Question

These speakers are debating the form of government their country should take:

Speaker 1: the government must have absolute power to enact whatever policies are needed to make the country safe and stable.
Speaker 2: all government oppress their people; there should be no government at all.
Speaker 3: the government should be fairly powerful, as long as its powers are clearly laid out in a governing document.
Speaker 4: no government should have more power than our most respected religious leaders.

Which speaker is advocating for an authoritarian government in the country?

Answer 1

Speaker 1

Step-by-step explanation:

Speaker 1 argues that the government should have total control over the people's lives, which is the point of authoritarian governments.

Definition of Authoritarian Government

Authoritarian government is the opposite of political plurality.

• Political plurality is defined as the belief that different political views should coexist peacefully within one government.

Authoritarians believe that the government should be comprised of one party and have complete control. This means that there is only one acceptable political view.

Since the government has complete control, it has the ability to enact any policy or law. Authoritarians argue that this creates a safer country with less conflict. In an authoritarian government, the citizens must give up all personal freedom.

Examples of Authoritarianism

The most famous instance of authoritarianism is the Nazi regime led by Hitler. Hitler led Germany with complete power. He enacted any and all policies he believed would "benefit" his country. He was trying to keep his country safe from outside influence. Additionally, Hitler enacted policies that helped the military continue its conquest of European countries. However, like all examples of authoritarianism, he created an extremely dangerous country where people were killed for straying from the government's ideology.