dictatorship in the modern world

dictatorship in the modern world

In contemporary society, most countries continue to embrace democracy, where individual citizens are permitted to elect their representatives and leaders directly. However, there are other countries tyranny continues to play a role in governance. In these nations, the states control the citizen through arbitrary arrests, stifling the social movements and embarks of several initiatives that are aimed at curtailing dissenting voices in the society. In the modern world, the hermit state of North Korea epitomizes a utilitarian state where the supreme leader rules with an iron fist, control all the aspect of the economy and completely disregards the human rights since the rule of law never exists (Song & Wright, 2018). Thus, the essay would examine vital aspects that revolve around the dictatorship in the modern world.

The Concept of Ideal Citizen

There are several interpretations and definitions of what an ideal citizen entails. From the time of Aristotle, the concept has gradually changed to suit the ever-evolving political undertakings of the past and contemporary world. Aristotle espouses that an ideal citizen is who possesses perfect virtue of what a good man entails. In this regard, for one to be effectively regarded as an ideal citizen, they must effectively ensure that good person who honors and upholds the constitution of the land (Swanson, 2019). In the modern world, the ideal citizen is who participates in civic duties, respects and upholds the law, and remains loyal to their countries.

Consequences of Voter Apathy

Voter apathy exists when a good number of citizens fail to participate in elections resulting in low voting turnout during a given voting process. Voter apathy leads to the election of unpopular leaders in society (King & Hale, 2016). When people fail to take part in voting exercise, they create a chance of the election of undeserved leaders who can subsequently impose tyrannical laws in society. Further, voter apathy could be the first step towards tyranny. In most cases, dictators use scare-mongering to intimidate people from voting to retain power. These tyrants apply fear for violence to the perceived opposition strongholds but mobilize voters from their areas of support to maintain control (King & Hale, 2016). Such instances of voter apathy could also play into the hands of the dictators as they could effectively enact unpopular laws that cannot be overturned by the voters due to voter apathy.

How the State Controls the Citizens

In totalitarian states, the governments have various methods that they employ in a bid to control the citizens as well as silencing the dissenting voices in the society. First, these states have total control of the economy, making the citizens dependent on the government. For instance, in North Korea, the government owns all the resources and all the vital components of the economy (Lim & Seo, 2010). Therefore, it can choose to control the citizens by depriving them of essential services. Again, the totalitarian states employ the use of brutal force to suppress and rebellion. Most dictatorial governments, such as North Korea, have secret police that watch every move of the citizens and swiftly deals with any dissidents (Lim & Seo, 2010). The forces work at the behest of the dictators to ensure that the leader has a firm grip on power. On the other hand, dictatorial governments ensure that they regulate the media, trample on the freedom of speech, and promote propaganda at the expense of truth to control what the people hear. For instance, in North Korea, the supreme leader has absolute control of the media and ensures that the media tells the citizens what the government wants them to know even if it entails propaganda (Lim & Seo, 2010). Such practices are a few ways in which tyrannical governments control the citizens.

References

King, B. A., & Hale, K. (Eds.). (2016). Why Don’t Americans Vote? Causes and Consequences. ABC-CLIO.

Lim, J., & Seo, H. (2009). Frame flow between government and the news media and its effects on the public: Framing of North Korea. International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 21(2), 204-223.

Song, W., & Wright, J. (2018). The North Korean autocracy from a comparative perspective. Journal of East Asian Studies, 18(2), 157-180.

Swanson, J. A. (2019). The public and the private in Aristotle’s political philosophy. Cornell University Press.