totalitarian

Totalitarianism is a political system characterized by the state's attempt to regulate nearly all aspects of public and private life under an official ideology and a centralized authority. Totalitarian regimes seek to subordinate individual interests to the aims of the state and to mobilize society through mass organizations, propaganda, and coercion.

Key features commonly cited include a single ruling party or elite; an all-encompassing state ideology; a dominant leader or leadership cult; extensive police and surveillance apparatus; systematic political repression and censorship; control over the economy and key resources; state-directed education, media, and culture; and organized mass participation, including youth movements, to maintain mobilization and loyalty.

In contrast with authoritarian regimes, which primarily seek political control and may tolerate limited social difference, totalitarian systems attempt to transform society according to a comprehensive doctrine, often through planned economy, widespread propaganda, and an atmosphere of coercion designed to suppress dissent.

The term originated in the early 20th century and was long associated with fascist and Stalinist regimes. It is often used to describe Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union under Stalin, and other regimes that pursued totalizing visions. Some scholars debate the applicability of the label to different historical contexts or to contemporary states, and there is discussion about how much pluralism can exist under such systems.

Totalitarianism is frequently linked to severe rights infringements, restricted civil liberties, and the suppression of independent institutions. Critics argue that the concept can be overstretched, while supporters point to the combination of ideology, coercion, and mobilization as its defining core.