What is the Authors purpose?
An authoritarian government is one in which a strong central government limits political freedom to maintain direct control over the people. Typically, free speech is restricted and dissenters are often punished, exiled, or even killed. In an authoritarian government, the success of the nation is more important than individual rights; as a result, a strong sense of national pride is common as people willingly sacrifice their rights for the larger state. Free and fair elections are not a component of an authoritarian regime (if they are, the elections are often rigged and people's access to voting is severely restricted). Authoritarian governments are typically characterized by the rule of one person who rules until his death, then a son or advisor takes over. In this way they are similar to a monarchy. However, the main difference between the two rest in the control; monarchs typically provide more individual choice for their people, while authoritarian governments seek to control every aspect of the lives of their people.