The goal of a dictatorship is the same as any other authoritarian government. It has the first priority of keeping the leader(s) in charge while they attempt to create policies that reflect what they want to see in society. Although there is the potential for good in such an action, most dictators take the opposite approach. Adolf Hitler’s orders and policies directly and indirectly results in the deaths of about 50 million people across the European continent. Almost every other government structure like this in the twentieth century on every continent except Antarctica produced similar results.

The speed at which laws and policies can change in a dictatorship can be an advantage, but it is far too often done to cause harm to a specific group of people instead. The only process that a dictator or group must follow to change the governing legislation is to issue an order. Once that occurs, it becomes the law of the land immediately. It is even possible for the leaders in this government structure to make the legislation retroactive to punish political opponents, ethnic groups, or other societal demographics. The will of just one person can be imposed on millions because of this structure. Although households with wealth often benefit financially from the policies of a dictatorship, it is a success that is fleeting. If that government structure should ever fall, their support for the dictator will typically cause the new system to strip them of their net worth.

There is rarely an opposition party allowed in the structure of a dictatorship. Even the leaders who do hold power may not belong to any specific group. When there is a political party in place, there is only one that the government authorizes. The National Fascist Party, or the PNF, was created by Benito Mussolini as a political expression of dictatorship, ruling Italy from 1922 after their March on Rome to 1943 when Mussolini was deposed from his role as a dictator by the Grand Council of Fascism. It is not unusual for any display of opposition to be criminally outlawed in this form of government. Force is fast and violent, sometimes with death warrants issued when the dictator perceives the individual or group to be an imminent threat to their power. Over 40,000 death sentences were handed down during Hitler’s reign over Germany, with most being carried out by using the guillotine.

It is surprisingly common for dictators to authorize the mass killings of innocent people as a way for them to stay in charge. This process is one of the easiest and fastest ways to consolidate power in this government structure. Even if there is only a perceived threat of a takeover, the authority given to this leader or group allows for strict laws to become nationally implemented at a moment’s notice. Some even issue orders as a direct response to opposition activities. That is why the majority of a population flees a country with this structure because millions of people will perish if they stay.

Although a dictatorship does create an opportunity for increased productivity levels through the implementation of fear, the focus of the general population is to stay in compliance with the ever-changing laws that filter through. It is not unusual for the average person to become indifferent to their government because their focus remains on getting through the day. Over time, the gaps in manufacturing and agriculture can become severe enough that there aren’t enough resources in the country to provide for everyone. We can see this disadvantage playing out in North Korea right now. If you have wealth in the country, then you can get your hands on almost anything you want. When you are just an average person in the general population, then finding food or having heat for your home are not guaranteed. That means your worries are more about your daily needs than any political choices there might be.

There are several common restrictions that you will find present in this form of government. Most of them involve a right to speak your mind, practice the religion that you want, or access information that does not include propaganda. The goal of these restrictions is to keep the general population under control so that the dictator can stay in power for as long as they want. It may provide short-term results because of the fear of reprisal, but it can also become the first step toward the nation failing since people will eventually resist if the screws against them get turned deep enough.

The theory of dictatorship does allow for societal benefits if the best interests of the general population are at the heart of each action taken by the leader or group. Reality suggests that most dictators think more about their political ambitions and global power more than they do about a family having enough to eat at night. During the 20th century, only three dictators (Zedong, Hitler, Stalin) were responsible for the deaths of over 100 million people. Their actions to cause these outcomes were a method of staying in power because it told the average person that if they stepped out of line, then they could suffer a similar fate.

Dictatorships are not well-accepted by the rest of the world. You will find that the allies of most dictators tend to be other countries who have a similar form of government. Communist governments also tend to support this structure whenever they can. Although this doesn’t completely isolate the country from the rest of the world, it can become problematic from an economic standpoint. The economic crisis in Venezuela is a prime example of this issue. It was a country that was once rich, but it is now suffering from rampant inflation. Oil revenues have crashed at the same time, which means the 1.3 million percent inflation is destroying any lingering wealth that people have. It costs more today to purchase a banana there than it did to buy a house just a decade ago. By the end of 2018, prices were doubling every 19 days.

The National People’s Congress eliminated the term limits that were in place in China for their leader in 2018, which means Xi Jinping essentially can rule for life because of the structure of his government. Elections are sometimes held with this form of government, such as in Russia or Venezuela, but the authenticity of the vote almost always comes into question. When a dictator is in charge of the government, the people have no say in how their future governing experience will be. Even if these actions are benevolent, there is much less control for society to have a say in what happens.

It is not unusual for the military of a nation to decide that they want to take over the government. Once this coup occurs, then the leading general is typically appointed as the ruling leader. This person remains in charge until they decide to retire, leave, or die, which then places the responsibility on the next person in the chain-of command. This issue is problematic for society because the military can enforce laws to the extreme, which we often see on the African continent today. You either join, submit, or pay the price.