As distinguished from democracy or constitutional form of government, dictatorship, both ancient and modem, possesses some characteristic features. They are as follows:
It is a crisis product: All kinds of dictatorships are products of crisis, whether it is due to constitutional, political, social, economic or religious reasons. Inability of the democracy to function properly and internal weakness are undoubtedly the main causes of the establishment of the modem dictatorial rule. In ancient Rome, one-man despotism was set up to overcome some irresolvable crisis or emergency. But most of the modem dictatorships arise during a national crisis which a strong man, a military leader, or a leader of a political party or clique or group believes he can resolve successfully. Once in power, the dictator continues to stick to power till death or when overthrown-by a new dictator or by the people revolting against him as they did against Ayyub Khan in Pakistan in 1969, or against Marcos in Philippines in 1987 or against Ne- Win in Burma in 1988 or against many communist dictatorships in Eastern Hurope during 1989-90.,
Arbitrary exercise of power: Dictatorship is characterised by arbitrary exercise of power. Every dictator acquires absolute and exclusive monopoly of power. In some cases, a dictator may share power with other leaders of the party or elite group which has put him Into power. But this is often at initial stage. Once firmly in power, he usually gets rid of his collaborator or collaborators in one way or the other.
Aggressive and dynamic methods of decision-making: Decisions and policies in dictatorship are very aggressively and dynamically implemented. This is, really, one of the reasons why dictatorship is often more successful than democracy; but only for a few years. Employment of despotic methods of political and nodal control: Dictators employ force, terror or intimidation and propaganda to make people obey their decisions, laws and policies. Political purties are banned; newspapers are suppressed; and civil liberties or fundamental rights are done away with.
Abolition of constitutional or legal basis of political power: By its very nature, dictatorship means a system of government which has acquired power by unconstitutional and illegal methods. The first thing a dictator does is to abolish the constitution or to restrict its npplication. Sometimes, he issues a new constitution of his own devising so as to legalise his rule. The abolition of the constitutional or legal system is one reason why succession is not easy or peaceful under a dictatorship. What is more, a dictatorship can be put to an end by violence or revolution.
In other words, dictatorship often comes to power through bloodshed and can be got rid of by further bloodshed.