Text
What is Authoritarianism?
Totalitarianism, authoritarianism, and fascism are all forms of government - and defining different forms of government isn't as easy as it might seem.
All nations have an official type of government as designated in the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency’s World Factbook. However, a nation’s own description of its form of government can often be less than objective. For example, while the former Soviet Union declared itself a democracy, its elections were not “free and fair” as only one party with state- approved candidates were represented. The USSR is more correctly classified as a socialist republic.
In addition, the boundaries between various forms of government can be fluid or poorly-defined, often with overlapping characteristics. Such is the case with totalitarianism, authoritarianism, and fascism.
An authoritarian state is characterized by a strong central government that allows people a limited degree of political freedom. However, the political process, as well as all individual freedoms, is controlled by the government without any constitutional accountability. In 1964, Juan José Linz, Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Political Science at Yale University, described the four most recognizable characteristics of authoritarian states as:
• Limited political freedom with strict government controls imposed on political institutions and groups like legislatures, political parties, and interest groups
• A controlling regime that justifies itself to the people as a “necessary evil” uniquely capable of coping with “easily recognizable societal problems” such as hunger, poverty, or violent insurgency
• Strict government-imposed constraints on social freedoms such as suppression of political opponents and anti-regime activity
• The presence of a ruling executive with vague, shifting, and loosely defined powers
Modern dictatorships, such as Venezuela under Hugo Chávez or Cuba under Fidel Castro, typify authoritarian governments. While the People’s Republic of China under Chairman Mao Zedong was considered a totalitarian state, modern-day China is more accurately described as an authoritarian state because its citizens are now allowed some limited personal freedoms.
From: Shorturl.at/hC049. Accessed on 10/04/2019
O sistema de governo da antiga União Soviética se declarava
