Authoritarian Regimes Overview

Authoritarian Regimes

• Authoritarian regimes are systems of government characterized by a single ruler or organization holding power.
• Types of Authoritarian Regimes:
  • Rule of one person:
    • Absolutist monarchies (e.g., Saudi Arabia)
    • Classic dictators (e.g., DPR Korea)
    • "Populist" presidents (e.g., Venezuela)
  • Rule of an organization:
    • Military junta (e.g., Myanmar)
    • One-party state (e.g., Cuba)
• Authoritarian regimes often suppress opposition and limit individual freedoms.

Authoritarian Regimes (Continued)

• Ideology: Authoritarian regimes often utilize ideology to justify their rule.
• Religion: In some cases, religion plays a role in legitimizing authoritarian power structures.
• Emphasis on democracy: Some authoritarian regimes might use the notion of democracy as a tool to maintain control or to justify some aspects of their governance.
• Totalitarianism vs. Authoritarianism: Totalitarian regimes are distinct from authoritarian ones. They aim to control every aspect of life, while authoritarian regimes are more focused on political control.

Democracies

• Lijphart (1999) categorized democracies into:
  • Majoritarian democracies
  • Consensus democracies
• What is democracy? Defining democracy is complex, as the concept encompasses various aspects.
• Evolution of democracy: Historical processes that have formed democratic systems.
• Introduction of universal suffrage: Expanding voting rights to all citizens.
• Introduction of PR (Proportional Representation): A voting system that more directly mirrors the distribution of votes across political parties.
• Socialist participation in the government: Consideration about the role and influence of socialist ideals within democratic governance.

Democracies (Continued)

• Structure of the society: The structure of the society affects how political systems are developed and run by the elected leaders.
  • Homogeneous: The society is composed of people with similar characteristics.
  • Plural: The society is composed of diverse groups and interests.
  • Depoliticized: Citizens are not actively involved in politics.
  • Consociational: Different social groups have recognized roles in the government.
  • Coalescent democracy: Institutions are formed to unite diverse groups and ideologies together.
  • Centripetal democracy: The government functions to pull multiple different groups into a singular society and identity.
  • Centrifugal democracy: The government functions to maintain separate identities and groups within society.
  • Competitive: Many individuals and groups compete to obtain and exercise power in government.
• Lijphart, 1968: This work is important for understanding the classifications used in understanding and analyzing democracies.

Hybrid Regimes

• There's a lack of a universally accepted definition and approach when examining hybrid regimes.
• These regimes exhibit characteristics of both democracy and authoritarian rule. They are not entirely democratic nor entirely authoritarian.
• Problems to study these regimes:
  • No uniform agreement on defining democracy
  • Measurement/quantification struggles
  • Political motivations of actors

Democracy Index 2020 (Global Map)

• The Economist Intelligence Unit produced a global map showing democracy across the globe.
• Regimes are categorized based on different levels of democracy:
  • Full democracies
  • Flawed democracies
  • Hybrid regimes
  • Authoritarian regimes.
• The map visually represents the state of democracy in different countries worldwide.