Autocracy
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Autocracy
Autocracy (/ɔːˈtɒkrəsi/; from Greek: αὐτοκρατία, autokratía, 'self-rule') is a system of government in which supreme power is concentrated in the hands of one person, whose decisions are subject to neither external legal restraints nor regularized mechanisms of popular control (except perhaps for the implicit threat of a coup d'état or mass insurrection).
Etymology
The term autocracy derives from the Greek words "αὐτός" (autós, 'self') and "κράτος" (krátos, 'power, strength') hence the term means 'self-power' or 'self-rule'.
Related Terms
- Absolute monarchy: A form of monarchy in which the monarch holds supreme autocratic authority, principally not being restricted by written laws, legislature, or customs.
- Dictatorship: A form of government characterized by a single leader or group of leaders with little or no toleration for political pluralism or independent programs or media.
- Despotism: A form of government in which a single entity rules with absolute power.
- Totalitarianism: A political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life.
- Authoritarianism: A form of government characterized by strong central power and limited political freedoms.
See Also
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