Totalitarian and authoritarian political regimes, their features and differences

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authoritarianism concept was first introduced into circulation in the middle of the XX century political scientists of the Frankfurt School.The implication was that the authoritarian political regimes are a set of characteristics of social organization and especially the peculiar relationship of the people and the authorities.Under the proposed definition, a form of social and state system sharply contradicted the notions of true democracy.However, the features of the authoritarian political regime can be seen in a number of states the world of the last century.Not to mention the deeper historical experience of mankind. Signs of an authoritarian political regime

  • The focus of all power in the hands of one person or a small group: the military junta, the sole dictator theological leader and so on.

  • separation of powers into independent from each other branches, of course, is no.

  • In such a state often suppressed any real opposition force.However, this does not preclude the existence of a demonstrative puppet opposition as long as the situation is under the control of the authorities.Often, by the government itself initiated the so-called imitation of elections - that is holding the event with all the formal attributes, creating the illusion of fair elections, which in practice have a pre-planned scenario.

  • Public administration usually occurs in the form of command-administrative methods.

  • authoritarian political regimes often declare their own democracy, the protection of the rights and freedoms of its citizens.However, real protection in practice is not ensured.Moreover, the government itself violates these civil rights in the political sphere.

  • Power structures do not serve to protect the public interest and the rights of citizens and the protection of established order (often acting against its own citizens).

totalitarian and authoritarian political regimes

It should be noted that the authoritarian state power is determined by a number of grounds.The lack of coincidence or one of them is not a sufficient basis for the conclusions.Often, authoritarian political regimes identified with totalitarianism.And although they have a number of common features, it is not quite true.Authoritarian power rests on the person of the leader (or group leaders), the quality of which allow to usurp and hold it.However, in case of elimination (death) of the leader of the ruling group, or an authoritarian regime frequently undergoing a transformation as the heirs can not retain power.

very concept implies the totality of totalitarianism: pervasive state control absolutely all spheres of public life.By controlling the processes of socialization of its citizens, it has a totalitarian state can inspire exceptional correctness of his course.So, no need for harsh suppression of citizens educated in the uncontested ideology imposed on the highest elite.And a leader's personality is not significant and has meaning only elite control over public sentiment.