Definition

A system of government where power is concentrated in a single leader or several elites (wealthy, corporations, businesses) and is not accountable to the people. It limits freedom, civil liberties, and political rights by suppressing opposition, controlling information, and often ignoring the democratic process. Auerbach, Micheal P. EBSCO.com, 2025

Characteristics

• Leadership – Seen as cold and non-nurturing.
• Focus – Strict obedience to authority without question.
• Control – Rigid rules and the use of fear to enforce them.
• Communication – One-way, rules are explained as “because I said so” and not open to negotiation. Source: National Institute of Health, 2022

Design (United States)

• The executive branch (president) controls and influences the legislative branch/congress (senate and house of representatives).
• The executive branch (president) controls and influences the judicial branch (supreme, federal, state and local courts).
• The executive branch heads forty seven agencies including fifteen executive departments (Cabinet). Departments include Agriculture, Attorney General, Commerce, Defense, Justice, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, Transportation, Treasury, and Veteran Affairs.
• The executive branch is supported by a chief of staff, white house council, office of the president, national security council, senior advisors, communications staff, secretary of state, and foreign affairs advisors.
• The executive branch influences legislation, judicial decisions, policies/programs, state and local governments, domestic and foreign policies, funding, debt, budget, military, economy, workforce, health,  education, corporations, media/press, freedom of speech, rule of law, federal agencies, law firms, and voting rights/regulations.
• The executive branch has direct control of funding appropriations and support for social safety net programs like housing (HUD), food stamps and nutrition (SNAP), women, infant, and children (WIC) social security,  supplemental social security (SSI), unemployment ins Medicare, Medicaid, Affordable Care Act (ACA), education (Head Start), education (Pell Grants), student loans, income tax credits (EITC), low income energy assistance programs (LIHEAP), temporary assistance for needy families (TANF), and children’s health insurance program (CHIP).

The control and influence that an authoritative government has on congress, cabinet agencies and heads, agencies, white house staff, institutions, and safety net programs is overwhelming.

In July 2025, Congress passed a budget bill that will erode the social safety net. The budget bill reduces access to and the benefits of food assistance and healthcare. The law cuts SNAP and Medicaid. Programs that the poor and homeless are highly dependent upon for survival. As a result, 15 million people will lose health insurance. Cuts in SNAP will affect every American receiving benefits from the programs because, over time, benefits are likely to decrease as a share of the typical coast of food for a family. Additionally, over five million people would be at risk of losing their SNAP benefits due to work requirements.

SNAP is the nation’s most effective anti-hunger program, providing benefits for one in eight (12.6 percent) Americans. In 2024, SNAP served an average of 41.7 million participants a month. It reduced food insecurity and lowers the odds of poor health and healthcare costs for children and caregivers. Medicaid provides health insurance for over 83 million low-income children and adults. Cuts to SNAP and Medicaid will significantly affect the poor and homeless. Source: Jones, Jordan, W. usda.gov, 2025  Source: kff.org, 2025

In passing the legislation proposed by the executive branch (president) and approved by Congress, have significantly weakened the social safety net intended to support the poor and homeless Americans who are facing economic insecurity.

An authoritarian system of government where power is concentrated in a single leader or several elites (wealthy, corporations, businesses) and is not accountable to the people. It limits freedom, civil liberties, and political rights by suppressing opposition, controlling  information, and often ignoring the democratic process.

Source: jointcenterforpoliticalandeconomicstudies.org, 2025

The impact of cutting social safety net programs for the poor and homeless suggests a blatant disregard for their health and safety. A government structure that gives a single individual the authority to dictate the fate of needy Americans is intolerable.