Totalitarian democracy is also called imitation democracy, since in this political regime the power of the people is only declared, but in reality ordinary citizens do not take part in governing the state or participate only minimally.
Totalitarianism and its signs
Totalitarian democracy is one of the forms of totalitarianism, but at the same time, outwardly, it retains the features of a democratic system: the replacement of the head of state, the election of government bodies, universal suffrage, etc.
Totalitarianism is a system of government that presupposes the establishment of total control of all aspects of the life of society in general and each person in particular. At the same time, the state forcibly regulates the life of all members of society, completely depriving them of the right to independence not only in actions, but also in thoughts.
The main signs of totalitarianism: the existence of a single state ideology, which must be supported by all residents of the country; tough censorship; state control over the mass media; relations in the country are based on the following position: “only what is recognized by the authorities is allowed, everything else is prohibited”; police control is conducted over the whole society in order to identify dissidents; bureaucracy in all spheres of life.
Under totalitarianism, the border between the state and society has actually been erased, since everything is controlled and strictly regulated. The area of a person's personal life is very limited.
Totalitarian democracy in history
The reasons for the formation of a totalitarian democracy are still controversial. Such systems are formed, as a rule, after the abrupt establishment of democracy in countries with an authoritarian or totalitarian regime: a political coup, revolution, etc. Usually, in these cases, the population is still not politically competent enough, which is often abused by people who have come to power. Despite the fact that the authorities elect by popular vote, the results of these elections are always predictable in advance. Moreover, such stability is largely ensured not through direct manipulation. Administrative resources, control of the media, public organizations, the economy and investments - these are the tools that the ruling elite uses under such a system as totalitarian democracy.
A striking example of such a political system in history is the state structure of the USSR. Despite the proclamation of the constitution and the declaration of universal equality, in fact the country was ruled by the highest ranks of the Communist Party. The political system in the Soviet Union is examined in detail in the book "Democracy and Totalitarianism" by the famous French humanist philosopher Raymond Aron.
