Democracies, Semi-democracies and authoritarian political

systems - II

TYPES OF POLITICAL SYSTEMS:

Liberal Democracy vs. Illiberal-democracy vs. Authoritarian

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Consolidated vs. Transitional states<---------------------------------------------------------------->

Developed vs. Developing states

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Authoritarian systems

Characteristics?

• non-democracy?

• A system in which power is held (or arrogated) by a single individual or group without reference to elections or popular control

Varieties of authoritarianism

• Tyranny?

• Simple dictatorship– Rule by a single individual or group– Military government

• Monarchy?

• Fascism?

• Communism?

Totalitarianism

A form of authoritarianism characterized by:

• Frequent mobilization of the population

• Recourse to terror

• A total grip of the state on its citizens: – Atomization of the population– Reduction, if not elimination of any private

space

• Relatively rare -- a 20th c phenomenon

Examples of totalitarian systems

• Nazi Germany

• The Soviet Union (USSR) under Stalin

• The People’s Republic of China (PRC) under Mao Zedong

• North Korea

• Cuba?

Communist regimes

• A form of authoritarianism characterized by – a dominant Communist Party – constitutionally mandated to control and guide the

state apparatus, – implement socialism and prepare the way for an

eventual communist system in which • The state has withered away• Society is organized on the principle “from each

according to his (her) means; to each according to their needs

`Actually existing’ Communism

A party-state system, characterized by • A single communist party monopolizing of

dominating political life• The Communist Party inter-penetrates and

dominates the state• The Communist Party organizes and

mobilizes the population• The Communist Party monopolizes access

to the political system

Authoritarianism vs. Totalitarianism

• Authoritarian systems lack (or fail to maintain) the total grip characteristic of totalitarian systems – there is some private space beyond the grasp of the state

• Less recourse to force or arbitrary terror:– What is and is not acceptable is more

predictable– There may be a state of law

Examples of authoritarian systems:

• The Soviet Union after Stalin

• The People’s Republic of China after Mao

• Portugal from 1926-1974 (Salazar gov’t 1932-1968)

• Spain from 1939-1975 (Franco dictatorship

• Iran

• Pakistan

ILLIBERAL DEMOCRACY

• What is it?

• Illiberal democracy v. semi-democracy? Is there a difference?

• Semi-democracy v. semi-authoritarian: – is the glass half empty or half full?– Does it matter?

ILLIBERAL DEMOCRACY - 2

• How does illiberal democracy differ from– Liberal democracy?– Authoritarianism?

• Examples of illiberal democracy?

• Is illiberal democracy becoming a more common form of government? If so, why?

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