press.

In autocratic governments, the power of the ruler is absolute; dissent is not tolerated, For this reason, scholars have often linked autocracy with totalitarian regimes, such as that of Adolf Hitler in Germany and Josef Stalin in the Soviet Union. Autocracy is a general concept rather than a specific form of government.

Though autocratic rulers have complete power over the people of their countries, their methods of governing can be vastly different.
Absolute monarchies and dictatorships still exist in modern times.
Today’s kings and queens, as in ancient times, often rule by right of succession,
Their royal lineage can be traced back to ancient times when their royal ancestors ruled by divine right—as it was widely believed that they descended from the gods.

Dictators are absolute rulers who acquire their power rather than inherit it. Most commonly, dictators gain power as a result of revolution —typically, when a group of rebels rise up in protest and overthrow the existing government. Then, the dictator assumes control with the goal of establishing a new order.

Dictators, especially military dictators, acquire their power by force. Throughout history, during times of political unrest, people have tended to accept the command of strong leaders who could take control of their countries. In fact, Niccolo Machiavelli, an Italian political philosopher from the 15th century, recommended autocracy as a temporary measure and as a means of restoring political order and ending dissent.

The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. Tyson Brown, National Geographic Society National Geographic Society Gina Borgia, National Geographic Society Jeanna Sullivan, National Geographic Society Sarah Appleton, National Geographic Society, National Geographic Society Margot Willis, National Geographic Society

What are the forms of autocracy?

Forms of government by power source –

Term	Description	Examples
Autocracy	Autocracy is a system of government in which supreme power (social and political) is concentrated in the hands of one person or polity, whose decisions are subject to neither external legal restraints nor regularized mechanisms of popular control (except perhaps for the implicit threat of a coup d’état or mass insurrection ). Absolute monarchy (such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Brunei and Eswatini ) and dictatorships are the main modern day forms of autocracy.	Aztec Empire Russian Empire Saudi Arabia Brunei
Oligarchy	Oligarchy, meaning “rule of the few”, is a form of power structure in which power rests with a small number of people. These people might be distinguished by nobility, wealth, family ties, education or corporate, religious or military control. Such states are often controlled by families who typically pass their influence from one generation to the next, but inheritance is not a necessary condition for the application of this term.	Russian Federation South Africa (1948–1994) Argentine Conservative Era (1880–1916)
Democracy	Democracy, meaning “rule of the people”, is a system of government in which the citizens exercise power directly or elect representatives from among themselves to form a governing body, such as a parliament, Democracy is sometimes referred to as “rule of the majority”. Democracy is a system of processing conflicts in which outcomes depend on what participants do, but no single force controls what occurs and its outcomes. This does include citizens being able to vote for different laws and leaders.	Bangladesh France Germany India Indonesia Philippines Canada
Anarchy	A place where there are no laws. Sometimes said to be non-governance; it is a structure which strives for non-hierarchical, voluntary associations among agents. This can be a natural, temporary result of civil war in a country, when an established state has been destroyed and the region is in a transitional period without definitive leadership. Alternatively, it has been presented as a viable long term choice by individuals known as anarchists who oppose the state and other forms of coercive hierarchies. These individuals typically think people should organize in non-hierarchical, voluntary associations where people voluntarily help each other, There are a variety of forms of anarchy that attempt to discourage the use of coercion, violence, force and authority, while still producing a productive and desirable society. (as of 2023) Haiti was one of the poorest countries in the Americas with no government officials, presidents, prime ministers, police and army due to the crisis of Gang violence especially the 2022 Port-au-Prince gang battles that plagued the Caribbean country into mass exodus.	Makhnovshchina (1918–1921) Regional Defence Council of Aragon (1936–1937) Revolutionary Catalonia (1936–1939) Haiti

What leaders have absolute power?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Absolute monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch rules in their own right or power. In an absolute monarchy, the king or queen is by no means limited and has absolute power, though a limited constitution may exist in some countries.

These are often hereditary monarchies, On the other hand, in constitutional monarchies, in which the authority of the head of state is also bound or restricted by the constitution, a legislature, or unwritten customs, the king or queen is not the only one to decide, and their entourage also exercises power, mainly the prime minister.

Absolute monarchy originally emerged in Europe after the social upheaval of the Black Death and Renaissance, and represented a reaction by monarchs to create a centralised state against the counter-balancing forces of medieval society ( feudal fragmentation, municipal corporations, etc.).

Originally associated with the prestigious Duchy of Burgundy, it later spread as a model to centralize the varied territories of the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of France,
The absolutist system of government saw its high point during the late 16th and the 17th Century, associated with a more autocratic form of rule under figures such as Louis XIV of France and Philip II of Spain,

Attempting to establish an absolutist government along European lines, Charles I of England viewed Parliament as unnecessary, which would ultimately lead to the English Civil Wars (1642–51) and his execution, Absolutism declined substantially, first following the French Revolution, and later after World War I, both of which led to the popularization of theories of government based on the notion of popular sovereignty,

What is a leader who holds almost absolute power?

Other forms: dictators A dictator is someone who has absolute power — or who at least behaves as if they do by bossing others around. In government, a dictator is a ruler who has total control over a country, with no checks or balances to prevent abuse of power.

Dictator can also describe someone who acts like that on a smaller scale.
When your sister is getting married and your mom makes her order roses instead lilies for the table arrangements and yells at you for addressing the invitations too slowly and insists that all of her coworkers be invited, she’s acting like a dictator.

You might be interested: What Is Thermal Runaway As It Relates To Evs?

Definitions of dictator

noun a ruler who is unconstrained by law synonyms: potentate see more see less examples: show 6 examples. hide 6 examples. Francois Duvalier oppressive Haitian dictator (1907-1971) Jean-Claude Duvalier son and successor of Francois Duvalier as president of Haiti; he was overthrown by a mass uprising in 1986 (born in 1951) Francisco Franco Spanish general whose armies took control of Spain in 1939 and who ruled as a dictator until his death (1892-1975) Adolf Hitler German Nazi dictator during World War II (1889-1945) Benito Mussolini Italian fascist dictator (1883-1945) Tojo Hideki Japanese army officer who initiated the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and who assumed dictatorial control of Japan during World War II; he was subsequently tried and executed as a war criminal (1884-1948) types: show 5 types. hide 5 types. shogun a hereditary military dictator of Japan; the shoguns ruled Japan until the revolution of 1867-68 strongman a powerful political figure who rules by the exercise of force or violence autocrat, despot, tyrant a cruel and oppressive dictator caudillo a military dictator in a Spanish-speaking country czar a person having great power type of: ruler, swayer a person who rules or commands noun a person who behaves in a tyrannical manner “my boss is a dictator who makes everyone work overtime” synonyms: authoritarian noun a speaker who dictates to a secretary or a recording machine

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘dictator’, Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback EDITOR’S CHOICE

What is the best description of an autocracy?

Government in which one person has uncontrolled or unlimited authority over others ; the government or power of an absolute monarch.

What describes an autocracy?

Unlike in a democracy, the people living in countries with autocratic governments have no say in determining the nation’s laws, or in how those laws are enforced.
An autocratic ruler is accountable to no one; there is no system of checks and balances, no constitutional limit on the ruler’s power, and the ruler is not held accountable by a cabinet of advisors, a system of courts, the people, or the press.

Though autocratic rulers have complete power over the people of their countries, their methods of governing can be vastly different.
Absolute monarchies and dictatorships still exist in modern times.
Today’s kings and queens, as in ancient times, often rule by right of succession,
Their royal lineage can be traced back to ancient times when their royal ancestors ruled by divine right—as it was widely believed that they descended from the gods.

Dictators, especially military dictators, acquire their power by force. Throughout history, during times of political unrest, people have tended to accept the command of strong leaders who could take control of their countries. In fact, Niccolo Machiavelli, an Italian political philosopher from the 15th century, recommended autocracy as a temporary measure and as a means of restoring political order and ending dissent.

Why autocratic leadership is bad?

Discourages Group Input – Because autocratic leaders make decisions without consulting the group, people in the group may dislike that they are unable to contribute ideas. Researchers have also found that autocratic leadership often results in a lack of creative solutions to problems, which can ultimately hurt the group from performing.

How is an autocratic leader chosen?

What Is an Autocratic Leader? – Autocratic, or authoritarian leaders, are often described as those with ultimate authority and power over others. These leaders tend to make choices based upon their own ideas alone and do not listen to their team or seek input from others.

Autocratic leadership is gained through punishment, threat, demands, orders, rules, and regulations (Flynn, 2019). This was the kind of leader that I would hear my Dad describe each night around the dinner table as a child. It may not come as a surprise, but this is no longer a popular leadership style.

Still, there are times when this style is most applicable and appropriate.

Who is an example of an autocratic leader?

Examples Of Autocratic Leadership – Though a controversial leadership style, many leaders worldwide, both in the past and present, have opted for authoritarian leadership and set up an autocratic work environment in their workplace. Their biggest argument about the benefits of autocratic leadership is that this allows them to work more efficiently; thus, the company’s results are better.

In the case of leaders leading empires in history, an autocratic leadership style used to do that simply because they had a certain ideology and beliefs in place, which they thought were needed in the nation. In both of the above cases, autocratic leadership styles were/are also kept in place because, according to them, such leadership is required for better management of their respective company or empire. Some of the most famous autocratic leaders in history are Bill Gates of Microsoft, Napoleon Bonaparte of the French Empire, Adolf Hitler of the German Empire, Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, and Howell Raines of The New York Times.

Who holds power in a democracy?

This means that our government is elected by citizens. Here, citizens vote for their government officials. These officials represent the citizens’ ideas and concerns in government.

What is elite democracy?

Democratic Elitism – With their interpretation of the universal suffrage as an ‘exercise in hypocrisy’, the elitists have been considered by Albert Hirschman a perfect example of the ‘rhetoric of futility’, one of the three main arguments typical of what he called the ‘rhetoric of reaction’ (the other two being the perversity and the jeopardy theses) (Hirschman 1991 ).

According to Hirschman, the assertion that any society, regardless of its political structure, is always divided between the elite and the non-elite was ‘tailor-made to prove the futility of any move toward true “political citizenship” via the franchise’ (Hirschman 1991, p.51). The main goal of the elitists was to demonstrate that universal suffrage would have changed very little, if anything.

In order to strengthen this argument, it was crucial to translate it into a ‘scientific law’ that would have shown the impossibility of genuine political change. Pareto and Michels’ theories were instrumental to that end. ‘Pareto’s Law’ and Michel’s ‘iron law of oligarchy’ conspire (indirectly and directly) against any attempt at establishing a ‘government of the majority’.The contemptuous attitude towards purported change and progress induces Hirschman to include the futility thesis in the conservative camp.

From the rhetorical point of view, the description of elitism as reactionary is clear in the light of the heavy use that the elitists made of metaphors such as the mask, the veil, and the disguise. However, a peculiar version of democratic elitism arose in the late 1930s and 1940s at the crossroad between classical elitism and the debates about the possible conciliation of liberalism and democracy.

In his book The Machiavellians: Defenders of Freedom, published in 1943, James Burnham made the then-astonishing claim that classical elitists were not necessarily anti-democratic. Burnham’s first argumentative step was to reformulate democracy in accordance with Mosca’s definitions: ‘a political system in which there exists “liberty”‘.

By liberty, Mosca has in mind ‘juridical defence’, that is, ‘a measure of security for the individual which protects him from the arbitrary and irresponsible of personally held power’.
The most fundamental feature of democracy is, according to Burnham’s reading of Mosca, the right of opposition, defined as ‘the right of opponents of the currently governing élite to express publicly their oppositions views and to organise to implement those views’ ( apud Burnham 1943, p.180).

Thus, classical elitists (qualified by Burnham as modern Machiavellians) are said to be defenders of liberty because they ‘do not waste time arguing the merits or demerits of the myth of democracy defined as self-government’, but are ‘very profoundly concerned with the reality of democracy defined as liberty’ (Burnham 1943, p.181).

Liberty, judicial defence, and the right of opposition are, thus, the keystones of Burnham’s reinterpretation of democracy. This does not falsify the central premise of the elitist argument, namely that rulers’ primary objective is to act at the service of their own interest and to maintain power and privilege.

The ‘will-to-power thesis’ remains key in political processes. From this premise follows that ‘only power restrains power’ and that such a ‘restriction of power’ can only become visible in the existence and activity of oppositions (Burnham 1943, p.182).

You might be interested: What Distinguishes A Heart Attack From Heart Failure?

This observation, which combines a realistic viewpoint with the liberal commitment to the limitation of power, sets a new research path for elite theory. Democratic elitism accepts the main premise of elite theory: ‘no societies are governed by the people, by a majority; all societies, including societies called democratic, are ruled by a minority’ (Burnham 1943, p.184).

It also recognises that the democratic principle is nothing but a formula that allows the ruling class to legitimise its power. However, certain political practices are associated with the democratic formula. Universal suffrage is a typical example. From this viewpoint, the ‘suffrage machinery’ tends to favour ‘those individuals who are more apt to use the machinery’ (Burnham 1943, p.185).

Even if democracy is just one possible political model which legitimises the ruling class and its power, as classical elitists maintained, the adoption of one or another model is not without consequences for the members of non-elites.
As Burnham pointed out, there are ‘real and significant differences in social structures from the point of view of the masses’; ‘these differences cannot be properly evaluated in terms of formal meanings, verbalism and ideologies’ (Burnham 1943, p.166).

This frame of reference allowed Gaetano Salvemini to adopt a competitive theory of democracy (very close to the one developed later by Joseph Schumpeter in the seminal work Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy, which first appeared in 1942) in his article ‘Democracy and Dictatorship’, which came out in 1934 when he was professor of ‘Italian Civilisation’ at Harvard University.

According to Salvemini, the main difference between autocracies and democracies is the fact that the latter comprise many elites in competition with each other.
Like Schumpeter, Salvemini insisted on the dynamic dimension of elite theory; at a first level, a vertical dynamic between elites and non-elites allows the former to be tendentially open to external members; at a second level, however, a horizontal dynamic creates the conditions for competition between different elites.

The vertical and the horizontal dynamics together generate a political system in which mass bureaucratic parties play a pivotal role. They make the selection of the elite possible, and they organise the majority while making the ruling minorities accountable.

Salvemini’s theory has an apparent democratic penchant for accountability, in sharp contrast with Schumpeter’s later and famous view that the role of the people boils down to the election of a government and nothing more. Even though both Salvemini and Schumpeter underline the importance of the bureaucratic organisation of mass parties, Salvemini insists that ‘competitive democracy’ has to do mainly with the possibility of controlling the ruling class through the electoral machinery.

In this setting, Salvemini adds a novel dimension to the ‘futility thesis’. According to Hirschman, the classical use of the futility argument is based on the idea that any progressive action aimed at changing structural characteristics is doomed to failure; the typical progressive-friendly counterargument is based on the opposing statement that the same action ‘is backed up by powerful historical forces that are already “on the march”‘ and that opposing these forces would be ‘utterly futile’ (Hirschman 1991, p.167).

What is the definition of democracy for kids?

Word democracy describes a form of government. The word comes from two Greek words that mean ‘rule by the people.’ In a democracy the people have a say in how the government is run. They do this by voting, though there are usually rules about who can vote.

What are absolute rulers called?

synonyms for absolute ruler –

autocrat despot authoritarian bully dictator martinet persecutor taskmaster slave driver

autocrat bully despot dictator oppressor absolutist authoritarian Hitler inquisitor martinet Stalin slave driver

Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group. On this page you’ll find 32 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to absolute ruler, such as: despot, fuehrer, oppressor, strongman, totalitarian, and tyrant. QUIZ Quiz: Avoid The Common Mispellings (Sp?) Of These Words START THE QUIZ SYNONYM OF THE DAY OCTOBER 26, 1985

Who was the most absolute leader?

The reign of Louis XIV is often referred to as “Le Grand Siècle” (the Great Century), forever associated with the image of an absolute monarch and a strong, centralised state. Coming to the throne at a tender age, tutored by Cardinal Mazarin, the Sun King embodied the principles of absolutism.

Who was the best absolute leader?

The reign of the French King Louis XIV (reigned 1643-1715) has long been considered the best example of absolutism. In fact, during the 17th century, many other European monarchies imitated the French system.

What type of leader is the most powerful?

1. Authoritative Leadership – The authoritative leader knows the mission, is confident in working toward it, and empowers team members to take charge just as she is. The authoritative leader uses vision to drive strategy and encourages team members to use their strengths and emerge as leaders themselves.

What is absolute power called?

Other forms: absolutisms Absolutism is the principle of complete and unrestricted government power, usually in the hands of one person, a dictator or despot. This word sounds big, but it’s really just an extension of the word absolute. If you have absolute power, you control everything.

noun a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.) noun the principle of complete and unrestricted power in government noun dominance through threat of punishment and violence noun the doctrine of an absolute being

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘absolutism’, Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback EDITOR’S CHOICE

What is it called when a dictator takes power?

dictatorship Dictators may come to power in free elections and gradually take over the entire government. Or they may use force to throw out the current ruler. This is called a coup. When an army commander or a group of army officers takes power, it is called a military dictatorship.

Once in power, dictators use the police or the army to keep control. They often take away people’s freedoms. In addition, many dictators cancel or control elections so that the people cannot vote them out of office. A special form of dictatorship is totalitarianism. Totalitarian dictators control all parts of society.

Schools, businesses, newspapers, and even the arts must follow the government’s wishes. Anyone who displeases the dictator may be killed. The worst totalitarian governments of the 1900s were those of Adolf Hitler in Germany and Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union.

What is a government with absolute power called?

In earlier times, the term autocrat was coined as a favorable description of a ruler, having some connection to the concept of “lack of conflicts of interests ” as well as an indication of grandeur and power. This use of the term continued into modern times, as the Russian emperor was styled “Autocrat of all the Russias” as late as the early 20th century.

What is a government that has absolute power?

Unlike in a democracy, the people living in countries with autocratic governments have no say in determining the nation’s laws, or in how those laws are enforced.
An autocratic ruler is accountable to no one; there is no system of checks and balances, no constitutional limit on the ruler’s power, and the ruler is not held accountable by a cabinet of advisors, a system of courts, the people, or the press.

Though autocratic rulers have complete power over the people of their countries, their methods of governing can be vastly different. Absolute monarchies and dictatorships still exist in modern times. Today’s kings and queens, as in ancient times, often rule by right of succession, Their royal lineage can be traced back to ancient times when their royal ancestors ruled by divine right—as it was widely believed that they descended from the gods.

Dictators, especially military dictators, acquire their power by force. Throughout history, during times of political unrest, people have tended to accept the command of strong leaders who could take control of their countries. In fact, Niccolo Machiavelli, an Italian political philosopher from the 15th century, recommended autocracy as a temporary measure and as a means of restoring political order and ending dissent.

You might be interested: What Time Does The Nfl Draft Start?

What is absolute power in government?

What forms of government is absolute power?

Throughout history, there have been many different countries and societies, and those populations could never function properly without a form of leadership. Government is important with running a country; no civilization has lasted without some kind of decree from leader(s).

The number of Governments that have existed at some point in time is big one, but today an absolute monarchy, a constitutional monarchy, a direct democracy, and an authoritarian Government will be highlighted.
Government is an important part of countries, and out of the many civilizations in the world there are many kinds of Government.

Absolute Monarchy was a Government with a sovereign leader who came into power by marriage or offspring; they had complete control with no limitations from constitution or law. They were considered the head of state and head of Government. Most Absolute Monarchies followed the Divine Right of the Kings – The Divine Right implies to everyone that the Monarch in power is a representative of God, and by default, didn’t have to answer to anybody but God.

This was a factor in keeping the people under control, and took away the right to question the Monarch’s authority.
Although it is very clear that Monarchs of Absolute Monarchies are free to do anything with their authority that they want, patterns in history have proved that to achieve true Absolute Monarchy, the support of others was necessary.

Monarchs were often influenced by or shared power with other interests. The church was incredibly influential, and some power was shared with the clergy because of their strong influence on the citizens. Nobility could play a role as well. If there was enough opposition on something the Monarch did, power could be reduced.

There have been quite a few Absolute Monarchies throughout history, and the ‘strongest’ one was Louis XIV of France. There was no other power than him – meaning there were no legislative, judicial, or executive powers. No matter what he said, even if it was sentencing someone to death, it was final. The Czars of Russia are another great example; until 1905, the Czars had complete power over their subjects.

The idea of Divine Right and the power of the Czars was so deeply relevant in their history and culture that it took a long time for absolutism to be abolished. Absolutism by itself can be described a lot alike to what an Absolute Monarchy is – the ruling individual has ‘absolute’ power, with no legal, electoral or other confrontation to that power.

However, an Absolute Monarchy does not exist anymore, but the format of a Monarchy still remains.
A Constitutional Monarchy is sometimes called a ‘limited monarchy’, and just like it suggests, it’s because the monarchy has limitations and other powers at work.
With a Constitutional Monarchy, an elected or hereditary Monarch is the head of state (not a sole source of power).

There is a also Government that works along with the Queen or King. A majority of Constitutional Monarchies have a parliamentary system where the Monarch is the head of state, but there is a Prime Minister as head of Government. To be clear – even though it is called a Limited Monarchy the Monarch still has power; they are the head of the executive branch.

Looking back into history, the first official Constitutional Monarchy were the Hittites – ancient Anatolian people alive amidst the Bronze Age. Their king or queen was required to apportion their power with the Panku, which was an assembly. This Panku could easily be compared to a legislature today. Different kinds of noble families made up this assembly.

Direct Democracy is where the citizens are included in the decisions the Government makes, but the Government is still in charge. Sometimes, this term can be used for electing representatives in a direct vote as opposed to voting for an electing body, Electoral College, etc.

There are many forms of Direct Democracy, and most are based around the popular vote of a political decision.
Mandatory Referendums are held only when a referendum vote is required by law, like constitutions.
Referendums of Government Authorities are where a president, cabinet, or legislature decides to take a popular vote on an issue.

Citizens’ Initiatives are where something can be backed up by a certain amount of signatures, allowing the electorate to vote on political things proposed by a group, on bills approved by a legislature but not yet in action, or on laws that are already in force.

In history, the Athens were one of the first to use Direct Democracy.
Decisions were made by groups of around 1,000 male citizens.
These were called people’s assemblies.
As history went on, Swiss towns and some town meetings in early American colonies and states used it.
Early US states began to use systems where constitutions or constitutional amendments were officially valid by referendums.

Switzerland and many US states included direct democracy in their constitutions during the 19th century, and then Germany and a few others adopted it in World War 1. Modern Democracy (our Direct Democracy today) is said to have originated from the ideas of more political representation and voting rights – people wanted to be more involved in their Government.

Modern democracy was not developed from the idea of assembly democracy like the Athens, but that is a fundament in the scheme of things.
Authoritarianism is a Government with strong central power and very few political freedoms.
Individual (the people’s freedoms) are under the control of the state, and there is no constitution to follow A Spanish sociologist and political scientist named Juan José Linz put Authoritarianism into 4 distinguishing traits; 1.

There is political pluralism in place for political groups, legislatures, political parties, etc, ensuring that all powerful controlling groups are on the same page.2. A fundamental acceptance of an authority (the identification of the regime as a necessary evil to combat “easily recognizable societal problems”).3.

Oppression and restraints on opposing political sides and Anti-Government sides.4. Executive power not completely defined, and often very unstable (being whatever the leaders want at that time). Dictatorship is not a required part of Authoritarianism, it’s only an optional regime of the Government. Dictatorship is beyond only control of the Country, it’s control of the people as well (sometimes compared to brainwashing the population).

They are similar, but differences like the aggression Dictatorships hold towards opposing side and political crackdowns (which in the past can be by sending opposing people to labour camps, or even killing them) separates them. There are many kinds of Government, and they all differ.

Some may be controversial, and some may be considered too relaxed, but in the end they all roughly do what they’re meant to – guide the people. These Governments have all developed overtime, and some are older than the others. Government is an important part of Countries, and out of the many civilizations in the world there are many kinds of Government.

Rhiannon R June, 2017