A meeting of the Russian State Duma
Authoritarianism is a form of government characterized by strong central power and limited political freedoms, with leaders not being held accountable to a constitution and citizens subordinating their freedoms to the state. According to Juan Linz, authoritarianism is characterized by limited political pluralism, the identification of the regime as a "necessary evil" to fight problems such as underdevelopment or insurgency, minimal social mobilization, and vague and shifting powers.