TOPIC:

AUTHORITARIAN COUNTRIES IN 21ST CENTURY

| Name- Nityam Rathore and Yash Ahuja |

|school- Kulachi Hansraj model school |

Some examples of
authoritarian systems are:
• The dictatorship in North Korea
started in 1984 that continues
since 2011 with Kim Jong-un.
• The regime of the People’s
Republic of China started in
1921 that continues since 2013
with Xi Jinping. https://crgsoft.com/authoritarianism-what-it-is-
characteristics-examples-and-totalitarianism
authoritarianism, principle of blind submission to authority, as
opposed to individual freedom of thought and action. In government,
authoritarianism denotes any political system that concentrates power
in the hands of a leader or a small elite that is not constitutionally
responsible to the body of the people. Authoritarian leaders often
exercise power arbitrarily and without regard to existing bodies of law,
and they usually cannot be replaced by citizens choosing freely among
various competitors in elections. The freedom to create
opposition political parties or other alternative political groupings
with which to compete for power with the ruling group is either
limited or nonexistent in authoritarian regimes. Authoritarianism thus
stands in fundamental contrast to democracy. It also differs
from totalitarianism, however, since authoritarian governments
usually have no highly developed guiding ideology, tolerate
some pluralism in social organization, lack the power to mobilize the
entire population in pursuit of national goals, and exercise power
within relatively predictable limits. Examples of authoritarian
regimes, according to some scholars, include the pro-Western
military dictatorships that existed in Latin America and elsewhere in
the second half of the 20th century.
HOW AUTHORITARIAN IS A
THREAT TO DEMOCRACY?
authoritarianism is a threat to democracy
because it undermines democratic
processes and violates human
rights. Authoritarian practices can exist in
both democratic and non-democratic
contexts. Some analysts warn that
authoritarian rule is challenging democracy
as the dominant global model, and that
democracy needs to be protected and
defended against autocracy.
As the international balance of power has shifted away
from established democracies, autocrats have begun to
assert themselves on the world stage. Once the passive
targets of democracy promotion, dictators now actively
defend their power abroad, often seeking to undermine
democracy in the process. Such deliberate efforts to
promote authoritarian rule present a potentially serious
threat to democracy in the world today. Yet a closer
examination of the actual impact of “autocracy
promotion” suggests that it so far presents a less serious
challenge than is often assumed. The influence of
autocracy promotion is limited, above all, by the fact that
authoritarian powers tend to be concerned less with
promoting authoritarianism as such than with furthering
their own countries’ more narrow economic and
geopolitical interests. As a result, authoritarian
interventions often have contradictory effects and may
in some cases even foster greater pluralism.
 AUTHORITARIANISM
Authoritarianism is a form of government in which a single individual or group has complete
control over political power and the lives of its citizens. Authoritarian regimes often employ
force and coercion to maintain their hold on power, suppress political opposition, and restrict
individual freedoms. Although authoritarianism can take various forms, it typically involves the
concentration of power in the hands of a small elite, the suppression of dissent, and the
absence of meaningful checks and balances on government power.
Authoritarian regimes often emerge in times of political instability, economic crisis, or social
unrest, when people may turn to strong leaders who promise stability and security. However,
once in power, authoritarian leaders often use their position to consolidate their power,
suppress dissent, and silence opposition. They may use propaganda, censorship, and
surveillance to control the flow of information and shape public opinion. They may also use
violence and repression to quell dissent and maintain their grip on power.
One of the defining features of authoritarian regimes is their lack of democratic institutions
and processes. Elections may be rigged or non-existent, opposition parties may be banned,
and civil society may be tightly controlled or suppressed. This lack of democratic accountability
means that authoritarian leaders are not subject to the checks and balances that exist in
democratic systems, such as an independent judiciary or a free press.
The absence of democratic institutions and processes also means that authoritarian regimes are often highly
centralized and top-down. Power is concentrated in the hands of a small elite, often centered around the
authoritarian leader, who make decisions without input from the wider population. This can lead to policies that are
not responsive to the needs and desires of the people, and can exacerbate social and economic inequalities.
Authoritarian regimes may also engage in widespread human rights abuses, including the suppression of free
speech, the use of torture and extrajudicial killings, and the persecution of minority groups. Citizens may be subject
to arbitrary detention and imprisonment, and the legal system may be used as a tool of political repression. In some
cases, authoritarian regimes may also engage in genocide or ethnic cleansing.
Despite these negative consequences, authoritarian regimes can often be difficult to dislodge. The concentration of
power in the hands of a small elite means that there may be few avenues for political change, and the absence of
democratic institutions can make it difficult for opposition groups to mobilize and gain traction. In some cases,
international pressure and economic sanctions may be necessary to push authoritarian regimes towards political
reform or regime change. In recent years, authoritarianism has been on the rise in many parts of the world. In
countries such as China, Russia, and Turkey, leaders have tightened their grip on power and suppressed political
opposition. In other countries, such as Hungary and Poland, leaders have eroded democratic institutions and
processes, while in the United States, the presidency of Donald Trump has been characterized by attacks on the
media, the judiciary, and other democratic institutions.
In conclusion, authoritarianism is a form of government in which a single individual or group has complete control
over political power and the lives of its citizens. It often involves the concentration of power in the hands of a small
elite, the suppression of dissent, and the absence of meaningful checks and balances on government power.
Authoritarian regimes can lead to widespread human rights abuses, the suppression of free speech, and the
persecution of minority groups. Despite the negative consequences of authoritarianism, it can be difficult to
 WHY AUTHORITARIAN IS ECONOMICALLY
SUCCESSFUL?
According to Freedom House, the decade-long drift towards less
freedom continued in 2017. Some 55 per cent of the 195
countries under annual review are now considered not free or
only partly free according to a threshold of basic civil liberties and
political rights. Most are in Africa, the Middle East and Central
Asia, but we cannot be complacent. That 55 per cent includes 65
per cent of the world’s population.

Russia’s Vladimir Putin, who was re-elected (unsurprisingly) over the weekend, and China’s Xi
Jinping, who has just been confirmed as President without term limits by the Chinese Communist
Party, are the leading figureheads in an unsettling world of rising authoritarianism that sits in
sharp contrast to the one in which most of us grew up. About two-fifths of states deemed to be
autocratic nowadays are “strongman” regimes, and most of the world’s population now lives in
Despite the successes of China, not all authoritarian governments can bring
economic development. (Stephanie Rizio and Ahmed Skali, 2019). A study
by the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and Victoria University in
Melbourne analysing autocratic governments from 1858 to 2010 showed
that they are inconsequential or damaging to the economy.
One pertinent example is Turkey. Turkey's President Erdogan has
consolidated his presidential powers and attacked the judicial and
legislative branches' independence while restricting freedoms. Between
the years 2013 and 2016, Turkey's GDP has fallen by about 60%,
representing a decline in economic development. Moreover, Turkey is
experiencing double-digit inflation and an unemployment rate of 13.6 in
February 2020. These factors will harm GDP because of a low level of
foreign investment and lack of consumer expenditure caused by a smaller
workforce. However, Turkey still maintains a high HDI, which increased to
0.806 from 0.761 in 2014 when Erdogan came to power.
Why authoritarian is spreading at
a rapid rate?
Global freedom faces a dire threat. Around the world, the enemies of liberal democracy—a
form of self-government in which human rights are recognized and every individual is entitled
to equal treatment under law—are accelerating their attacks. Authoritarian regimes have
become more effective at co-opting or circumventing the norms and institutions meant to
support basic liberties, and at providing aid to others who wish to do the same. In countries
with long-established democracies, internal forces have exploited the shortcomings in their
systems, distorting national politics to promote hatred, violence, and unbridled power. Those
countries that have struggled in the space between democracy and authoritarianism,
meanwhile, are increasingly tilting toward the latter. The global order is nearing a tipping point,
and if democracy’s defenders do not work together to help guarantee freedom for all people,
the authoritarian model will prevail.
The present threat to democracy is the product of 16 consecutive years of decline in global
freedom. A total of 60 countries suffered declines over the past year, while only 25 improved.
As of today, some 38 percent of the global population live in Not Free countries, the highest
proportion since 1997. Only about 20 percent now live in Free countries.
During this period of democratic decline, checks on abuse of power and human rights violations
have eroded. In the decades after World War II, the United Nations and other international
institutions promoted the notion of fundamental rights, and democracies offered support—
however unevenly—in their domestic and foreign policies as they strove to create an open
international system built on shared resistance to totalitarianism. After the fall of the Berlin Wall,
leaders of countries in transition felt compelled to publicly embrace the same ideals in order to
win acceptance in the international community, even if their commitment was only skin deep.
Governments that relied on external economic or military support had to stage at least
superficially credible elections and respect some institutional checks on their power, among
other concessions, to maintain their good standing.
For much of the 21st century, however, democracy’s opponents have labored persistently to
dismantle this international order and the restraints it imposed on their ambitions. The fruits of
their exertions are now apparent. The leaders of China, Russia, and other dictatorships have
succeeded in shifting global incentives, jeopardizing the consensus that democracy is the only
viable path to prosperity and security, while encouraging more authoritarian approaches to
governance.
 COUNTERMEASURES FOR AUTHORITARIAN
The sharpest downgrades were documented in Russia, Myanmar, Sudan,
and Libya. Following the Russian military’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of
Ukraine, the Kremlin dramatically intensified its ongoing efforts to suppress
domestic dissent and accelerated the closure or exile of the country’s
remaining independent media outlets. In at least 53 countries, users faced
legal repercussions for expressing themselves online, often leading to
draconian prison terms.
Governments are breaking apart the global internet to create more
controllable online spaces. A record number of national governments
blocked websites with nonviolent political, social, or religious content,
undermining the rights to free expression and access to information. A
majority of these blocks targeted sources located outside of the country.
New national laws posed an additional threat to the free flow of information
by centralizing technical infrastructure and applying flawed regulations to
social media platforms and user data.
China was the world’s worst environment for internet freedom for the eighth
consecutive year. Censorship intensified during the 2022 Beijing Olympics and
after tennis star Peng Shuai accused a high-ranking Chinese Communist Party
(CCP) official of sexual assault. The government continued to tighten its control
over the country’s booming technology sector, including through new rules that
require platforms to use their algorithmic systems to promote CCP ideology.
A record 26 countries experienced internet freedom improvements. Despite
the overall global decline, civil society organizations in many countries have
driven collaborative efforts to improve legislation, develop media resilience, and
ensure accountability among technology companies. Successful collective
actions against internet shutdowns offered a model for further progress on
other problems like commercial spyware.
Human rights hang in the balance amid a competition to control the
web. Authoritarian states are vying to propagate their model of digital control
around the world. In response, a coalition of democratic governments has
increased the promotion of online human rights at multilateral forums, outlining
a positive vision for the internet. However, their progress remains hampered by
problematic internet freedom practices in their own countries.