Dictator

Dictator was the title of a magistrate in ancient Rome appointed by the Senate to rule the state in times of emergency. In modern usage, it refers to an absolutist or autocratic ruler who assumes sole power over the state (though the term is normally not applied to an absolute monarch; see also Oliver Cromwell).

A Game theoretical note

In game theory and social choice theory, the notion of a dictator is formally defined as a person that can achieve any feasible social outcome he wishes. The formal definition yealds an interesting distinction between two different types of dictators.

Related Topics:
Game theory - Social choice

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• The strong dictator has, for any social goal he has in mind (e.g. raise taxes, having someone killed, etc.), a definite way of achieving that goal. This can be seen as having explicit absolute power, like Franco in spain.
• The weak dictator has, for any social goal he has in mind, and for any political scenario, a course of action that would bring about the desired goal. For the weak dictator, it is usually not enough to "give her orders", rather she has to manipulate the political scene appropriately. This means that the weak dictator might actually be lurking in the shadows, working within a political setup that seems to be non-dictatorial. An example of such a figure is Lorenzo the Magnificent, who controlled Renaissance Florence.

Note that these definitions disregard some alleged dictators, e.g. Benito Mussolini, who are not interested in the actual achieving of social goals, as much as in propaganda and controlling public opinion. Monarchs and military dictators are also excluded from these definitions, because their rule relies on the consent of other political powers (the barons or the army).

Related Topics:
Benito Mussolini - Propaganda - Monarch - Military dictators - Barons - Army

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