Authoritarian Governments and Monarchy

Authoritarian Governments

• Historically, authoritarian governments were prevalent where leaders held unlimited power, and citizens had limited rights.
• These governments often justified their rule through religion, ideology, or a supreme leader figure.

Monarchy

• Monarchy is an authoritarian form of government led by a single individual (king, pharaoh, emperor) who typically rules for life.
• Monarchs frequently asserted their right to rule was granted by a deity, a concept known as the divine right of kings.
• The divine right of kings posits that the monarch's authority is an extension of divine power.
• Some monarchs claimed direct descent from gods or, like Egyptian pharaohs, declared themselves gods.
• Declaring oneself a god is termed deification.