Authoritarianism

Authoritarianism

• Political system in which a small group of individuals exercises power over the state without being constitutionally responsible to the public

• Public does not play a significant role selecting or removing leaders from office

Authoritarianism

• Political leaders:– Develop policies that “dictate” to the people

• Built around the restriction of individual freedom• Eliminate people’s right to choose

– Leaders

• Restrict people’s – Liberties– Freedom of speech – Freedom of assembly

Authoritarianism

• Communism– Limit individual freedom in order to produce

greater social equality

• Others exist only to enhance the power of those in control

Authoritarianism: Regimes and Ideologies

• Fascism and Communism– Reject democracy– Favor powerful state; restricted freedoms

• Others:– Driven by those in power– “the Castro Regime”

Totalitarianism

• Practiced by authoritarian regimes• Seek to control and transform all aspects

of the state society, and economy• Use violence as a tool for remaking

institutions• Strong ideological goal• Risen rarely

– Happen when those in power profess a radical or reactionary political attitude

Totalitarianism

• Past governments (communist)– Joseph Stalin– China during the cultural revolution o f 1930-

1950’s– Cambodia: Khumer Rouge in the 1970’s

• Nazi Germany (except economically)

• Italy during WWII (never quite made it)

Totalitarianism

• North Korea– Dominate by totalist ideology

• backed by violence• Widespread fear• Absence of small personal freedoms

• Iraq (under Saddam Hussein’s)– Highly oppressed but not set ideology– Maintain and expand his political power– Violence: used to keeping him in control not

transformation of society

Authoritarian Rule Emerges

• Natural human organization and distribution of wealth

• Karl Marx:– Society emerged from coercion

• Few in power• Limiting freedoms• Increase own power at expense of society

• Rousseau– Emerged from desire for individuals to form society– Subdivision of natural state

Economic Sources of Authoritarianism

• Liberals (laissez-faire capitalism leads to author.)– Strong connection– Free markets: generate and distribute wealth– Creates a broad middle class

• More educated • Political goals• Limit power of political group

– No middle class• Poverty and inequality is great• Author. Regime develops: to defend economic wealth of a few• Author. Regime: forcibly distributes wealth among the majority

Economic Sources of Authoritarianism

• Communists– Strong Connection – Capitalism is the source

• Middle class thrives on the backs of the poor• Democratic System would embrace

authoritarianism: keeps lower class under control.• Support it to exploit poorer countries

– Authoritarianism will thrive as long as inequality exists

Economic Sources of Authoritarianism

• Failure of Capitalism – Affects of hyperinflation

• Generates wide spread insecurity and poverty • Leads to calls of drastic change• Curtail freedom for economic security

• Middle class (Nazi Germany)– Economic insecurity is the greatest threat to

their wealth– May accept authoritarianism

Economic Sources of Authoritarianism

• Some argue in order to build a strong market economy– Political rights must be restricted– Focus on constructing market economy– Focus on attracting investors– Bread first/Ballots later

• South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore• Now: South Korea and Taiwan

– Fast growing and powerful economies – 1980-1990’s they democratize

Economic Sources of Authoritarianism

• Not always a recipe for wealth• Capitalism and economic development coexist • Communist

– Increase state power/equal distribution of wealth– Personal freedom and societal wealth are threatened– Lose protection of property rights – State responsibility for all economic activity– Modern World: cause tens millions of deaths

• Both share the belief that wealth and its distribution are key to understanding the emergence and persistence of authoritarian rule

Authoritarianism and Society

• Culture view:– Certain cultural institutions are more amenable to

authoritarianism because they promote such values as hierarchy, community, over individual rights, and deference to authority

– Further you move away from the “West” states the fewer democracies one finds

• i.e. Middle East• Nationalism and citizenship are defined by allegiance to faith • Western Ideologies are almost alien • i.e. “Asian values”

– Not all countries seek to be democratic

Authoritarianism and Political Control

• Different state, regime, and government activities and institutions perpetuate authoritarianism

• Do authoritarian regimes by nature rely on force to intimidate a hostile public, or can authoritarianism be accepted or even embraced by the people?

Authoritarianism and Political Control

• Violence and Surveillance– Compliance and obedience are often enforced

• Close observation and use of force against the population • Use violence as a mechanism of public control• Threaten those who challenge the political order

– Sever retribution

– Arbitrary arrest

– Detention without trial

– Torture

– Death

• “Death Squads”: police and military troops targeted individuals suspected of harboring political views

Authoritarianism and Political Control

– Terror• Affected all individuals: writers, artist, students, farmers, and

workers • Accused of political sabotage • Fear that any one could be arrested

– Public could be controlled – Turn public against itself

– Close watch over the population • Prevents opposition from organizing • Instill uncertainty among population• Internal security force or “secret police”

– Monitor: public activity, spying individuals, interrogating members of the public

– Telephone tapping, creation of huge network of public informers

Authoritarianism and Political Control

• Cooptation: process by which individuals outside of an organization are brought into a beneficial relationship with it, making them dependent on the system for certain rewards– Widespread under authoritarianism

• Coercion: public obedience is enforced through violence and surveillance

Authoritarianism and Political Control

• Cooptation – Corporatism: authoritarian systems attempted to

solidify control over the public by creating or sanctioning a limited number of organizations to represent the interest of the public, and restricting those not set up or approved by the state

• Meant to replace independent organization • Find labor unions, agricultural associations, student groups,

neighborhood committees• State, society, and the market are viewed as a single body• Gives public a limited influence

Authoritarianism and Political Control

• Clientelism: coopts the public by providing specific benefits or favors to a single person or small group in return for public support – Relies on individual patronage– Creates a patron-client relationship

Authoritarianism and Political Control

• Coopting individuals:– State jobs, state-run sectors of the economy,

business contracts or licenses, public goods, kickbacks, and bribes

– Rent-seeking: political leaders essentially rent out parts of the state to their patrons, who as a result control public goods

Authoritarianism and Political Control

• Economic resources: – Doled out for political reasons – Economic problems emerge – Resources are siphoned off

Authoritarianism and Political Control

• Personality cult:– The public is encouraged to obey the leader

based on his or her extraordinary qualities and compelling ideas. all wise, all knowing, all seeing

– Role of Media and Culture • Promoted through: radio, news reports, public

rallies, art, music, films

Types of Authoritarian Rule

• Personal Rule– Rule by a single leader, with no clear regime

or rules constraining that leadership– Primary Tools of control

• Supporters within the state benefit directly from their alliance with the ruler (corruption)

Types of Authoritarian Rule

• Military rule:– Ruled by one or more military officials, often

brought to power through a coup d’etat– Tools of control

• Control of armed forces sometimes also allied with business and state elites

• Bureaucratic authoritarianism

Types of Authoritarian Rule

• One-Party Rule– Ruled by one political party, with other groups

banned or excluded from power– Tools of control

• Large party membership helps mobilize support and maintain public control, often in return for political or economic benefits

Types of Authoritarian Rule

• Quais Democracy– Ruled by an elected leadership, though

through procedures of questionable democratic legitimacy

– Tools of control• Manipulation of democratic procedures, such as

vote-rigging or harassment of opposition

Authoritarianism

• Days numbered?

• All societies be democratic?

• Inequality clash with increased freedom?

• Will new secular or religious vision reject democracy?

• Do we enjoy a Brief aberration of authoritarian rule?