Authoritarianism is a form of government in which power is heavily concentrated, political dissent and opposition parties are banned or actively repressed, and citizens have limited civil rights. An authoritarian state may be ruled by…
read analysis of Authoritarianism
Communism
Communism is a philosophical and political ideology, largely grounded in the work of economist Karl Marx, that is broadly opposed to the private ownership of resources and property under capitalism and specifically aims to establish…
read analysis of Communism
Democracy
Democracy is a form of government in which the people have ultimate power to govern, either by voting directly or by electing representatives to make laws on their behalf. When Snyder talks about democracy in…
read analysis of Democracy
Fascism
Fascism is a term traditionally associated with Mussolini’s Italy and Hitler’s Germany, as well as other similar far-right movements and regimes. Broadly speaking, fascism advocates the complete control of society by a totalitarian centralized…
read analysis of Fascism
Oligarchy
Oligarchy is a government ruled by a small group of elites, as opposed to autocracy (rule by a single dictator) and democracy (rule by the people). Oligarchies are often, but not always, authoritarian and oppressive…
read analysis of Oligarchy
Get the entire On Tyranny LitChart as a printable PDF.
"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
Totalitarianism is an extreme form of authoritarianism, in which the state has unlimited power and its control extends beyond political issues. For instance, it might regulate people’s beliefs and religious practices, totally control the…
read analysis of Totalitarianism
Tyranny
Tyranny is a word with a broad range of meanings throughout history that today usually refers to the rule of oppressive, unfair, and highly centralized government. Under tyranny, people generally live in a state of…
read analysis of Tyranny