authoritarianism
Rule by decree
Authoritarianism is a political system or philosophy in which a central authority holds power and limits individual freedoms, often suppressing opposition and controlling many aspects of public and private life.
Unlike totalitarianism, authoritarianism may tolerate some social institutions operating independently, provided they don't challenge state power.
The term also describes attitudes or behaviors that demand strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom: The company's authoritarianism drove away talented employees who valued autonomy.
State controls everything absolutely
- autocracyRule by one
- despotismAbsolute one-person rule
- tyrannyOppressive, absolute governance
- dictatorshipUnchecked single-ruler government
junta · oligarchy · fascism · Stalinism · Maoism · strongman · regime · caudillo
Superior influence over others
- commandAuthoritative instruction given
- centralizationUnifying control in one place
- regimentationStrict systematic control
- micromanagementExcessive supervisory control
surveillance · monitoring · crackdown · curfew · mandate · decree · edict · enforcement
Unconscious blocking of thoughts
- subjugationForcing into submission
- persecutionSystematic mistreatment of groups
- coercionPressured compliance through threats
- intimidationDeliberate fear-inducing pressure
suppression · silencing · purge · gulag · detention · imprisonment · torture · disappearance
Compliance with authority
- conformityAdherence to norms
- submissionYielding to another's will
- fearEmotional response to threat
- deferenceYielding to another's judgment
groupthink · sycophancy · paranoia · distrust · self-censorship · complicity
Biased information for influence
- bannedOfficially disallowed
- blacklistRecord of prohibited entities
- book-burningDeliberate destruction of texts
- newspeakPropagandistic distorted language
disinformation · forbidden · redaction · self-censorship · blocked · samizdat
Disagreement with authority
- defianceOpen resistance to authority
- protestPublic expression of disapproval
- uprisingOrganized resistance to power
- revolutionViolent governmental overthrow
underground · samizdat · exile · asylum · refugee · activism · opposition · liberation
Devotion to one's country
- populismPolitics favoring ordinary citizens
- ultranationalismExtreme supremacist patriotism
- ethnonationalismPolitics privileging ethnic identity
- statismDoctrine of governmental dominance
collectivism · paternalism · traditionalism · nativism · xenophobia · militarism · chauvinism · supremacism
totalitarianism
State controls everything absolutely
dictatorship · junta · oligarchy · fascism · Stalinism · Maoism · strongman · regime · caudillo · Francoism
dominance
Superior influence over others
- commandAuthoritative instruction given
- centralizationUnifying control in one place
- regimentationStrict systematic control
micromanagement · surveillance · monitoring · crackdown · curfew · mandate · decree · edict · enforcement · compliance
repression
Unconscious blocking of thoughts
- subjugationForcing into submission
- persecutionSystematic mistreatment of groups
- coercionPressured compliance through threats
intimidation · suppression · silencing · purge · gulag · detention · imprisonment · torture · disappearance · exile
obedience
Compliance with authority
- conformityAdherence to norms
- submissionYielding to another's will
- fearEmotional response to threat
deference · groupthink · sycophancy · paranoia · distrust · self-censorship · complicity
propaganda
Biased information for influence
- bannedOfficially disallowed
- blacklistRecord of prohibited entities
- book-burningDeliberate destruction of texts
newspeak · disinformation · forbidden · redaction · self-censorship · blocked · samizdat
dissent
Disagreement with authority
- defianceOpen resistance to authority
- protestPublic expression of disapproval
- uprisingOrganized resistance to power
revolution · underground · samizdat · exile · asylum · refugee · activism · opposition · liberation · democratization
nationalism
Devotion to one's country
- populismPolitics favoring ordinary citizens
- ultranationalismExtreme supremacist patriotism
- ethnonationalismPolitics privileging ethnic identity
statism · collectivism · paternalism · traditionalism · nativism · xenophobia · militarism · chauvinism · supremacism · dogmatism
- long wordssupercalifragilisticexpialidocious, antidisestablishmentarianism, incomprehensibilities, counterrevolutionary, electroencephalograph
- Dystopia1984, Nineteen Eighty-Four, dystopian fiction, totalitarianism, Brave New World
- Eastern EuropePoland, Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, Bulgaria
- governancegovernance, government, democracy, vote, parliament
- governmentsdemocracy, monarchy, autocracy, oligarchy, republic
- social systemspolitical systems, capitalism, feudalism, economic systems, socialism
authoritarianismdemocracy
Rule by the people
democratic governance · republicanism · self-government · constitutionalism · self-rule
authoritarianismfreedom
Absence of constraint
liberty · autonomy · civil liberties · individual rights · emancipation
authoritarianismanarchy
Disorder from absent authority
anarchism · anti-authoritarianism · grassroots organization · voluntary association · commune
author, authority, authorize, authorized, authoritative, authorization, authorizing, authoritarian, authorizes