Doug Rogers

Fascism, Dictatorship, and Authoritarianism

Do you know the difference? With the protests, ICE Raids and now military involvement in California and the middle east, these terms are being used a lot. It’s important for us all to know what they truly mean and their definitions.

This way, we can properly call out how Trump and his administration are using or abusing their power. Education = Knowledge = Power!

When we talk about threats to democracy, we often hear words like fascism, dictatorship, and authoritarianism thrown around. People often use these terms interchangeably. But these words are not the same thing. They each describe different kinds of political control, different ways of seizing and holding power, and different dangers to freedom.

To understand what is happening in the United States and other countries, we need to be clear on what each of these words actually mean.

Let’s start with the broadest term: Authoritarianism.

Authoritarianism: The Big Umbrella

Authoritarianism is a system of government where one person or a small group holds almost all the power. There’s little room for political opposition. Individual freedoms are restricted and the leadership often controls the media, the courts, and the police.

Think of authoritarianism as an umbrella that covers a wide range of oppressive governments. Some might be military regimes. Some might be religious states. Some might even have the illusion of democracy and have fake elections and controlled opposition. In reality, the people have little to no power.

Examples:

• China under Xi Jinping is authoritarian. The Communist Party controls the state, dissent is crushed, the media is heavily censored, and individual freedoms are tightly restricted.
• Russia under Vladimir Putin is authoritarian. There are elections, but they’re not fair. Opposition leaders are jailed, media is controlled, and political power is concentrated in one man’s hands.

But authoritarianism isn’t necessarily tied to one specific ideology. It’s just about power without accountability.

Dictatorship: The Person at the Top

Now, a dictatorship is a specific form of authoritarianism.
A dictator is usually one person who seizes power. Sometimes through force, sometimes through political manipulation. They rule without meaningful checks or balances.

The key feature of a dictatorship is absolute personal power.
The dictator makes the laws. The dictator enforces the laws. The dictator often rewrites the constitution—or simply ignores it.

Examples:

• Adolf Hitler was a dictator.
• Saddam Hussein was a dictator.
• Augusto Pinochet in Chile was a dictator.

Dictators often rise in moments of crisis, offering strong leadership in exchange for freedom. But once they take power, they rarely give that power back.

Fascism: The Dangerous Ideology

Finally, we come to fascism. This is not just a system of control. It is a specific ideology.
Fascism is ultra-nationalistic, often racist, and obsessed with militarism, strength, and the supremacy of the state. It crushes dissent, glorifies violence, and demands total loyalty.

In a fascist regime, it’s not enough to obey. You have to believe. You have to pledge allegiance to the nation and/or to the leader.

Examples:

• Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler
• Fascist Italy under Benito Mussolini
• Francoist Spain under Francisco Franco

Fascism is always authoritarian. It’s usually a dictatorship. But not all dictatorships are fascist. Not all authoritarian regimes are fascist.

Fascism is about extreme nationalism, suppression of minorities, and often, the belief that violence is not just acceptable but necessary.

So, What’s the Difference?

• Authoritarianism: A broad system where power is concentrated and individual freedoms are suppressed.
• Dictatorship: A type of authoritarianism where one person holds absolute power.
• Fascism: A violent, nationalistic ideology that often uses dictatorship and authoritarianism to spread.

Think of it like this:
All fascists are authoritarian.
Many authoritarians are dictators.
But not all dictators or authoritarians are fascists.

Why Does This Matter?

It matters because we need to recognize the signs. When governments start to attack the free press, it is a warning. When they jail political opponents, it is a warning. When they tell you that the “nation” is more important than individual rights it’s a warning. When they demonize minorities, it is a warning.

These are not isolated events. They are warnings.

It’s not about left or right—it’s about power and control.

When we confuse these words, we lose the ability to spot the real danger in front of us. Fascism has a face. Dictatorship has a face. Authoritarianism can sometimes look like democracy but it’s not.

Understanding the difference is the first step to protecting what matters most: freedom.

HAPPENING NOW – In the United States authoritarian tendencies are growing.

Some American political figures and movements have shown authoritarian behaviour (sound familiar?)

• Attempts to undermine elections by spreading false claims about voter fraud.
• Demonizing the press, calling credible journalists “enemies of the people.”
• Targeting political opponents with threats of prosecution, and using violent rhetoric.
• Concentrating executive power while trying to weaken the judiciary and the legislative oversight.

These are classic signs of authoritarian thinking: power should be absolute. Opposition should be crushed. The system should serve one leader or party.

Example:
The efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election results. The January 6th insurrection. The ongoing promotion of election denialism. All of these are authoritarian in nature. They seek to replace the will of the voters with the will of one faction.

2. Fascist Elements on the Fringe

While the U.S. is not yet a fascist country, there are fascist-adjacent groups and rhetoric gaining visibility:

• Ultra-nationalist militias
• White supremacist movements
• Groups that glorify political violence
• Leaders and influencers who demand total loyalty and demonize minorities, immigrants, or the LGBTQ+ community.

Example:
The rise of groups like the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and other far-right extremists that use symbols, language, and tactics historically linked to fascism. These groups aren’t mainstream, but they have gained influence in many parts of the U.S. political sphere.

3. Democratic Backsliding

The U.S. is experiencing what political scientists call “democratic backsliding.”
This includes:

• Gerrymandering and voter suppression.
• Erosion of trust in democratic institutions.
• Political polarization so deep that compromise becomes impossible.
• Increasing use of political violence as a tool or threat.

Democratic backsliding is not the same as a dictatorship, but it’s a path that leads to it if left unchecked.

4. Trumpism: Authoritarian Style, Not Full Dictatorship

Donald Trump’s political style is widely seen as authoritarian:

• He praises dictators like Putin, Kim Jong-un, and Xi Jinping.
• He has called for retribution against his political opponents.
• He has tried to consolidate personal power and ignore traditional norms.

But even during his presidency, Trump did not have full authoritarian control.
The courts pushed back. Congress pushed back. The media remained free. Civil society resisted.

That’s the critical difference: the system held, but it is showing signs of weakening. It is showing signs of failure.

Why Should We Care?

The danger is that the U.S. has already become authoritarian by definition. That danger is rapidly sliding toward dictatorship and full-on fascism. U.S. Citizen’s rights are at risk.

Democracies don’t usually die in sudden coups anymore. They die by a thousand cuts:

• Eroded norms.
• Lost trust.
• Accepted lies.
• Increasing tolerance of political violence.

When leaders stop respecting the rules, when followers demand loyalty to a person over the constitution, and when facts are replaced by conspiracy theories, that’s when democracy is truly at risk.

Again, Information = Knowledge = Power. How citizens of the U.S. use that power will ultimately determine the fate of their nation.  The world is watching and working to support those that resist the current U.S. administrations actions.