Authoritarianism: An In-Depth Study

Definition: A system where power is concentrated in one individual or a small group, with little to no tolerance for political opposition.
Range of Forms: Authoritarian governments can vary widely, from religious theocracies to monarchies and modern oligarchies.
Learning Objectives: Students should be able to:
- Provide two present-day examples of authoritarianism.
- Recite the five myths of authoritarianism (justifications for rule).
- Analyze why the United States sometimes props up dictatorships and sometimes seeks to overthrow them.

Historical Pattern: The United States, a modern representative democracy, has historically propped up dictators for various reasons, particularly in Latin America.
- Examples: Support for the Batista regime in Cuba, the right-wing Contras in Nicaragua, and Pinochet in Chile.
- Interference: A strong history of interference in Latin American affairs, usually supporting right-wing governments.
- Vietnam: Support for the head of the South Vietnamese government, which was essentially a military dictatorship, throughout much of the Vietnam War.
- Korea: A similar situation occurred before the Korean War with South Korea and North Korea.
Characterized by Opportunism: US foreign policy has often been opportunistic, willing to overlook human rights abuses if a leader actively supports US interests for a period.

Core Principle: Power is necessarily concentrated in either one individual or a small group.
Traditional Forms:
- Monarchy: A king, queen, emperor, or empress holds most political power, and their rule is generally long.
  - Divine Right: Monarchs ruling by divine right, where God designated them as rulers (e.g., European history, ancient China with the "Mandate of Heaven").
  - Divine/Semi-Divine Monarchs: Early forms where the monarch was considered a god or semi-divine (e.g., ancient Egypt).
- Theocracy: Rule by religious authority, where one individual or a group rules with God's authority (e.g., modern Iran).

Military Juntas: Military units seize power.
- Motivation: Sometimes for their own benefit, but other times to restore or establish democracy.
- Example (Portugal): Portugal's modern democracy was established after a military coup, temporary military junta, and eventual cession of power through elections.
- Duration: Can be temporary or long-term; voluntary handovers are rare.
- Military Structure: The hierarchical nature of the military, with orders flowing downwards, lends itself to an authoritarian system (due to necessity rather than inherent nature).
Civilian Dictatorships: Power held by a civilian leader.
- Example (Belarus): Viktor Lukashenko, president, holds power for life, with the trappings of democracy but not its substance.
- Example (Haiti): Historically, Haiti has experienced periods of civilian dictatorship.

Simplicity and Efficiency: The ruler or group in power dictates decisions without extensive debate or opposition.
Brutality and Lack of Dissent: Often maintained through threats of violence, disappearances, or work camps, leaving little room for opposition.
Stability: Can provide a sense of stability, especially when democracies face overwhelming challenges or when citizens believe their government is unresponsive.
Quick Action: Ability to act quickly since there are few procedural hurdles.
Controlled Dissent: Minor, unorganized dissent may be tolerated as