Authoritarianism, rather like totalitarianism, is perhaps more of a technical term in political science than one in ordinary political usage. An authoritarian system need not, strictly speaking, be a dictatorship, and may well not be totalitarian. The...

An ideology or a practice, which emphasizes the place of authority in interaction. The exercise of authority, eg ‘teacher knows best’. See...

Along with totalitarianism and democracy, authoritarianism is one of the main types of political regimes or systems. Though different variants exist, all authoritarian systems share certain basic features that have significant implications for science,...

This article applies to political and organizational ideologies. For information on the psychology of individuals who seek to dominate those within their sphere of influence, see Authoritarian personality Forms of governmentPart of the...

As we move towards the second anniversary of September 11, it may seem eccentric to emphasis how weak the Al Qaeda organisation headed by Osama Bin Laden is - indeed, how weak it has always been. Clearly, the attacks on the Twin Towers and...

THE BELIEF that non-democratic regimes incubate anti-Western extremism, making their aggrieved populations vulnerable to recruitment by terrorist groups, is the principle assumption behind the democracy project, which argues that it is in America's compelling interest to promote democratic regimes wherever possible. Given its...

Authoritarian rulers are violating human rights around the world and getting away with it largely because the U.S., European and other established democracies accept their claims that merely holding elections makes them democratic, Human Rights Watch said Thursday.By failing to demand that offenders honor their...

The Venezuelan government rejected comments by a senior U.S. official who called President Hugo Chavez a threat to democracy, saying they revealed that Washington's overtures for rapprochement were insincere.John Negroponte, a former director of national intelligence who is designated for the No. 2 position in...