Back Outokrasie Afrikaans أوتوقراطية Arabic اوتوقراطيه ARZ Autocracia AST Avtokratiya Azerbaijani Аўтакратыя Byelorussian Аўтакратыя BE-TARASK Автокрация Bulgarian স্বৈরতন্ত্র Bengali/Bangla Autokratija BS
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Autocracy is a form of government in which absolute power is held by the one person, known as an autocrat. It includes absolute monarchy and all forms of dictatorship, while it is contrasted with democracy and other forms of free government.[1][2] The autocrat has total control over the exercise of civil liberties within the autocracy, choosing under what circumstances they may be exercised, if at all. Governments may also blend elements of autocracy and democracy, forming a mixed type of regime sometimes referred to as anocracy, hybrid regime, or electoral autocracy.[3][4][5] The concept of autocracy has been recognized in political philosophy since ancient history.
Autocrats maintain power through political repression of any opposition and co-optation of other influential or powerful members of society. The general public is controlled through indoctrination and propaganda, and an autocracy may attempt to legitimize itself in the eyes of the public through appeals to political ideology, religion, birthright, or foreign hostility. Some autocracies establish legislatures, unfair elections, or show trials to further exercise control while presenting the appearance of democracy. The only limits to autocratic rule are practical considerations in preserving the regime. Autocrats must retain control over the nation's elites and institutions for their will to be exercised, but they must also prevent any other individual or group from gaining significant power or influence. Internal challenges are the most significant threats faced by autocrats, as they may lead to a coup d'état.
Autocracy was among the earliest forms of government, and existed throughout the ancient world in various societies.[6] Monarchy was the predominant form of autocracy for most of history. Dictatorship became more common in the 19th century, beginning with the caudillos in Latin America and the empires of Napoleon and Napoleon III in Europe.[7] Totalitarian dictatorships developed in the 20th century with the advent of fascist and communist states.[8]
- ^ Frantz, Erica (2016). "Autocracy". Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.013.3. ISBN 978-0-19-022863-7.
- ^ Tullock, G. (6 December 2012). Autocracy. Springer. ISBN 978-94-015-7741-0.
- ^ Cassani, Andrea (1 November 2014). "Hybrid what? Partial consensus and persistent divergences in the analysis of hybrid regimes". International Political Science Review. 35 (5): 542–558. doi:10.1177/0192512113495756. ISSN 0192-5121.
- ^ Schmid, Jonas Willibald (2025). "Electoral autocracies, hybrid regimes, and multiparty autocracies: same, same but different?". Democratization. 0: 1–24. doi:10.1080/13510347.2025.2476183. ISSN 1351-0347.
- ^ Diamond, Larry (2002). "Elections Without Democracy: Thinking About Hybrid Regimes". Journal of Democracy. 13 (2): 21–35. doi:10.1353/jod.2002.0025. ISSN 1086-3214.
- ^ Chirot, Daniel (5 May 1996). Modern Tyrants: The Power and Prevalence of Evil in Our Age. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-02777-3.
- ^ De Wilde, Marc (2021). "Roman dictatorship in the French Revolution". History of European Ideas. 47: 140–157. doi:10.1080/01916599.2020.1790023.
- ^ Kershaw, Ian; Lewin, Moshe (28 April 1997). Stalinism and Nazism: Dictatorships in Comparison. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-56521-9.