An autocratic state is one in which the system of government lies in a single person or a single party. This entity possesses absolute power in the country, and it can enforce its will without the existence of legal restraints or mechanisms of popular control and participation. This was the case in Russia, as the Communist Party of the Soviet Union had full control over the Soviet Union. The leader of an autocratic state would be considered an absolute monarch or a dictator, depending on the specific organization of the government.
