Totalitarianism vs. authoritarianism
Democracy means freedom of the people in a nation to choose. The people have the power over the entire nation. It is up to the majority what the fate of the country will be. The exact opposite of this type of leadership in the government is the authoritarian and the totalitarian type of governance. This type of government has only one person or a group leading the entire nation. These two types of regime are like a dictatorship regime, but still these two has many differences.
First the authoritarian regime has a single power holder, either a single person who is the dictator or a committee or otherwise called a junta. The power in this kind of government is monopolized to one political power. Authoritarianism is more on the government rather than the society.
Totalitarianism on the other hand is just like authoritarianism only in an extreme manner. The social and economic aspects of the nation are no longer under government control.
There are still so many differences these two regimes have. To know and understand the differences between the two, it is better to know deeper each of the regimes.
For the totalitarian regime, the dictators or the one in power has a charisma over the people. The people are attracted to his prophetic leadership that drives them to do what the dictator orders. Examples of individuals who have rules using totalitarianism are Joseph Stalin of USSR, Benito Mussolini of Italy, and Adolf Hitler of Germany. There is a sense of connection between the ruler and the entire nation. In this way the dictator can rule the entire nation. There is a sense of ideology that the totalitarian shares with the people, making the people follow him. This makes the person in power more than just an individual but more likely a theological tyrant. This sense of being a divine being that leads takes away their appearance as a power hungry ruler.
Authoritarians on the other hand are more focused on the status quo and are driven by control. Examples of famous authoritarians are Idi Amin Dada of Uganda, Saddam Hussein of Iraq, and Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines. They see themselves as individual beings which make them prone to the appearance of being power hungry dictators. They impose their rule through fear and loyalty. They gain loyalty by rewarding those that collaborate with them. The power in an authoritarian government is centralized and concentrated to one authority; it represses the word of the people and all those who oppose it. To reach a certain goal, it uses political parties and mass organization to make the people do whatever it takes to reach that certain goal.
SUMMARY:
1.
An authoritarian regime has one ruler, a leader or a committee, the same as a totalitarian, only in an extreme way.
2.
The totalitarian has charisma over his people while the authoritarian imposes fear over those who oppose and rewards those that are loyal to him.
3.
The totalitarian is more of a divine ideologist who will save the people, while the authoritarian is focused more on control and status quo as an individualist.
4.
The totalitarian uses his prophetic leadership to drive the people, while the authoritarian uses political parties, mass organizations, and other propagandas to make the people follow him.