Authoritarian Government vs. Representative Liberal Democracy: A Comparison

 

GOVERNMENT POWER

Authoritarian Government

     - Government power is unlimited. Usually the power to make, enforce, and interpret law is held by either an individual (an autocrat) or a small group of people (an oligarchy).

     - The form of government is often an autocracy (power held by one person) or an oligarchy (power is held by a small group of people.

Representative Liberal Democracy

     - Government power is limited through the design of government:

          * The powers to make, enforce, and interpret law are placed in different parts (branches) of government. 

          * Government power is divided between central and regional authorities.

     - Government power is limited by written law:

          * Legal protections for individual rights and liberties (e,g, bill of rights).

          * Written law lists what government can and cannot do.

     - Power is held by people chosen by citizens who cast secret ballots in frequently held elections.

RIGHTS, LIBERTIES, AND FREEDOMS

Authoritarian Government

     - The citizens depend on a government with unlimited power to protect their rights and not violate them.

Representative Liberal Democracy

     - Liberties, freedoms, and rights are protected by:

          * Design or structure of government: placing the three legal powers in separate parts of government and dividing power between central and regional authorities.

          * Written law: laws to protect individual rights (e.g. bill of rights); laws specifically stating what government can and cannot do.

ELECTIONS

Authoritarian Government

     - There are either no elections because leadership serves for life, or elections are open to only one political party.

     - No public oversight of elections; voting count subjected to fraud and manipulation.

Representative Liberal Democracy

    - Elections offer a choice of candidates with differing ideas; more than one political party.

     - Honest and fair elections are insured by public oversight to prevent fraud and manipulation of final voting count.

RULE OF LAW

Authoritarian Government

     - Unlimited power of government often results in those in power following the law whenever they choose to.

Representative Liberal Democracy

     - Government (like the citizens) are not above the law.

     - Parts of government have powers to keep other parts of government from becoming too powerful and breaking the law (checks and balances).

          * Laws exist to punish officeholders for wrongdoing.

MAINTAINING ORDER

Authoritarian Government

     - Peace is maintained through violence, the threat of violence, imprisonment, and the threat of imprisonment.

      - Censorship of dissent imposed by law, government controlled media and businesses (fascism).

Representative Liberal Democracy

     - Peaceful demonstrations and protests are guaranteed by law (violent demonstrations and protests are viewed as criminal activities).

     - Dissent is permitted as a right of expression.

     - Crime is defined as an action that deprives others of their rights (e.g. vandalism, theft, unprovoked violence, fraud).

MEMORIZE ALL THE TERMS AND THEIR DEFINITIONS:

rule of law - the principle that all people and institutions are subject to and accountable to law that is fairly applied and enforced; the principle of government by law.

liberal democracy - the combination of a liberal political ideology that operates under an indirect democratic form of government.

representative democracy - indirect democracy in which elected persons represent a group of people.

direct democracy - pure democracy is a form of democracy in which voters (not an elected representative) decide on laws.

authoritarian government - a government that holds power and makes policies without the consent of the people that it rules.

division of powers/ separation of powers – powers divided between the national and the regional authorities (state or provincial governments) as well as the division of the three legal powers (making law, enforcing law, interpreting law) between branches within a government.

impeachment - a charge of misconduct made against the holder of a public office.

dissent - the expression or holding of opinions at variance with those previously, commonly, or officially held.

fascism – an authoritarian government permitting no opposition or dissent, controlling affairs of privately owned businesses.