Autocracy

Autocracy is a form of government where a single person holds all the power.^[1][2] That person (called an autocrat) can do anything they want legally or politically.^[2] They make all decisions, and there is no separation of powers. They may use propaganda, censorship, and/or violence to control people.^[3]

Two types of autocracy exist today: absolute monarchies and dictatorships.^[4] According to one report, 71% of the world's 2024 population lives in an autocracy.^[5]

In modern times, most autocrats have gained power as part of a larger nationalist, communist, or fascist movement. Once in power, they eliminate all other kinds of authority in the country, like judges, the legislature, and political parties. All totalitarian regimes are autocracies.^[6]

Having an autocratic government does not mean the country is governed well or governed poorly. It is just a description on how it is set up.

History

This painting from 1579 depicts an Aztec human sacrifice. The Aztec Empire was an autocracy

Some of the earliest human governments were autocracies.^[5] For much of recorded history, almost everybody lived in an absolute monarchy, an empire, or a dictatorship.^[4]

Pre-modern times

The Roman Empire under Augustus is an early example. In 27 BCE, Augustus founded the Empire after the end of the Roman Republic. Augustus officially kept the Roman Senate while gathering all power and influence for himself.^[7]

Between the years 139 - 192, the Eastern Han Dynasty under Dong Zhuo was an autocracy.^[8]

The Aztec Empire in Mesoamerica (c. 1345-1521 AD) was an autocracy. The Aztec Emperor alone ruled the Empire and its military. He was also the religious figurehead behind the empire's aggressive foreign policy. (During this time, the priesthood supported a pantheon that demanded human sacrifice, and most of the nobility were warriors who had captured many prisoners for these sacrificial rites.)

Modern times

More recently, the Empire of Japan under Hirohito (1926-1989) was an autocratic government. Some dictators have been called autocratic in recent years.

Robyn Elrick wrote:^[5]

Autocracy is the dark mirror of democracy. While democracy is based on our freedom to speak and assemble freely, and requires a range of choices in who and what to vote for, autocracies are the opposite.

Related pages

• De facto rule
• Absolute monarchy
• Dictatorship
• Byzantine Empire
• Political polarization
• Theocracy
• Totalitarianism