In an authoritarianism system of government, power is held mainly by the government. Authoritarian leaders often claim that the government is the only thing that can protect society from internal and external threats. They argue that obeying the authority of a state is necessary to maintain peace and security. For these reasons, authoritarian governments make it very difficult for the people to remove them from power. Authoritarian leaders often claim that political rights and personal liberty must be limited to guarantee order and stability.
Usually, authoritarian governments are undemocratic and have the power to govern without the consent of their citizens. State control over the media, political parties and civil society are common forms of authoritarian control over the people.
Authoritarian governments often reply on top-down approaches to maintain their rule. They often use a combination of “carrots” (rewards for obedience and support) and “sticks” (threats or punishments). Different authoritarian governments justify their rule in different ways. They often rely on economic development, security, nationalism and/or religion to justify their rule.
|
Case Study: Singapore Singapore’s ruling political party, the People’s Action Party (PAP), has ruled since before independence its independence in 1965. Singapore’s long-serving leader, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew (1959–90), was a principal defender of the idea that Asia has distinctly authoritarian political values that are incompatible with democracy. Many see Singapore as an example of a “successful” authoritarian system. Lee Kuan Yew ruled in an authoritarian manner and created a repressive system that punished free expression, independent political activity, the freedom of association, and other basic rights that are considered fundamental to the rule of law. Opposition political parties face obstacles and an unbalanced electoral playing field, and the governing PAP has strong influence over the judiciary and the press, restrictions on assembly and speech, and the use of detentions. The leaders of the main opposition parties and the editors of their party newspapers are sometimes jailed or sued in court for slander, often bankrupting them in the process. Singapore lacks various elements of the rule of law found in free societies, most importantly the protection of human rights and the separation of powers. The media are strongly controlled by the state, with few alternatives available to citizens for independent news. In 2006, the media watchdog group Reporters Without Borders ranked Singapore 146th in media freedom (out of 168 countries surveyed); Freedom House’s Freedom of the Press 2007 survey considered Singapore “not free” in terms of media freedoms, ranking it 154th (out of 195 countries). Source: http://www.democracyweb.org/node/66 |