Comparative Government: Authoritarian Regimes

One defining characteristic of authoritarian regimes is

• there is a large political elite that dominates the state.

• there are no elections to choose governments held in the state.

• the people have no viable constitutional means to remove and replace a government.

• there is no written constitution outlining political rights and civil liberties for the state.

The sources of authoritarian rule include (Mark all that apply.)

• the existence of widespread poverty among the majority of the population.

• a political culture which expects the state to provide security and survival for the people.

• organized religion which has a rigid set of rules and a hierarchy as the only means for advancement

• a wide linguistic and ethnic diversity throughout the state.

Authoritarian regimes who bring opposing individuals and groups into the state to end challenges to legitimacy as a means of control are practicing

• coercion

• corruption.

• cult of personality.

• cooptation.

Power is defined as

• the monopoly of the government to use force against the people.

• the ability of the state to make people do things they would not normally.

• the right of a state to self-govern without outside interference.

• the constitutional authority as the basis of government actions.

The state of Iran is an authoritarian regime based on

• personal rule.

• military rule.

• one-party rule.

• theocracy.

Authoritarian regimes are different than totalitarian regimes because

• authoritarian regimes attempt to create legitimacy through façade elections while totalitarian ones do not bother with elections.

• the elites in authoritarian regimes do not seek to stay in power for long periods of time like totalitarian regimes.

• totalitarian regimes seek to assert both political and economic control while authoritarian regimes seek only political control.

• authoritarian regimes do not seek to control the individual lives of citizens like totalitarian regimes.

Authoritarian rule emerged from statism because

• people placed the survival of the state before the survival of the individual.

• citizens looked to the state to provide sovereignty and basic goods.

• the people were forced into statism by the political elites.

• statism provided more opportunity for individual participation than other regimes.

Patron-clientelism lessens the need for coercion in authoritarian states because

• the voices of opposition groups are forcibly suppressed by the state.

• individuals are brought into the state hierarchy and enjoy the benefits of supporting the government.

• economic rewards are distributed equitably throughout to capture the support of all the citizens.

• the government has a high degree of legitimacy by responding to the wishes of the people.

Authority differs from power because

• power can only be wielded by the state while any person can claim authority.

• authority is perceived by the people is legitimate while the use of power is not.

• individuals and groups outside of the state can wield power but not authority.

• power is not as strong a force to compel compliance with the state as authority.

Dominant-party systems and theocracy are most commonly used as authoritarian systems because