Authoritarian Regimes

Limited Pluralism

Starting with the three-dimensional scheme of Linz, limited pluralism contrasts with the almost unlimited pluralism of liberal democracies and the almost total absence of pluralism in totalitarian regimes. The degree of limited pluralism varies among different subtypes of authoritarian regimes. They may exclude only political opposition groups or may exclude certain types of civil society institutions as well. Such exclusion may be based on legal regulations or de facto restrictions. As this observation indicates, the degree of limited pluralism is a critical variable in distinguishing the subtypes of authoritarian regimes, as will be spelled out below.

Mentality versus Ideology

A second defining element of authoritarian regimes is the presence of a “mentality” rather than an “ideology.” In Linz's view, in contrast to the more rigid, systematic, rationally developed, utopian, and comprehensive nature of ideologies, mentalities are less systematic and more amorphous ways of thinking and feeling, more emotional than rational. Although the distinction is not clear-cut and there is a large gray area in between, “mentalities,” as recalled by the German sociologist Theodore Geiger, are, actually, more or less ambiguously developed values, such as fatherland, nation, order, hierarchy, tradition, race, ethnicity, and others. The key political characteristic of them is that, precisely because they are ambiguous and intellectually underdeveloped, creating broader political coalitions around them to build the bases of regime legitimacy is much easier than with precise, developed ideologies (Linz, 2000).

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