Regime
It refers to "an intermediate stratum between the government, which is responsible for day-to-day decision-making and can be changed relatively easily, and the state, which encompasses a complex bureaucracy tasked with a wide range of coercive and administrative functions.
While elections may occur in some authoritarian systems, they are frequently neither free nor fair, with outcomes manipulated to secure the dominance of the ruling elite and maintain their hold on power.
[13] For instance, Russia demonstrates characteristics of authoritarianism by holding elections, but these are heavily controlled, with significant restrictions placed on opposition parties and candidates, and media outlets operating under state influence.
Similarly, China exemplifies an authoritarian regime where the Communist Party maintains strict control over the political system, curtails civil liberties, and limits freedom of expression to ensure its dominance.
[16] In totalitarian regimes, the state exercises control over nearly every aspect of society, encompassing the economy, media, education, culture, and even the personal beliefs and values of individuals.
These governments often employ mass surveillance systems, utilizing advanced technology and networks of informants to monitor citizens and suppress any form of opposition.
A hallmark of such regimes is the use of state-sponsored terror, which includes tactics like imprisonment, torture, and forced disappearances, instilling fear to maintain authority and ensure compliance.
Similarly, Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler was a totalitarian regime that sought to control not only the state but also the cultural and social lives of its people, using terror and propaganda to maintain power.
This regime type plays a key role in managing and resolving disputes between community groups and businesses, often acting as a mediator to balance competing interests.
The primary focus is on reallocating resources to various groups or areas of a city that are most in need, including ethnic minorities, economically disadvantaged populations, and neighborhoods affected by gentrification.
This governance model seeks to strike a balance between advocating for "the little guy" and maintaining a sustainable and equitable investment environment, fostering long-term community resilience.
These regimes actively encourage and provide state assistance to small enterprises, often establishing state-operated venture capital programs to stimulate entrepreneurship and foster new business development.
Demand-side regimes frequently arise when progressive policies align with governmental initiatives to empower small business owners and promote community-based economic activities.
[35] This matrix includes factors such as consensus, participation, access, responsiveness, majority rule, parliamentary sovereignty, party government, pluralism, federalism, presidentialism, and checks and balances, offering a more comprehensive framework to evaluate democratic practices.
[36] V-Dem relies on country experts who provide subjective ratings for these latent regime characteristics over time, contributing to one of the most comprehensive data sources on democracy worldwide.
