Characteristics and examples of authoritarian political systems

Authoritarianism is a type of political system in which the population lacks any control over the ruling authorities (Taylor, 2002). It is characterized by indefinite tenure of leaders who cannot be removed from office or positions of authority by any political process or by the collective will of the people. Generally, authoritarian systems are only maintained by the use of force or by the implied threat of the use of force by the ruling authorities through their command of military organizations and national police forces. Another typical characteristic of authoritarian rulers is the corruption of the political and electoral processes, whereby elections (if they are permitted in the first place) are rigged or otherwise manipulated fraudulently. Similarly, authoritarian societies typically feature the complete dominance of law enforcement and administrative authorities as well (Taylor, 2002).

Rule by Force

Authoritarianism is one of the most primitive forms of political systems and is, in principle, nothing but a more complex version of the most primitive form of society in which "might makes right" and the weak are simply at the mercy of the strong. The principal difference is that in the former model, the power and authority held by the strong over the weak is consolidated into formal positions, organizations, and entities, whereas in the latter, it is just individuals taking advantage of one another based on individual differences in strength. Throughout early recorded human history, most societies were governed by some form of authoritarianism, likely because the impulse to abuse power and authority over others is a natural one and the weaknesses of authoritarianism generally do not become apparent in the short-term (

Life if Authoritarian Societies

Life within authoritarian societies means that virtually every endeavor and every privilege and opportunity available to people are controlled by the state (Edwards, Wattenberg, & Lineberry, 2007; Taylor, 2002). Typically, eligibility for professional employment, licenses, and other opportunities depend on affiliation with the ruling party or hierarchy within the ruling party. Free speech is not respected and any public opposition to the authorities in power is squashed by violence, summary imprisonment, torture under the color of law enforcement investigations, and even summary executions (Edwards, Wattenberg, & Lineberry, 2007).