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- dictatorship, form of government in which one person or a small group possesses absolute power without effective constitutional limitations. The term dictatorship comes from the Latin title dictator, which in the Roman Republic designated a temporary magistrate who was granted extraordinary powers in order to deal with state crises.
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- Dictator Definition: What Makes A ‘Ruler’ A ‘Dictator?’
- Dictators Throughout History
- List of Dictators
- Sources and Further Reference
Similar to “tyrant” and “autocrat,” the term “dictator” has come to refer to rulers who exercise oppressive, cruel, even abusive power over the people. In this sense, dictators should not be confused with constitutional monarchslike kings and queens who come to power through a hereditary line of succession. Holding complete power over the armed for...
As it was first used in the ancient city-state of Rome, the term “dictator” was not derogatory as it is now. The early Roman dictators were revered judges or “magistrates” who were given absolute power for a limited time to deal with social or political emergencies. Modern dictators are compared more to the many tyrants who ruled Ancient Greece and...
While thousands of dictators have come and gone, these notable dictators are best-known for their cruelty, unflinching authority, and strict suppression of opposition.
Coppa, Frank J. (2006). “Encyclopedia of Modern Dictators: From Napoleon to the Present.”Peter Lang. ISBN 978-0-8204-5010-0.Kayla Webley. “Top 15 Toppled Dictators.” Time Magazine. (October 20, 2011).“Former Chilean army chief charged over 1973 killing of activists.”The Guardian. July 8, 2016.Nebehay, Stephanie. “U.N.’s Pillay says may be crimes against humanity in North Korea.”Reuters. (January 2013).- Robert Longley
Most dictators have several characteristics in common. They usually rule autocracies, governments with a single self-appointed leader and no governing body to check his power. Often, dictators have totalitarian regimes, keeping their power through control of the mass media.
6 days ago · dictator, in modern political systems, a single person who possesses absolute political power within a country or territory or a member of a small group that exercises such power.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
5 days ago · Dictators usually resort to force or fraud to gain despotic political power, which they maintain through the use of intimidation, terror, and the suppression of basic civil liberties. They may also employ techniques of mass propaganda in order to sustain their public support.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a polity . [ 1 ] The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to rule the republic in times of emergency . [ 1 ]
Apr 2, 2008 · The office of dictator once had a very different meaning from how we think of it today. It was first created by the Roman Senate in 510 B.C. for emergency purposes, such as taking care of rebellions.
