The world’s democracies must confront the fact that authoritarianism is no longer a threat confined to distant lands or anecdotes. Its rise calls for a defense strategy, and that starts with understanding exactly what authoritarianism is, how it manifests, and what we can do to stop it.
While it is true that some regimes, such as Pol Pot’s Cambodia or the Soviet-dominated countries of Eastern Europe during the Cold War or North Korea under Kim Jong Il, are bona fide totalitarian dictatorships, the vast majority of today’s autocracies incorporate institutions such as legislatures and political parties to give them a veneer of democratic legitimacy. Yet these are just a mask for the regime’s total control, and they can be easily overturned by democratic forces in short order.
Even when the underlying system is not a totalitarian one, many dictatorships suffer from high levels of corruption and kleptocracy. These are often rooted in weak governmental institutions that are easy to exploit. For example, when a regime has no checks and balances on its power, dictators may be able to steal billions. In addition, they may have cronies in the major media outlets who provide pro-regime content and allow for the circumvention of laws on freedom of expression. These practices, which are sometimes called “telephone law,” can help dictators keep their secrets while retaining power for decades or more.
As these strategies become increasingly popular around the globe, it is crucial that people understand them and recognize how they work. This is why we have compiled seven tactics that authoritarians use to seize and maintain power, and how democratic forces can counter them.
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