Which concept denotes ultimate authority concentrated in a single individual?

Which concept denotes ultimate authority concentrated in a single individual?

• A. Democracy
• B. Power
• C. Authoritarianism
• D. Legitimate

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is centralized control in one person. When ultimate authority rests with a single leader or a very small inner circle, with little to no meaningful constraints from elections, parties, or other institutions, that setup is authoritarianism. In such systems, decisions come from the top, opposition is limited or suppressed, and checks on power are weak or absent. This is different from democracy, where power is distributed across institutions and citizens have real means to participate and change leaders through elections. Power is a broad term for the ability to influence or control, but it doesn’t specify who holds it or how it’s checked. Legitimate refers to whether authority is accepted as rightful, not to how concentrated that authority is.

The main idea here is centralized control in one person. When ultimate authority rests with a single leader or a very small inner circle, with little to no meaningful constraints from elections, parties, or other institutions, that setup is authoritarianism. In such systems, decisions come from the top, opposition is limited or suppressed, and checks on power are weak or absent. This is different from democracy, where power is distributed across institutions and citizens have real means to participate and change leaders through elections. Power is a broad term for the ability to influence or control, but it doesn’t specify who holds it or how it’s checked. Legitimate refers to whether authority is accepted as rightful, not to how concentrated that authority is.