Military dictatorship of Chile (1973-1990) - Wikipedia [91], The Chinese Civil War ended in 1949, splitting the Republic of China under Chiang Kai-shek and the People's Republic of China under Mao Zedong. [134], Most dictatorships hold elections to maintain legitimacy and stability, but these elections are typically uncompetitive and the opposition is not permitted to win. [87] Populist movements were strengthened following the economic turmoil of the Great Depression, producing populist dictatorships in several Latin American countries. Many others developed following a period of warlordism. They tended to ally with a particular social class and attempted either to maintain the interests of wealthy and privileged elites or institute far-reaching left-wing social reforms. dictatorship, form of government in which one person or a small group possesses absolute power without effective constitutional limitations. In many of the states of Africa and Asia, for example, dictators quickly established themselves on the ruins of constitutional arrangements inherited from Western colonial powers. [42] Within a personalist regime an issue called "The dictators dilemma" arises. [73], The first communist state was created by Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks with the establishment of Soviet Russia during the Russian Revolution in 1917. However, modern dictators do not resemble ancient dictators as their absolute power is not in response to a crisis or emergency and is also not temporary. A dictatorship is a type of government in which a single personthe dictatoror party has absolute power. [10] Political scientist Juan Jos Linz identifies a spectrum of political systems with democracies and totalitarian regimes separated by authoritarian regimes with varied classifications of hybrid systems. The meaning of dictator is to grant a person absolute or unlimited government power during an emergency. In nearly all political systems, the powers of chief executives have increased in response to the demanding social, economic, and military crises of the age. The 20th-century dictatorships in Latin American countries had different aims. At various points in the 20th and 21st centuries, during periods of domestic or foreign crisis, most constitutional regimes conferred emergency powers on the executive, suspending constitutional guarantees of individual rights or liberties or declaring some form of martial law. Question . Although similar in some respects to the dictatorships of the new countries, the caudillos of 19th- and 20th-century Latin America represented a very different type of monocratic rule. Updates? [103] Belarus under the rule of Alexander Lukashenko has been described as "the last European dictatorship",[109][110] though the rule of Vladimir Putin in Russia has also been described as a dictatorship. The dictatorships that resulted proved highly unstable, and few of the individual dictators were able to satisfy for long the demands of the different groups that supported their bids for power. 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. Stability can be weakened when opposition groups grow and unify or when elites are not loyal to the regime. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has called on the people, especially the workers, to stand up against the government. This was replaced by a trend of developing a positive public image to maintain support among the populace and moderating rhetoric to integrate with the global community. [78], At the same time, nationalist movements grew throughout Europe. Politics in a dictatorship are controlled by the dictator and they are facilitated through an inner circle of elites that includes advisers, generals, and other high-ranking officials. [115], The Middle East and Northern Africa did not undergo liberalization during the third wave of democratisation, and most countries in this region remain dictatorships in the 21st century. Many personalist regimes will install open ballots to protect their regimes and implement heavy security measures and censorship for those whose personal preferences do not align with the values of the leader. As you start to memorize this lesson's details, you'll grow in your ability to: To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Ruling parties allow a dictatorship to more broadly influence the populace and facilitate political agreement between party elites. Exceptions to the pattern of poverty in dictatorships include oil-rich Middle Eastern dictatorships and the East Asian Tigers during their periods of dictatorship. [44] As a result of authoritarian politics, a series of major issues may ensue. Dictators tend to resort to force or fraud to gain political power. In 1989, the Soviet Union was dissolved, and communism was abandoned by the countries of Central and Eastern Europe through a series of revolutions. The people themselves have few rights and little power. [37], Personalist dictators typically favor loyalty over competence in their governments and have a general distrust of intelligentsia. Many of these governments fell under the control of caudillos, or personalist dictators. They differ from other forms of dictatorships in that the dictator has greater access to key political positions and the government's treasury, and they are more commonly subject to the discretion of the dictator. [101] Albania was established as a communist dictatorship under Enver Hoxha in 1944. One moose, two moose. dictatorship, Form of government in which one person or an oligarchy possesses absolute power without effective constitutional checks. On paper, Russia is a federal democratic state. Monarchy Lesson for Kids: Definition & Facts, Nigeria's Dictators & Their Impact on the Country. Totalitarian Countries 2023 - worldpopulationreview.com Learn the definition of a dictatorship and its main characteristics. [29][30] The use of ruling parties also provides more legitimacy to its leadership and elites than other forms of dictatorship[31] and facilitates a peaceful transfer of power at the end of a dictator's rule. Dictatorship Countries 2023 - worldpopulationreview.com Economies based on natural resources allow dictators more power, as they can easily extract rents without strengthening or cooperating with other institutions. The rigging of elections is just one example of how citizens in a dictatorship have little to no personal freedom. [20][21] They are most common in developing nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Definition of Dictatorship Noun Absolute, imperious, or haughty power or control. Antonio Lpez de Santa Anna in Mexico and Juan Manuel de Rosas in Argentina are examples of such leaders. 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. In which one may be a senior politician or any group owns all the authority for ruling over the country. [3] Elites must also compete to wield more power than one another, but the amount of power held by elites also depends on their unity. [6], The opposition to a dictatorship represents all of the factions that are not part of the dictatorship and anyone that does not support the regime. The crucial elements of both were the identification of the state with the single mass party and of the party with its charismatic leader, the use of an official ideology to legitimize and maintain the regime, the employment of a terroristic police force and a controlled press, and the application of all the means of modern science and technology to control the economy and individual behaviour. Other factors associated with military coups include extensive natural resources, limited use of the military internationally, and use of the military as an oppressive force domestically. [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. Allowing the opposition to have representation in the regime, such as through a legislature, further reduces the likelihood of terrorist attacks in a dictatorship. Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaid is right: U.S. must get Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. The use of the term dictatorship originated in the Roman Republic. [8], Totalitarianism is a variation of dictatorship characterized by the presence of a single political party and more specifically, by a powerful leader who imposes personal and political prominence. Factions or divisions among the elites will mitigate their ability to bargain with the dictator, resulting in the dictator having more unrestrained power. in Curriculum and Instruction from University of Phoenix. Between 1967 and 1991, 12 Latin American countries underwent at least one military coup, with Haiti and Honduras experiencing three and Bolivia experiencing eight. 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. Such elites have typically exercised power to maintain the economic and political status quo. [131], Dictatorships are typically more aggressive than democracy when in conflict with other nations, as dictators do not have to fear electoral costs of war. Modern dictators, however, resemble ancient tyrants rather than ancient dictators. Omissions? As a result, dictatorship became one of the two dominant forms of government utilized by countries. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. [60] During the L dynasty of Vietnam between the 16th and 18th centuries, the country was under de facto military rule by two rival military families: the Trnh lords in the north and the Nguyn lords in the south. [56] At least 85 such dictators were chosen over the course of the Roman Republic, the last of which was chosen to wage the Second Punic War. Even in constitutional regimes, no fully satisfactory answer has been found to the question of how these bureaucratic decision makers can be held accountable and their powers effectively restrained without, at the same time, jeopardizing the efficiency and rationality of the policy-making process. 2023. Dictatorship is an old form of government with origins in ancient Rome. [52], Dictatorship is historically associated with the Ancient Greek concept of tyranny, and several ancient Greek rulers have been described as "tyrants" that are comparable to modern dictators. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. Ecclesiastical - a government administrated by a church. Military dictatorships may be ruled by a single high-ranking military officer or by a group of such officers. A dictatorship is a form of government in which a person or a small group rules with almost unlimited power. Lesley has taught American and World History at the university level for the past seven years. [133] A study found that dictatorships that engage in oil drilling are more likely to remain in power, with 70.63% of the dictators who engage in oil drilling still being in power after 5 years of dictatorship, while only 59.92% of the non-oil producing dictators survive the first 5 years. The root word dictator comes from the Roman Republic when a "dictator" would be appointed temporarily during an emergency or state crisis. Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler and the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin were the leading examples of such modern totalitarian dictatorships. [98], During World War II, many countries of Central and Eastern Europe had been occupied by the Soviet Union. [123], The type of economy in a dictatorship can affect how it functions. Most modern-day dictators rise to power for personal reasons, which are not usually benevolent or for the good of the country's citizens. Poverty has a destabilizing effect on government, causing democracy to fail and regimes to fall more often. [128] A dictator may negotiate the end of a regime if it has lost legitimacy or if a violent removal seems likely. Difference Between Totalitarianism, Authoritarianism, Fascism - ThoughtCo [79] Fascism developed in Europe as a rejection of liberalism, socialism, and modernism, and the first fascist political parties formed in the 1920s. He can rule on anyone,. [24], Military dictatorships often have traits in common due to the shared background of military dictators. What is a Dictatorship? Definition, Feature & Characteristics In oligarchies, the threat of a military coup comes from the strength of the military weighed against the concessions made to the military. The relations between the countries were strained by Soviet attempts to influence Yugoslavia, leading to the TitoStalin split in 1948. Dictatorship can be defined as a form of government in which the power is centralized. Totalitarianism | Definition, Characteristics, Examples, & Facts Even as he tightens his grip on power the end is visible. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/dictatorship, dictatorship - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), dictatorship - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). The dictator has absolute power. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen arrives at a government . Send us feedback about these examples. Freedom House, the Polity data series, and the Democracy-Dictatorship Index are three of the most used data series by political scientists. Early African dictatorships were primarily personalist socialist dictatorships, in which a single socialist would take power instead of a ruling party. Dominant-party dictatorships or electoral authoritarian dictatorships are one-party dictatorships in which opposition parties are nominally legal but cannot meaningfully influence government. [27] One-party rule also developed in several countries in Africa during decolonization in the 1960s and 1970s, some of which produced authoritarian regimes. Thus, the proclamation of emergency rule was the beginning of the dictatorships of Mussolini in Italy, of Kemal Atatrk in Turkey, of Jzef Pisudski in Poland, of Antnio de Olveira Salazar in Portugal, of Franz von Papen and Hitler in Germany, and of Engelbert Dollfuss and Kurt von Schuschnigg in Austria. Vladimir Putin's Russia is headed for a military dictatorship - and [2] The inner circle's support is necessary for a dictator's orders to be carried out, causing elites to serve as a check on the dictator's power. 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. Dictators usually resort to force or fraud to gain despotic political power, which they maintain through the use of intimidation, terror, and the suppression of basic civil liberties. [72] The societal upheaval caused by World War I and the unstable peace it produced further contributed to instability that benefited extremist movements and rallied support for their causes. [34] When a one-party dictatorship develops gradually through legal means, in can result in conflict between the party organization and the state apparatus and civil service, as the party rules in parallel and increasingly appoints its own members to positions of power. These countries maintain parliaments and human rights organizations, but these remain under the control of the countries' respective dictators. [38] Due to the lack of accountability and the smaller group of elites, personalist dictatorships are more prone to corruption than other forms of dictatorship,[39] and they are more repressive than other forms of dictatorship. Alfred says, [138], In the 20th century, most dictatorships held elections in which voters could only choose to support the dictatorship, with only one-quarter of partisan dictatorships permitting opposition candidates to participate. Opposing a dictator or disobeying the laws in a dictatorship can be punished with extreme violence and even death. [16], Most dictatorships are formed through military means or through a political party. 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. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you In practice, however, many regard it as a dictatorship built around one man, President Vladimir Putin, who has been the leader of the Russian Federation since the year 2000. To enact policy, a dictator must either appease the regime's elites or attempt to replace them. [86] After a brief period of democratization, Latin America underwent a rapid transition toward dictatorship in the 1930s. Make a poster, chart, or some other type of graphic organizer that shows the methods dictators use to control their people. [41], Personalist dictatorships fit the exact classic stereotype of authoritarian rule. Dictatorship - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia However, his presidency came under dispute in 2019. That's because there's no other branch of government that is not controlled by the dictator. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. A self-proclaimed leader, usually an army officer, heading a private army typically formed from the peasantry with the support of provincial landowners, established his control over one or more provinces, and then marched upon the national capital. Communist dictatorships in the region aligned with China following the latter's establishment as a communist state. In the new states of Africa and Asia after World War II, dictators quickly established themselves on the ruins of constitutional arrangements inherited from the Western colonial powers that had proved unworkable in the absence of a strong middle class and in the face of local traditions of autocratic rule. [40] Personalist dictatorships often collapse with the death of the dictator. A self-proclaimed leader, usually an army officer, heading a private army typically formed from the peasantry with the support of provincial landowners, established his control over one or more provinces, and then marched upon the national capital. While the People's Republic of China was initially aligned with the Soviet Union, relations between the two countries deteriorated as the Soviet Union underwent de-Stalinization in the late-1950s. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. New forms of oligarchic rule have also made their appearance in many advanced industrial societies. Government type - The World Factbook - CIA [27], One-party dictatorships are more stable than other forms of authoritarian rule, as they are less susceptible to insurgency and see higher economic growth. A dictatorship is a form of government where one person, or a small group of individuals, can make decisions without effective constitutional limitations. [144] Military and one-party dictatorships are more likely to experience terrorism than personalist dictatorships, as these regimes are under more pressure to undergo institutional change in response to terrorism. Members of the group will typically make up the elites in a dictator's inner circle at the beginning of a new dictatorship, though the dictator may remove them as a means to gain additional power. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Dictatorships that fail to repress the opposition are susceptible to collapse through a coup or a revolution. [57] The rule of a dictator was not necessarily considered tyrannical in Ancient Rome, though it has been described in some accounts as a "temporary tyranny" or an "elective tyranny". A dictatorship is an authoritarian style of government in which one leader has complete control over the country. Theocracy Overview & Examples | What is Theocracy? ", "The Cromwellian Protectorate: A Military Dictatorship? . [76][77] The Russian Revolution inspired a wave of left-wing revolutionary movements in Europe between 1917 and 1923, but none saw the same level of success. Modern dictatorships first developed in the 19th century, which included Bonapartism in Europe and caudillos in Latin America. I feel like its a lifeline. Nazi Germany under Hitler and the Soviet Union under Stalin are the leading examples of modern totalitarian dictatorships. [114] The countries of Central Asia did not liberalize after the fall of the Soviet Union, instead forming as dictatorships led by former elites of the Communist Party and then later by successive dictators. Semi-competitive elections also have the effect of incentivizing members of the ruling party to provide better treatment of citizens so they will be chosen as party nominees due to their popularity. A dictatorship is a form of government, where one person effectively has all the power to run a country. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free! During times of domestic or foreign crisis, even most constitutional governments have conferred emergency powers on the chief executive, and in some notable cases this provided the opportunity for duly elected leaders to overthrow democracy and rule dictatorially thereafter. Elites in personalist dictatorships often do not have a professional political career and are unqualified for positions they are given. Elites are also the primary political threats of a dictator, as they can leverage their power to influence or overthrow the dictatorship. As the Cold War went on, the Soviet Union increased its influence in Africa, and MarxistLeninist dictatorships developed in several African countries. [59] Shoguns were de facto military dictators in Japan beginning in 1185 and continuing for over six hundred years. [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. An error occurred trying to load this video. Dictatorship. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dictatorship. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. He began his rule in 2011 and has been the leader of the Workers' Party of Korea since 2012. The National Liberation Front & People's Army of Vietnam | History, Purpose & Strategy, The Power of the Federal Judiciary: Sources & Consequences, Totalitarian Government | Characteristics & Examples. [99] A 1953 coup overseen by the American and British governments restored Mohammad Reza Pahlavi as the absolute monarch of Iran, who in turn was overthrown during the Iranian Revolution of 1979 that established Ruhollah Khomeini as the Supreme Leader of Iran under an Islamist government. 6 Startling Advantages of Dictatorship That You Never Thought Of 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. All rights reserved. Dictators tend to resort to force or fraud to gain political power. A dictator is a government leader who rules with unquestioned and unlimited power. Democracy Features & Examples | What is a Democratic Country? For When 'Lowdown Crook' Isn't Specific Enough. They were national rather than provincial leaders and often were put in their position of power by nationalistic military officers. [22], Military dictatorships are typically formed by a military coup in which senior officers use the military to overthrow the government. But in a modern-day dictatorship government, one person (or a small group of individuals) has complete control over the government regardless of whether there is a state of emergency or not. Dictatorship is the special type of ruling over a country. Military dictatorships are notorious for human rights abuses and the denial of political and social freedoms. Italian dictator Benito Mussolini coined the term totalitario in the early 1920s to characterize the new fascist state of Italy, which he further described as "all within the state, none outside the state, none . In modern times, it's not unusual to hear news stories about dictators being elected by their citizens, when in fact the elections are manipulated through intimidation of voters to ensure the dictator's victory. Origin 1540-1580 Middle English < Latin dicttor (dictator + ship) What is a Dictatorship That's because 'dictator' is a pejorative term assigned to certain rulers by other nations, particularly the developed nations of the West - that is, countries with thriving economies - such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and many others. 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. Rule by dictators has taken several different forms. Several dictatorships have persisted into the 21st century, particularly in Africa and Asia. Government Overview, Purpose & Types | What is a Government? The dictatorship was revived 120 years later by Sulla after his crushing of a populist movement, and 33 years after that by Julius Caesar. Military dictatorships are controlled by military officers, one-party dictatorships are controlled by the leadership of a political party, and personalist dictatorships are controlled by a single individual. There have been a very great many military dictators; their . While common in the 20th century, the prominence of military dictatorships declined in the 1970s and 1980s. Current leader Kim Jong-un has consolidated his power, purging . Under this system, there are three types of dictatorships. Democracy and Dictatorship: Conceptualization and Measurement", "Democracy and Dictatorship: Conceptualization and Measurement", Divergent Incentives for Dictators: Domestic Institutions and (International Promises Not to) Torture, "Cooperation, Cooptation, and Rebellion Under Dictatorships", "How Foreign Aid Can Foster Democratization in Authoritarian Regimes", "Tyrants and Terrorism: Why Some Autocrats are Terrorized While Others are Not", "Dictatorship: Modern Tyranny Between Leviathan and Behemoth (Version 2.0) (english version)", 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198716204.001.0001, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dictatorship&oldid=1152037614. These nationalist movements supported non-alignment, keeping most Middle Eastern dictatorships out of the American and Soviet spheres of influence. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. Leslie Beecher has been in the field of education for over 15 years serving as a tutor, teacher and instructional designer. In a dictatorship, a single person, a dictator, has absolute power over the state. Unlike in the United States and other similar nations, the people living in a dictatorship have no rights of free speech, freedom of religion, a free press or even the right to hold an opinion in opposition to the ruler and ruling party. 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. [102] The stability of the Soviet Union weakened in the 1980s. [139] Since the end of the Cold War, more dictatorships have established "semi-competitive" elections in which opposition is allowed to participate in elections but is not allowed to win, with approximately two-thirds of dictatorships permitting opposition candidates in 2018. Dictators use intimidation, terror, and the suppression of basic civil liberties. It is an authoritarian form of government where one person is in charge of enforcing and enacting the law.

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