When people don't get to choose their leaders
The nutshell
In some countries, people cannot freely choose who runs the country. One person, or one party, holds all the power, and a free vote cannot remove the people in charge.
Every fact on this page comes from neutral reference works and official records. Each source tag — like EB — opens where a fact comes from.
The basics
What a dictatorship is
In a democracy, voters choose the people who run the country, and a free vote can remove a government that most voters no longer want. A dictatorship works the other way. Encyclopaedia Britannica describes a dictatorship as a form of government where one person, or a small group, holds absolute power with no real limit.EB
What a one-party state is
A political party is a team that wants to run the country. In a one-party state, only one party is allowed to hold power. Encyclopaedia Britannica says rival parties are banned or cannot really win, and lists North Korea, China, Eritrea and Cuba as examples.EB
What the shared rules say
In 1948 the countries of the United Nations agreed a shared standard. It says the power of a government should come from the will of the people, shown in genuine, regular elections held by secret vote.UN A dictatorship or one-party state does not meet that standard, because voters cannot freely pick or remove the people in charge.
How this is tracked
Each year the UK government publishes a Human Rights and Democracy report on GOV.UK. It lists the countries where people face the biggest problems with human rights or free elections.GOV
- Encyclopaedia Britannica records that some rulers have used one-party systems to unify a country and reduce divisions between different groups
- With rival parties banned or unable to win, one ruling party can set a single national plan without a rival party voting it down (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- Encyclopaedia Britannica notes that genuine political conflict is usually not tolerated in these systems, so the ruling party's plan is rarely challenged from outside
- The United Nations says a government's power should rest on the will of the people, shown in genuine, regular elections, a standard a dictatorship or one-party state does not meet
- Encyclopaedia Britannica records that one-party states are often criticised for poor human rights records and for slow economic progress
- Encyclopaedia Britannica records that dictators often gain power by force or fraud and hold on to it by suppressing people's freedoms
The deep end6 min
Dictatorship and one-party state are not the same thing
The two ideas overlap, but each describes something different. Encyclopaedia Britannica defines a dictatorship by where power sits — one person, or a small group, holding absolute power without real limits, often kept in place by controlling the press and by force or fraud.EB A one-party state is defined by the rules on parties. A single party controls the government, by law or in practice, and rival parties are banned or cannot win.EB A country can be both at once, and many are.
The reasons given, and the criticisms
Encyclopaedia Britannica records that one-party rule has sometimes been defended as a way to unify a country and reduce divisions between rival groups. The same reference records that one-party states are often criticised for poor human rights records and for slow economic progress.EB The stated reason and the criticism sit side by side in the neutral record.
Why free elections are the test
The United Nations standard is that a government's power should rest on the will of the people, shown in genuine, regular elections by secret vote.UN A genuine election needs a real choice between candidates, a secret ballot, and a fair count. A vote with only one party, or one approved name, does not pass that test.
How the UK keeps a record
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office publishes a Human Rights and Democracy report on GOV.UK each year. It assesses human rights and democracy around the world and names a list of priority countries where the challenges are greatest.GOV The list changes over time as conditions in each country change.