Authoritarianism and Political Control in History

Nationalization

The process by which a government takes control of industries or assets, often to centralize economic power.

Regulated Economic System

An economy controlled by the government through laws, policies, and interventions.

Putin and Protest

Vladimir Putin's government has been known to suppress political protests through crackdowns, arrests, and censorship.

Putin and the Media

Russian media is heavily state-controlled, limiting press freedom and promoting government propaganda.

Erosion of Democratic Values

The decline of democratic principles such as free elections, civil liberties, and checks on power.

Duterte and the Philippines

Former president Rodrigo Duterte implemented authoritarian policies, including a violent drug war.

Indoctrination

The process of forcefully instilling ideological beliefs, often through propaganda and education.

Scapegoating

Blaming a person or group for societal problems to divert attention from actual issues.

Controlled Participation

When governments allow limited political involvement, often manipulated to maintain power.

Illiberal

A system where democratic institutions exist but are undermined by authoritarian practices.

Stalin's Economic Reforms

Policies like collectivization and the Five-Year Plans aimed at industrializing the Soviet Union.

Central Planning

The government makes all economic decisions, controlling resources and production.

State Ownership

When the government owns businesses and resources, eliminating private ownership.

Centralization

The concentration of political and economic power in a central government.

Collectivization

The Soviet policy of merging individual farms into large, state-controlled enterprises.

The Ukrainians

Victims of the Holodomor, a man-made famine caused by Stalin's collectivization policies.

One-Party State

A political system where only one party is allowed to exist, suppressing opposition.

Five-Year Plans

Stalin's economic strategy to rapidly industrialize the Soviet Union.

Fascist

An ideology prioritizing nationalism, authoritarian rule, and suppression of opposition.

Elitism/Elite Group

A ruling class that holds power and privilege over the general population.

Communism

A system advocating for classless society and state control over production.

Fascism

A far-right, authoritarian system emphasizing nationalism and military power.

Hitler

Leader of Nazi Germany, responsible for World War II and the Holocaust.

Gestapo

The secret police of Nazi Germany, known for brutal repression.

Secret Police

Government agencies used to suppress dissent and opposition.

Tyranny of the Majority

When the majority oppresses minority groups in a democracy.

Rule of Law

The principle that laws apply equally to all individuals, including leaders.

Regime

A government, especially one that is authoritarian or oppressive.

Egalitarian

Belief in equality for all people.

Nazi

A member of Hitler's National Socialist German Workers' Party.

Subversive

Actions or ideas that challenge or undermine an authority.

Anti-Semitic

Prejudice or hostility toward Jewish people.

Right-Wing Extremists

Groups that support radical conservative ideologies, often authoritarian in nature.

Marxists

Followers of Karl Marx's ideas advocating for class struggle and communism.

Used to justify communist dictatorships

Libertarian

Advocates for minimal government intervention in personal and economic affairs.

Authoritarian

A governing system characterized by strong central power and limited freedoms.

Parliamentarian

A government system where the executive branch derives power from the legislature.

Machiavelli

Renaissance thinker who argued that rulers should use any means necessary to maintain power.

used to supports dictatorship strategies

Radical

Someone who advocates for fundamental political or social change.

Civil Liberties

Individual freedoms protected by law, such as freedom of speech and religion.

Censorship

Government control over media and information to suppress dissent.

Social Darwinism

The belief that certain groups are naturally superior, often used to justify oppression.

Nazi Party

The political party led by Hitler, responsible for implementing fascist policies in Germany.

Enabling Act (1934)

Gave Hitler dictatorial powers by allowing him to rule without parliamentary consent.

Nuremberg Laws (1935)

Anti-Jewish laws that stripped German Jews of citizenship and rights.

War Communism

Lenin's economic policy during the Russian Civil War that centralized control of industries.

New Economic Policy (NEP)

Lenin's policy that allowed limited capitalism to revive the Soviet economy.

Purge

The removal of political opponents, often through imprisonment or execution.