Authors: Bogdanor
Summary: This short 375-word entry defines authoritarianism, describes major characteristics associated with the concept, briefly discusses some theories about the origins of authoritarian power, and distinguishes the concept from totalitarianism. Authoritarianism is a form of government in which rulers make policies with little regard for their citizens' desires. Taken broadly, the concept refers to a wide range of different regimes, including despotism, tyranny, fascism, nazism, totalitarianism, communism, other single-party regimes, and military dictatorships. Authoritarian governments generally share three major characteristics: decisions are made by the rulers without a popular vote, constitutional limitations are ignored, and the rulers claim their authority derives from some special quality which they alone possess. This special quality may be divine, as asserted by the French moralist Joseph de Maistre, or purely personal, as claimed by leaders like Mussolini and Hitler. Communist regimes have tended to base their authority on claims of superior knowledge of particular political principles, and the German philosopher Hegel believed that the state was itself "the march of god on earth." Contemporary usage of the term "authoritarianism" often refers to regimes that expect compliance without consent, but exercise their power in only limited spheres. This distinguishes such systems from totalitarian regimes, which wish to control all aspects of their citizens' lives.