The leader is always right.
You cannot question the leader.
If you question or defy the leader, it usually means ostracision/imprisonment/execution.
Protests are illegal or strictly monitored for dissent and no meaningful change will occur because of said protest.
People are snatched away under suspicion of treason and without a fair trial (usually the suspect has no trial, or a sham/show trial).
News and media is usually selective and controlled by the leader and propaganda is dispersed to the populace to maintain the status quo.
Making jokes or comedic routines about the leader is punishable by imprisonment or death, because above all else, tyrants are bullies and cannot stand to be mocked.
They usually disband/arrest labor unions and workers’ rights groups or co-opt them and trick workers into voting for those who would see them come to harm.
The economy usually functions to push wealth to the elites because it becomes easier to manage a nation when you have loyalist sycophants running the industries that keep the economy producing.
The military is usually used to crack down on dissent and revolutions, usually violently.
The military and police forces are very well paid and rarely see meaningful consequences for breaches of conduct or excessive uses of force because maintaining an armed group loyal to the leader is how you secure leadership.
If it’s a theocracy, usually a singular religion is allowed, and all others are removed as heretical.
If it’s a monarchy, usually the king/queen requires high taxes to maintain their lavish lifestyles.
Keep in mind, these are generalizations and it depends on what kind of autocrat you’re dealing with.
This is a pretty comprehensive answer, I’d say the best so far. I’d like to add two items to the list:
Surveillance: there is always surveillance implemented one way or the other. Usually this involves a scheme in which people are rewarded for reporting anything suspicious or that could be considered a form of dissent against the leader.
Borders: entering and exiting the territory can be difficult, with lots of extra screening and paperwork. The logic behind this is that the regime doesn’t want external influences disrupting their control, but also doesn’t want to lose their workforce. Deserting means your anti patriotic sentiment is too high so it gets a very severe punishment, often death.
Hey they said no current politics.
BINGO! I GOT BINGO!
Come on up to the front to collect your prize.
Is it a public execution? It’s a public execution, isn’t it.
Work any non-union corporate job. You can’t pick your boss, you have to do what you’re told as soon as possible, and you are under constant surveillance. You’re also expected to publicly act enthusiastic over stupid management policy announcements. Deviate from any of this and you’re punished by losing your livelihood.
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Zero news media criticizing the leader(s)
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Obsession with playing the National Anthem constantly in schools.
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Obsession with Pledges¹ or Flag Raising Ceremonies²
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Mandated Politically related Attires³
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Government involvement in family planning⁴
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Non-violent⁵ critique of leader(s) results in near certain police warning/harassments or detained/arrested
¹USA “Pledge of Allegiance”
²PRC, Flag-Raising Ceremony was done very frequently, I remember it being like either weekly or monthly
³PRC, the “Little Red Scarfs” that symbolizes “Communism”, I didn’t know what that meant at the time
⁴PRC: One Child Policy, forced abortions against the mother’s will, forced sterilizations; On the other side of the coin, in USA: Abortion bans and forced to continue an unwanted pregnancy
⁵PRC: “Xi should resign”; USA: anything Charlie Kirk related, Bald JD Vance memes, anything deemed “anti-ICE”
I don’t know about most of these - nationalism is not necessarily authoritarian. Maybe authoritarians frequently use nationalism as one of their tools to keep the population in line
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You asked for authoritarian, I cited something that defines a different concept.
definition of fascism
Umberto Eco, in 1995, laid out 14 common charactistics that characterize what he describes as ur-fascism, fascist societies independent of the time and place.
- Cult of Tradition – A syncretic belief in ancient truths, rejecting modern interpretations.
- Rejection of Modernism – Viewing the Enlightenment and rationalism as the root of moral decline.
- Cult of Action for Action’s Sake – Valuing action over reflection, leading to anti-intellectualism.
- Disagreement is Treason – Suppressing dissent and critical thinking as threats to unity.
- Fear of Difference – Exploiting xenophobia and racism to unify the in-group against outsiders.
- Appeal to a Frustrated Middle Class – Mobilizing those feeling economically or socially displaced.
- Obsession with a Plot – Promoting conspiracy theories to justify aggression against perceived enemies.
- Enemies are Both Too Strong and Too Weak – Portraying adversaries as simultaneously formidable and feeble.
- Pacifism is Trafficking with the Enemy – Viewing life as perpetual warfare, dismissing peace efforts as betrayal.
- Contempt for the Weak – Glorifying strength and dismissing compassion as weakness.
- Everybody is Educated to Become a Hero – Promoting a cult of death and martyrdom.
- Machismo – Elevating aggressive masculinity and denigrating non-conforming sexual behaviors.
- Selective Populism – Claiming to represent the unified will of the people, dismissing individual rights.
- Newspeak – Employing an impoverished vocabulary to limit critical thought. :
Oh boy. We’re already at 13 out of 14 on the checklist.
Which one do you miss?
Perhaps 11? The funny thing about 1 is, often it’s not even a cult of tradition – it’s often selective tradition poised to be as racist and sexist as possible. For example, in ancient traditions, you had the Galli cult (arguably queer), and women-led temples and churches. But go tell that to fascist Amerikkans nowadays…
Damn, we’re crushing it
A single person, or small group, control everything.
Dissention is not allowed. Those people are removed via various methods from threats, to the jailing, and potentially all the way up to accidentally falling out a window or off a balcony.
“Ankh-Morpork had dallied with many forms of government and had ended up with that form of democracy known as One Man, One Vote. The Patrician was the Man; he had the Vote.” — Mort (1987) by Terry Pratchett
GNU pratchett
Arguably, the Patrician is less authoritarian than the current US head of state. Yes, Vetinari is a Machiavellian despot, but there’s no great leader retorica, no prestige projects, no saber rattling, no lavish court, no scapegoating, and he doesn’t bend or break society to fit his ideals (although there’s tons of nudging and quid pro quo).
This is because he’s every powerful party’s second choice, he would promptly be removed if he upset the delicate dance of Morporkian oligarchy.
Just imagine a cult of personality. One person who demands/secures blind allegiance such that they are effectively the sole remaining authority on any given topic infected by the cancer, ranging from education to health care to myriad other policy decisions.
every society that does not grant you your basic human rights is considered authoritarian. these include: freedom of speech, freedom of press, fair trials, elections, right to education, etc.
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rights
A list often used on this topic is from a famous academic and writer you may know: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ur-Fascism
It’s a meaningless term with a non-definition definition. Like that old definition of porn… “I can’t tell you what it is but I know it when I see it”.
Usually used as a way to paint the enemy as “bad”. Except it’s almost always a pot/kettle situation.
Every regime of any kind has laws and rules that are flouted by the ruling classes.
Oh. So authoritarianism isnt real?
I mean it’s real within the context of being used as a term to somehow castigate your enemies for the exact same things you do. And by “you” I mean all governments.
Notice it’s usually the West calling Socialist or Muslim states “authoritarian”?
Same with them throwing around “dictator” when that leader was democratically elected.
I’m not gonna debate this because obviously I’ve struck a nerve with some people, and I find the topic boring, but just wanted to let you know that propaganda reaches deep and some folks are uncomfortable with knowing they licked the boot, even unknowingly.
So all governments are the same, right?
