Authoritarian
Political Haplotype
Favoring strong central authority, order, and decisive leadership over liberal democracy.
The Authoritarian haplotype encompasses political types that believe strong, centralized authority is necessary for social order, national greatness, or ideological goals. Authoritarians are skeptical of liberal democracy's ability to solve serious problems and often favor decisive leadership over messy deliberation.
What unites authoritarians is a willingness to concentrate power and limit individual freedoms for the sake of larger goals—whether national strength, ideological purity, economic development, or social order. They differ on whether that authority should serve left or right ideological goals.
Typical Dimension Ranges
The 3 Authoritarian Types
Authoritarian Left
Strong state control of both society and economy is necessary for equality.
Authoritarian Right
Strong leadership to maintain order and tradition while allowing market competition.
Techno-Authoritarian
Algorithmic governance and data-driven control. Smart surveillance solves social problems.
What All Authoritarians Share
Strong Leadership
Effective governance requires decisive leaders with real power, not endless deliberation.
Order Over Freedom
Social order and stability are prerequisites for any other goods.
Ends Justify Means
Important goals sometimes require methods that liberals find distasteful.
Technocratic Competence
Experts and capable leaders should have authority over important decisions.
State Capacity
A strong state that can actually implement its decisions is better than a weak state.
Friend/Enemy Distinction
Politics is about conflict. You must be willing to defeat enemies.
Where Authoritarians Diverge
All 8 Haplotypes
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Authoritarian Type Are You?
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