Article Outline
Absolutism, political system in which there is no legal, customary, or moral limit on the government’s power. The term is generally applied to political systems ruled by a single dictator, but it can also be applied to seemingly democratic systems that grant sweeping powers to the legislature or executive.
Absolutism was one of the most common forms of government for much of the 20th century, and it is still common today. Absolutism has taken wide-ranging forms such as military dictatorships in Latin America, authoritarian communism in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and Eastern Europe, and dictatorships in Africa. Despite the wide range of forms of absolutism, most 20th-century absolutist regimes have shared a few basic traits. These include centralization of power, close control of social groups, absence of competing political parties, and the outward appearance of popular representation.
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Centralization of Power
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Nearly all absolutist regimes concentrate power in the hands of the president or prime minister. Typically the leader abolishes the courts and the legislature or allows them to survive without any real power. In Germany under Nazi leader Adolf Hitler in the 1930s, for example, the parliament was forced to hand over power to Hitler’s cabinet. Because Hitler controlled his cabinet, the transfer of authority meant that Hitler had unlimited power to govern Germany (see National Socialism). The chief executive in absolutist regimes may also eliminate town councils and other local government structures, giving the central government control over even minor local issues. Most absolutist governments closely control the police and military, and establish secret police agencies to squelch dissent. This extreme concentration of power sets absolutism directly at odds with the emphasis on openness and accountability that is at the core of democratic forms of government. Absolutist regimes sometimes claim that centralization makes this form of government more efficient and adaptable than democracy, but there is little evidence to support such claims.
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Close Control of Social Groups
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Absolutist regimes usually take control of social groups such as trade unions, churches, and student organizations. These groups and institutions are either abolished altogether or taken over by the official political party of the government. This gives the absolutist regime deep control throughout society and discourages organized resistance. The government can use the institutions it allows to survive as tools for ideological indoctrination in support of the government. In particular, many absolutist states maintain close ties with churches and youth groups and use these institutions to maintain loyalty within the population. For example, until the early 1990s South Africa was under apartheid (a policy of rigid separation of the races), and the white minority government used a wide range of organizations and institutions to prop up the government. These included the pro-apartheid Dutch Reformed Church, which created a theological justification for the repression of the black majority.
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