The Century of Authoritarianism (Analysis of the Characteristics and Forms of Authoritarianism in the 21st Century

Abstract

The Century of Authoritarianism (Analysis of the Characteristics and Forms of Authoritarianism in the 21st Century)

Introduction

Contrary to the optimistic predictions following the Cold War about the promotion and consolidation of liberal democracy worldwide, we are now witnessing the expansion and entrenchment of various forms of authoritarian governance. To the extent that, authoritarianism is currently the dominant governance model globally. This reality signifies profound changes in the political and social structures of societies and necessitates greater attention and research to understand its dimensions and consequences. To this end, this research seeks to answer the following questions: What are the distinct characteristics and forms of 21st-century authoritarianism? What mechanisms does it employ to gain and maintain power? What are the differences between authoritarianism in developing and developed countries?

Research Method

This research employs a mixed-methods approach (quantitative-qualitative) with a descriptive-analytical framework to investigate the dimensions and characteristics of the expansion of authoritarianism in governance. The quantitative section utilizes statistics and data from international organizations such as Freedom House and the V-Dem Institute. The qualitative section, after reviewing and analyzing the findings of prominent researchers in the fields of democracy and authoritarianism, first compares old and new authoritarianism. Subsequently, it compares the ways in which new authoritarianism manifests and emerges in developing and developed countries. The necessary data has been collected through documentary and library resources, as well as statistical databases of international organizations.

Findings

Authoritarianism in the 21st century possesses characteristics distinct from its historical forms. This type of authoritarianism generally relies on elections, exhibits limited pluralism, employs less overt violence, and advances more subtly under the guise of democracy. In other words, modern authoritarian regimes, while not overtly despotic in appearance, also do not take steps towards democratization, while demonstrating greater resistance and resilience compared to the past. These regimes avoid actions that would lead to domestic and international condemnation. Repression, mass arrests, and executions are rarely used, and most citizens do not experience direct state violence. Nevertheless, the essence of authoritarianism remains based on the concentration of power and tight control over society, which is exercised through instruments such as the suppression of political opponents, censorship of the media, restrictions on civil liberties, and a lack of accountability and transparency in government institutions. The global spread of authoritarianism, both in advanced countries with a democratic history and in developing countries, has manifested in various ways: the election of populist figures who oppose legal procedures, such as Donald Trump in the United States; the rise to power of far-right figures, such as Giorgia Meloni in Italy; the continued power of authoritarians such as Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey; and the deepening of authoritarianism in countries such as China under the leadership of Xi Jinping.

Conclusions

Based on the research findings, it can be said that the dominance of the democratic paradigm in the form of the third wave of democracy after the Cold War was an unusual and transient phenomenon. This is due to the halt in the progress of democracy and the spread of authoritarian governance models, which have historically been the dominant form of managing societies. New authoritarianism, with its specific characteristics, is becoming increasingly stronger and more prevalent; particularly, young people are to some extent accepting it and may even demand it. Although there is a possibility of internal transformations and a reduction of the grounds for authoritarianism in some countries, evidence suggests that current authoritarian regimes will not easily disappear in the near future.