Concepts of Political Science


Authoritarianism

a definition prepared by

Gordon L. Bowen, Ph.D.
Professor,
Political Science and International Relations disciplines
Mary Baldwin College
Staunton, VA USA 24401

email: gbowen@mbc.edu  


Authoritarianism:

a political system that exalts the power of the state
at the expense of the individual.
Power is concentrated in one individual or small group.
Authoritarian states emphasize the duty of obedience,
rather than the rights of the individual.


 
 
 

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