Autocracy PDF

 AUTOCRACY 1. AUTOCRATIC SYSTEMS 2. AUTHORITARIANISM 3. TOTALITARIANISM  AUTOCRATIC SYSTEMS AUTOCRACY “…government by a single person or small group that has unlimited power or authority, or the power or authority of suc...

 AUTOCRACY 1. AUTOCRATIC SYSTEMS 2. AUTHORITARIANISM 3. TOTALITARIANISM  AUTOCRATIC SYSTEMS AUTOCRACY “…government by a single person or small group that has unlimited power or authority, or the power or authority of such a person or group…” Associated with tyranny, despotism, dictatorship May or may not be highly repressive  AUTOCRATIC SYSTEMS AUTHORITARIANISM Authority with or without extensive popular support that is not tested in free and fair elections TOTALITARIANISM Strong, highly centralized government involving mass manipulation aimed at total control of virtually every aspect of its’ peoples’ lives HYBRID Government power maintained via ‘electoral fraud, corruption, and legal manoeuvres designed to hobble the opposition’  AUTHORITARIANISM VARIETIES OF AUTHORITARIANISM Right-wing/conservative Religious Left-wing/revolutionary Capitalist Civilian Socialist Military Monarchical Secular Pseudo-democratic TRADITIONAL AUTHORITARIANISM AUTHORITARIANISM Absolute monarchies, personal dictatorships, military dictatorships, religious/theocratic dictatorships Often right-wing Diminished political pluralism No consistent ideological agenda Limited political mobilization Power exercised within predictable constraints − Economic direction Often the military is involved in politics − May come to power via a coup d’état  AUTHORITARIANISM TRADITIONAL AUTHORITARIANISM (CONT’D) Diminished political pluralism − Tolerated as long as it doesn’t openly oppose or challenge government − E.g. business groups, labour unions, religious organizations − May be used to facilitate support or carry out government aims E.g. South Korea’s military regime (1961-88) allowed social pluralism but manipulated elections and repressed labour unions (using concerns about socialism)  AUTHORITARIANISM TRADITIONAL AUTHORITARIANISM (CONT’D) No developed, transformative ideology − Plans for economic and political development build on existing foundations − E.g. South Korea’s military regime (1961-88) successfully promoted industrialization in particular sectors/companies Automobiles, electronics, steel, shipbuilding, clothing − Reforms are narrowly focused Land redistribution in South Korea, Iran under the Shah Education - particularly to promote economic modernization - technical focus  AUTHORITARIANISM TRADITIONAL AUTHORITARIANISM (CONT’D) Limited political mobilization − Resistance to mass political participation Fear of political instability, loss of control Power exercised within predictable constraints − “Statism” - government direction of the economy Promoting certain industries/goods, controlling international trade - e.g. limiting imports, exchange rate control  AUTHORITARIANISM TRADITIONAL AUTHORITARIANISM (CONT’D) Often the military is involved in politics − A powerful tool to intimidate groups, political parties and courts − Often promise, and sometimes revert to civilian governance Brazil (1964) Uruguay (1973) Argentina (1976) Niger (2011) Thailand (2019) TRANSFORMATIONAL AUTHORITARIANISM AUTHORITARIANISM May be revolutionary Party dictatorships, personal dictatorships, pathological tyrants, theocratic dictatorships Often left wing Restricted political pluralism Official Ideology Promotion of controlled political mobilization Police control Centralized economic planning  AUTHORITARIANISM TRANSFORMATIONAL AUTHORITARIANISM (CONT’D) Restricted political pluralism − Ideological or religious conformity + nationalism Official ideology − Usually socialist or Islamist E.g. Tanzania ujamaa socialism, Iraq & Syria ba’ath socialism, Libya’s Green Book, Afghanistan Taliban’s interpretation of Qur’an − Fundamentally transformative The transformative goals are muted by practical limitations E.g. Qaddafi nationalized oil reserves, but remained in OPEC and allowed foreign workers to manage extraction and refining  AUTHORITARIANISM TRANSFORMATIONAL AUTHORITARIANISM (CONT’D) Promotion of controlled political mobilization − Political recruitment to facilitate ideological conformity/support of government policies − Little opposition is tolerated Police control − Police terrorism reinforces power Centralized economic planning − Control is limited by bribery and corruption  TOTALITARIANISM Common features (Carl Friedrich and Zbigniew Brzezinski (1956), Hannah Arendt) Official Ideology focused on remaking society One-party state − A single, mass party that reaches into all aspects of society − Eradicates traditional institutions, creating new institutions penetrating all aspects of life Led by an all-powerful leader - charismatic - “cult of personality” − “Füehrer” (leader) in Nazi Germany; “Il Duce” (the Chief) in fascist Italy, Stalin in Russia/USSR, Mao in China, Pol Pot in Cambodia, Kim Il Sung in North Korea  TOTALITARIANISM Pseudo-democratic rule − Elections without choice, enforced participation/contribution Control of communications Terroristic police control, of the military − Gestapo, KGB, Stasi… Central control and direction of the economy