Dictatorships & Autocratic Governments

            When we think about autocratic governments what comes to our minds? Yes, dictatorships, one of the cruelest ways to govern a country and live. There are about 1/10 of the governments around the world with these characteristics of autocratic governments. The military regimens or coups are the most dramatic and drastic when it is compared to a democracy. The autocratic governments are becoming more scares although half of the world is autocratic. Yet in that 50 percent not all are dictatorships. Some of the countries where we find many dictatorships are in Africa, Middle East, and the history of Latin America and its present.

Only government decides on what happens

            Some of the nations that have adopted this type of governments are the following; Conservative Saudi Arabia, Bureaucratic Soviet Union, Pakistan, and finally Congo.

            Saudi Arabia was an absolute monarchy for the past century. The Saud family was the ones who had the power over the people. This family is conservative in religious aspects and enforces strict Muslim standards of behavior. They have been enthusiastic about economic modernization. Even if the events caused by the Gulf War left the economic system unchangeable.

            After Joseph Stalin’s rule over the Soviet Union, the nation experienced some orderly transitions of leadership. Decisions were made wisely within the party with strong leadership and a strong influence by the army.

            Pakistan reached its independence in 1947 alongside with India. These two countries don’t have the best relationship in the world, it is very tense. This country has alternated its types of governments from a democracy to a military government.

            Congo reached it’s independence from Belgium in 1960, back then it was known as Zaire. In many attempts to reach democracy, there was a period of chaos and death along the way. Colonel Mobutu took control of Congo by forming a one-party state. He was acused to be a corrupt leader, however, he proved to be a powerful leader by controling his country despite the chaos that was going on in the meantime.

            The countries listed above are examples of atocratic systems.

            As mentioned previously, a military government is the most severe alternative to a democratic system. This happens when the military forces take over the government of the country. This is called a coup. In some states, coups have been so common that they have almost been institutionalized as the normal method of governmental change.

            1/10 of the world’s states have military governments. The military control more weaponry and fire power than anyone else in a state. No one dares to chalenge them, meaning that they are basically unstoppable.

            Military governments vary greatly in their role. For instance; in Paraguay Stroessner secured his position as ruler using torture and repression. This stopped until he was deposed by a military coup. In Nigeria there was a considerable civilian support for the military regime. In Greece, harsh repressive measures were experienced by the people. In Turkey, the government has been so unstable that the military has taken over it three times since World War II.

            Military governments vary in their political direction. How so? Well, whether the coup is from the right, left, or neither it totally depends on the leaders of the coup.

            It is surprising that more countries are not governed by the military. There are not many coups and most military governments stay in power only for a few years. There are some problems that a military government has to face, problems that make some officers reluctant to take and hold power.

            Legitimacy is another of these problems. There is no process of selection that legitimizes the military government. It is always concerned with justifying its existence.

            As a result to these problems; they add civilians into the government, set future dates for return of democracy, they rally people through wars and have appeals to nationalism. 

            Most autocracies are one party state. It is a government that is based only on one political party and it is the only one allowed in the state. It offers a more stable and responsive form of government compared to military governments.

            Taking the alternative of an autocratic government or dictatorship tends to be unstable most of the time because the people who take the power are not prepared in several of the cases to be Politian’s. Although in some cases autocratic governments tend to be somewhat more stable than democracies. From personal experiences some times to have an autocratic government for some time can be a positive aspect because it stabilizes society, although if it becomes prolong it becomes negative. Autocratic governments can be positive depending on your political view.

See the words that are found in a dictatorship