centralized authority
Power concentrated above
Centralized authority is power concentrated in a single governing body or leader rather than distributed among multiple entities.
The term appears in discussions of government structure, corporate organization, and political theory: The constitution established a centralized authority over the formerly independent states.
It often carries connotations of efficiency but also potential overreach.
- planned economyCentralized resource allocation system
- hierarchyRanked authority structure
- pecking orderSocial dominance arrangement
- dictatorshipUnchecked single-ruler government
- iron fistBrutal autocratic rule
one-party state · supreme leader · chain of command · top-down management · monarchy · autocracy · power consolidation · command and control · nationalization · regulatory oversight · elder councils · authoritarianism · sovereignty · executive leadership · totalitarianism · religious hierarchy · corporate governance · feudalism
centralized authoritydecentralization
Distributing power from center
devolution · subsidiarity · federalism · confederation · power-sharing
centralized authorityself-governance
Independent management of affairs
autonomy · self-determination · self-rule · independence · popular sovereignty
centralized authorityanarchy
Disorder from absent authority
anarchism · self-governance · statelessness · leaderlessness · individual liberty
central, centralize, centralization, decentralize, decentralized, decentralization, centre, center, centers