What is a totalitarian state?

Answer 1

AnswerA state in which the government controls every aspect of public and private life.; Existed in Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union.
A totalitarian state is one in which all systems of government are controlled by a central power. A dictorship and a party will control the law courts, the police, the media and the government. All freedoms wil be denied. In essence, totalitarianism means total control of a people by one individual and the government it has created.

Answer 2

Answer 1

Totalitarianism is a term employed by some political scientists, especially those in the field of comparative politics, to describe modern regimes in which the state regulates nearly every aspect of public and private behavior.

The most influential scholars of totalitarianism, such as Karl Popper, Hannah Arendt, Carl Friedrich, Zbigniew Brzezinski, and Juan Linz have each described totalitarianism in a slightly different way. Common to all definitions is the attempt to mobilize entire populations in support of the official state ideology, and the intolerance of activities which are not directed towards the goals of the state, entailing repression or state control of business, labor unions, churches or political parties. Totalitarian regimes or movements maintain themselves in political power by means of secret police, Propaganda disseminated through the state-controlled mass media, personality cult, regulation and restriction of free discussion and criticism, single-party state, the use of mass surveillance, and widespread use of terror tactics.

Critics of the concept say that the term lacks explanatory power. They argue that governments which may be classified as totalitarian often lack characteristics said to be associated with the term. They may not be as monolithic as they appear from the outside, if they incorporate several groups, such as the army, political leaders, industrialists, which compete for power and influence. In this sense, these regimes may exhibit pluralism through the involvement of several groups in the political process.

Answer 2

Generally speaking, a totalitarian government is one that has total power over its citizens. Such a regime can have several names, ranging from fascism, to an absolute monarchy, an oligarchy or a communist Dictatorship.

These terms do not always fit each case, but are representative of totalitarianism.

Other characteristics of a totalitarian regime are one party rule, the denial of free speech, persecution of any groups attempting to bring about some freedoms, and general cruelty and disregard of human rights.

Answer 3

The state controls all aspects of society.

Answer 3

A totalitarian society, such as Hitler's Germany and Stalinist Russia, is one in which the state controls all aspects of life and the state usually has ubuquitous authoritative power over the nation.

Answer 4

Totalitarianism is a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority, and works to regulate every aspect of public and private life.

Totalitarianism emerged in the twentieth century because the means for total social control did not exist before that time. These systems moved beyond authoritarian control. They attempted to mould citizens into a certain desirable type, whether they be proletarian labourer or pure Aryan (as in the case of Stalin's Russia, and Hitlers Germany).

The use of State ideology, secret police, state controlled media, freedom of movement and a single party state are tools of a Totalitarian state.

Answer 5

The two main things of a totalitarian government are that:

1. There is no opposition - There were no other political parties than the main government party.
2. The government regulates as much of life as possible - The state controls freedom, will, and nearly all aspects of public and private life.

The best example of a totalitarian government is the government under the Nazi regime during WWII. Hitler was a dictator; he had total command. Hitler ran a totalitarian government. The Nazi government ruled almost every aspect of life.

Answer 6

When the government has complete control; one point of view.

Answer 7

A totalitarian state is one where no opposition to the ruling party is tolerated.