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*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_century 1542]

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_century 1542]

==Definitions==

==Definitions==

*1: the office of dictator

*1: the office of dictator

A '''dictatorship''' is defined as an [[autocratic]] form of [[government]] in which the government is ruled by an [[individual]], the dictator. It has three possible [[meanings]]:

A '''dictatorship''' is defined as an [[autocratic]] form of [[government]] in which the government is ruled by an [[individual]], the dictator. It has three possible [[meanings]]:

*1. A [[Roman]] dictator was the incumbent of a political office of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Republic Roman Republic]. Roman dictators were allocated [[absolute]] power during times of [[emergency]]. Their power was originally neither [[arbitrary]] nor unaccountable, being subject to [[law]] and requiring retrospective justification. There were no such dictatorships after the beginning of the 2nd century BC, and later dictators such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulla Sulla] and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Emperor Roman Emperors] exercised power much more personally and arbitrarily.  

*1. A [[Roman]] dictator was the incumbent of a political office of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Republic Roman Republic]. Roman dictators were allocated [[absolute]] power during times of [[emergency]]. Their power was originally neither [[arbitrary]] nor unaccountable, being subject to [[law]] and requiring retrospective justification. There were no such dictatorships after the beginning of the 2nd century BC, and later dictators such as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulla Sulla] and the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Emperor Roman Emperors] exercised power much more personally and arbitrarily.  

*2. A [[government]] controlled by one [[person]], or a small group of people. In this form of government the power rests entirely on the person or group of people, and can be obtained by [[force]] or by [[inheritance]]. The dictator(s) may also take away much of its peoples' [[freedom]].

*2. A [[government]] controlled by one [[person]], or a small group of people. In this form of government the power rests entirely on the person or group of people, and can be obtained by [[force]] or by [[inheritance]]. The dictator(s) may also take away much of its peoples' [[freedom]].

*3. In contemporary usage, dictatorship refers to an [[autocratic]] form of absolute rule by [[leadership]] unrestricted by [[law]], [[constitutions]], or other [[social]] and [[political]] [[factors]] within the state.

*3. In contemporary usage, dictatorship refers to an [[autocratic]] form of absolute rule by [[leadership]] unrestricted by [[law]], [[constitutions]], or other [[social]] and [[political]] [[factors]] within the state.

In the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_century 20th century] and early 21st century hereditary dictatorship remained a relatively common [[phenomenon]].

In the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_century 20th century] and early 21st century hereditary dictatorship remained a relatively common [[phenomenon]].

For some [[scholars]], a dictatorship is a form of [[government]] that has the power to govern without [[consent]] of those being governed (similar to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authoritarianism authoritarianism]), while [[totalitarianism]] describes a state that regulates nearly every aspect of [[public]] and [[private]] [[behavior]] of the people. In other [[words]], dictatorship concerns the source of the governing power (where the power comes from) and [[totalitarianism]] concerns the scope of the governing power (what is the government).

For some [[scholars]], a dictatorship is a form of [[government]] that has the power to govern without [[consent]] of those being governed (similar to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authoritarianism authoritarianism]), while [[totalitarianism]] describes a state that regulates nearly every aspect of [[public]] and [[private]] [[behavior]] of the people. In other [[words]], dictatorship concerns the source of the governing power (where the power comes from) and [[totalitarianism]] concerns the scope of the governing power (what is the government).

In this sense, dictatorship (government without people's [[consent]]) is a [[contrast]] to [[democracy]] (government whose power comes from people) and [[totalitarianism]] (government controls every aspect of people's life) opposes [[pluralism]] (government allows multiple lifestyles and opinions).

In this sense, dictatorship (government without people's [[consent]]) is a [[contrast]] to [[democracy]] (government whose power comes from people) and [[totalitarianism]] (government controls every aspect of people's life) opposes [[pluralism]] (government allows multiple lifestyles and opinions).

Other [[scholars]] stress the [[omnipotence]] of the [[State]] (with its consequent [[suspension]] of [[rights]]) as the key element of a dictatorship and argue that such [[concentration]] of [[power]] can be legitimate or not depending on the [[circumstances]], objectives and [[methods]] employed.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictatorship]

Other [[scholars]] stress the [[omnipotence]] of the [[State]] (with its consequent [[suspension]] of [[rights]]) as the key element of a dictatorship and argue that such [[concentration]] of [[power]] can be legitimate or not depending on the [[circumstances]], objectives and [[methods]] employed.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictatorship]

[[Category: Political Science]]

[[Category: Political Science]]