What is a dictatorship?

A dictatorship is a type of government in which one individual has full power and control over the country and its citizens. Dictatorships date back thousands of years but still exist today.

Dictatorships are typically seen as an undesirable form of government, as decisions are not always made with the people of the country in mind. Having absolute power allows the leader to make decisions that can take away basic human rights from its citizens. The most common recent examples of dictatorships gone wrong are Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. Note that dictators are often elected to gain their initial post but then go on to restructure the government to gain more power.