Question

How is an authoritarian governments different from a totalitarian government?

Answer 1

Answer:

Let´s compare the two types of regimes:

Totalitarian state: one central absolute power with control over all the branches of government, the armed forces and repressive bodies; one single, dominant official ideology admitted; one-party system with no other parties at all in place; total censorship of the media, only official media allowed. Examples: Nazi Germany, Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin, China under Mao Zedong, North Korea until today.

Authoritarian state: one centralized power with control over branches of government, armed forces and repressive bodies; a dominant party ideology official and one-party state, but some alternative parties (mainly collaborators of the regime) are allowed with their own ideologies,  they must subordinate to the central authority and can´t  gain power; some small independent media outlets may be allowed to exist but they can be censored and closed down if necessary; less opressive system in general. Examples: South Korea with military governments until the 1980s, Spain under Franco, communist Poland, Chile under Pinochet , Taiwan in 1975-1988, other Latin American dictatorships.

Explanation: