This document discusses different types of authoritarian regimes including totalitarian states, monarchies, and military and civilian dictatorships. Totalitarian states are characterized by a dominant leader and single ruling party that controls the media and uses violence. Military dictatorships typically seize power through coups and then hold sham elections to maintain control, while cracking down on dissent. Civilian dictatorships are either dominated by a single party or a personalistic leader, and rely on repressing opposition and controlling information. The document examines commonalities and differences between communist and fascist regimes as well as factors that contribute to the rise and persistence of authoritarian rule.

1. POL 252
Fall 2014

4.  Who Rules?
 Answer: Single Individual or Small Elite
 Political Participation: Players and Rules
 No Democratic Accountability
 Court System
 Constitutional Guarantees

5.  Connection to “waves” of democratization
 Declined significantly in 1970s
 Number have still taken and maintained power
Robert
Mugabe
Fidel
Castro

8.  Socialist economy + Authoritarian Politics
 Common Features:
 Encompassing Ideology
 Single Political Party led by Dominant Leader
 Mobilization of Support for Party and Leader
 State Ownership of Media
 Use of Terror and Violence

9. Joseph Stalin
(Soviet Union)
Historical and
Current Examples
of Totalitarian
States
Adolf Hitler
(Germany)
Mao Zedong
(China)
Kim Jong-un
(North Korea)

11.  Monarchies
 Military Dictatorships
 Civilian Dictatorships

17.  Who Rules?
 Emphasis on Royal Descent
 Political power and authority is variable
 Ceremonial duties to major policy decisions
 Challenge is asserting political legitimacy
 Without election, how do you make citizens happy?

19.  Common rule from
World War II to 1980s
 Africa
 Asia
 Latin America
 Middle East
 Who Rules?
 Group of military officers
 Power by coup d'état

21.  How does military consolidate power?
 Cannot use violence
 Must convince citizens of right to rule
 Three Responses:
 Return to Democratic Rule…eventually…
 Hold Elections…but military party has advantages
 Defend Nation Against Internal/External Threats

22.  Martial Law
 Curfews, Banning Protests/Demonstrations
 Use of Spies/Informants
 Mission: Find and Kill Dissidents
 Ban Opposition Media Outlets

24.  Dominant Party
 Personalistic

26. COMMUNIST REGIMES
 Organization
 Hierarchy
 Rise to Power
and Legitimacy
 Revolution
 Nationalism
FASCIST REGIMES
 Organization
 Dominant Political Figure
 Rise to Power
and Legitimacy
 Ideology
 Promotion of “Democracy”
 Charismatic Leadership

28.  Person supported by party or military
 Retention of political control and authority
 Characteristics:
 Weak or nonexistent press
 Strong secret police
 Arbitrary use of state violence

31.  Contests are not “free” and fair,” heavily
favoring the ruling party

33.  Historical Institutionalism
 Poverty and Inequality
 State Weakness and Failure
 Political Culture
 Barriers to Collective Action