Editing Regime (section)

=== Authoritarian regimes ===
[[File:Julius Caesar Coustou Louvre MR1798.jpg|thumb|A statue of Julius Caesar]]

[[Authoritarianism|Authoritarian]] regimes are systems in which power is highly centralized, and often concentrated in the hands of a single leader or a small elite group. <ref>{{Cite book |last=Linz |first=Juan J. |title=Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes |publisher=Lynne Rienner Publishers |year=2000 |isbn=9781555878900 |edition=paperback}}</ref> In authoritarian regimes, political opposition is often suppressed, with dissenting voices silenced through tactics such as censorship, imprisonment, or violence. Political freedoms, including freedom of speech and the press, are usually restricted or tightly controlled by the government. While elections may occur in some authoritarian systems, they are frequently neither free nor fair, with outcomes manipulated to secure the dominance of the ruling elite and maintain their hold on power.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cheibub |first=José Antonio |title="Democracy and Dictatorship Revisited" |publisher=Public Choice |year=2010 |edition=143 no. 1-2}}</ref> Political scientist Juan Linz states that an authoritarian government lacks both political pluralism and political mobilization. He states that an authoritarian regime specifically has vague limits on executive power in order to give more control to the executive branch.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Linz |first=Juan |title=An Authoritarian Regime: The Case of Spain |date=1964 |publisher=Free Press |location=New York |pages=297}}</ref> For instance, Russia demonstrates characteristics of authoritarianism by holding elections, but these are heavily controlled, with significant restrictions placed on opposition parties and candidates, and media outlets operating under state influence. Similarly, China exemplifies an authoritarian regime where the Communist Party maintains strict control over the political system, curtails civil liberties, and limits freedom of expression to ensure its dominance. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Freedom in the World |url=https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world |access-date=2024-11-18 |website=Freedom House |language=en}}</ref> Another notable example is the Roman Empire under Julius Caesar which had a highly centralized government that transformed the Republic of Rome to the Roman Empire.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Loewenstein |first=Karl |title=The Governance of Rome |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |year=2012 |isbn=9789401024006 |edition=Illustrated |location=Netherlands |publication-date=2012 |language=English}}</ref>
[[File:Historical totalitarian leaders.jpg|thumb|Images of totalitarian leaders ]]