Can a Democracy and a Totalitarianism Coincide in one Society

Totalitarianism and Democracy

Can a democracy and a totalitarianism coincide in one society? Are the two governments similar, or will democracy fight against totalitarianism? Before any of this can be answered, one must first know the definitions and true differences that lie between the two.

Totalitarianism can be described as a system driven by an ideology, that seeks direction of all aspects of public activity, political, economic and social uses to that end. The national D-Day museum defines Totalitarianism as "a form of government that exercises complete political, economic, social, cultural, and spiritual control over its subjects. A charismatic leader, or dictator, who controls the one allowable political party, usually heads it. This form of rule requires complete subordination of the individual to advance the interests of the state. People are made dependent on the wishes and whims of the political party and its leader."

Arendt characterized totalitarianism as "one built upon terror and ideological fiction. Where older tyrannies had used terror as an instrument for attaining or sustaining power, modern totalitarian regimes exhibited little strategic rationality in their use of terror. Rather, terror was no longer a means to a political end, but an end in itself."

Arendt thought the biggest appeal of totalitarianism was their capacity to mobilize populations to do their bidding.

Nazi Germany was an example of a Fascist, totalitarian state. Its ideology included a racial theory that persecuted, and murdered "non-Aryans," particularly Jews. The use of secret organizations to repress conflict and terrorize opposition ensured complete compliance. Information and ideas were effectively spread out through government controlled propaganda campaigns using radio, the press, and education at all levels. Writers, speakers, actors, composers, and poets were licensed and controlled by the government. The controlled economy enabled the government to control its workers, making them dependent on the government.

The dictionary definition of democracy "is government by the people in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system." In the phrase of Abraham Lincoln, democracy is a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people.

"Majority rules" the majority of an organized group can make decisions binding on the whole group.

The national D-Day Museum describes Democracy as "a system of government in which ultimate political authority is vested in the people. Representatives elected by popular suffrage (voting) exercise the supreme authority. In democracies such as the United States, both the executive head of government (president) and the legislature (Senate and House of Representatives) are elected. The powers of government are based on the consent of the governed."

The benefits of a democracy is the freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of press, and the freedom to join any political party.

The differences of a Totalitarian and Democratic government can be easily seen by two major differences in the government systems. The Structure of power between the two governments is the biggest opposing factor. Totalitarianism believes in having one ideology, one political party and one dictator to control political, economic, social, cultural and spiritual aspects of societies lives. A Democracy believes in having a multiple ideologies (which are stated in the Constitution), having multiple political parties, and having leadership spread among three different branches: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. Another difference