Totalitarianism is a form of government that seeks to subordinate all aspects of individual life to the authority of the state, theoretically permitting no individual freedom. Totalitarian regimes are distinguished from authoritarian regimes in that totalitarianism represents an extreme version of authoritarianism. In authoritarianism, social and economic institutions exist that are not under governmental control, whereas in totalitarianism, the government exerts a domineering level of control over the population.

Key characteristics of totalitarianism include:

• Absolute control: Totalitarian governments control nearly every aspect of their citizens public and private lives. The government has complete power, while the countrys citizens have little to no power, control, or freedom.

• Oppression: Totalitarianism is considered an oppressive method of ruling a nation. It has several elements in common with Nazism and Stalinism.

• Propaganda: Totalitarian regimes employ all-encompassing campaigns in which propaganda is broadcast by state-controlled mass media in order to control the citizenry.

Examples of totalitarian states include Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler, the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin, the People’s Republic of China under Mao Zedong, and North Korea under the Kim dynasty. As of early 2022, the countries of Afghanistan, Eritrea, North Korea, and Turkmenistan are the only nations in the world whose governments are generally considered to be totalitarian dictatorships.

It is important to note that there is much confusion about what is meant by totalitarian in the literature, including the denial that such systems even exist.