What is authoritarianism? It’s thrown around a lot in politics. Here’s what it means

In a legal brief filed to dismiss claims in a lawsuit over the removal of books in Florida school libraries, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody maintained that books on school shelves represent protected government speech and public school libraries are “a forum for government speech,” not a “forum for free expression.”

“Public-school systems, including their libraries, convey the government’s message,” Moody wrote.

First Amendment expert Ken Paulson, director of the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University, called that "authoritarianism."

“If government speech determines what books can be in the library," he said, "the government is essentially saying your children can only see the ideas that the government has approved."

But what does authoritarianism mean? The term has been thrown around a lot in politics in the U.S. and around the world.

What is authoritarianism?

According to Merriam-Webster, "authoritarian" means "of, relating to, or favoring blind submission to authority," or "of, relating to, or favoring a concentration of power in a leader or an elite not constitutionally responsible to the people."

Britannica goes further, saying, "Authoritarianism, in politics and government, the blind submission to authority and the repression of individual freedom of thought and action. Authoritarian regimes are systems of government that have no established mechanism for the transfer of executive power and do not afford their citizens civil liberties or political rights."

Authoritarian governments vary wildly, from dictatorships where a single person has complete control, to communist, socialist or fascist regimes, to leaders in democratic states and countries with authoritarian tendencies. The common denominators are strict rules that limit citizens' freedoms of speech, dissent and religion, without the consent of the people, and obstructions to the ability to choose leaders in a free and fair election.

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What types of authoritarian governments are there?

There are many types of authoritarian governments. Some of the most common, according to worldpopulationreview.com, are:

• Absolute monarchy: Hereditary rulers control the country with total power and no oversight, passing it on to descendants to maintain their rule. Example: Saudi Arabia

• Military regime: In this case, the military has taken over the government and runs the country. Example: Burma

• Ideological-based: The government is based on adherence to a set of guidelines or beliefs in an ideology or religion. Examples: the Islamic Republic of Iran, the People's Republic of China.

What are hybrid democracies?

Authoritarianism doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing thing. Governments with elements of democracy and authoritarianism can happen as one form transitions into the other. Also called "hybrid regimes."

What is the difference between authoritarianism and totalitarianism?

Totalitarianism is authoritarianism taken to its extreme. Where an authoritarian rule might allow some personal freedom and expression, a totalitarian government "attempts to assert total control over the lives of its citizens," according to Britannica. "Totalitarian states typically pursue a special goal to the exclusion of all others, with all resources directed toward its attainment, regardless of the cost."

What characterizes an authoritarian leader?

The social welfare non-profit group ProtectDemocracy.org has a list of seven basic tactics authoritarian leaders use to gain and maintain power.

• Politicizing independent institutions: Taking over independent, non-partisan functions and installing loyalists instead.

• Spreading disinformation: Using constant lies and misinformation to control narratives, demonize enemies and instill mistrust in government and judicial policies.

• Aggrandizing executive power: Surrounding themselves with people loyal to them, rather than to the country, passing laws to gain more power and less oversight, taking control of legislatures and courts.

• Quashing dissent: Silencing opposition, citizen protests and independent journalism, using the power of the state to quiet opposition or resistance. Referring to opponents as enemies.

• Marginalizing vulnerable communities: "Many authoritarians attack vulnerable groups intentionally," ProtectDemocracy said, "sowing division and attempting to turn the many against the few." Authoritarians will often refer to marginalized people in less-than-human terms.

• Corrupting elections: Authoritarians may pretend to honor democratic elections while changing the rules, suppressing votes, or overturning or even ignoring the actual results.

• Stoking violence: Authoritarians may look the other way from political violence in their favor, ProtectDemocracy said, or may actively inflame it to "stoke fear, division, and feelings of insecurity."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Authoritarianism charges rising in American politics, campaigns