Authoritarian-style governments come in different forms and apply varying amounts of violence when enforcing their rule. People who live with democratic governments often do not understand why people agree to live in an authoritarian state, forgetting that in reality the authoritarian form of government is the oldest form of government on earth. A dictatorial government is a type of authoritarian government that attracts the world's attention primarily because of the extreme violence used to control its citizens. This article will examine authoritarianism; why humans put up with it; paranoid, narcissistic and charismatic personality traits; and highlight Idi Amin Dada as a case in point. Tendency to favor authoritarianism In his book International Politics on the World Stage John T. Rourke (2008) states that governments range from rigid authoritarianism at one end of the spectrum to completely unrestricted democracy at the other end (p . 78). His definition of authoritarian-style government is a “political system that allows little or no participation in decision-making by individuals and groups outside the top levels of government” (p. G-1). Those of us who live in a country that has a democratic government may have difficulty understanding why people who live in countries with authoritarian governments don't rebel and change their system of government, but in reality a truly democratic system of government is a relatively new concept system in the age of man. Rourke (2008) points out that the most common form of government throughout human history has been authoritarian; Leaders were an individual or group of people who exercised control. The people governed by these leaders had little opportunity to contribute to...... middle of paper .......about.com/od/leadership/f/autocratic-leadership.htmBoddy-Evans, A. (2003 ). Biography: Idi Amin Dada. At About.com online. Retrieved from http://africanhistory.about.com/od/biography/a/bio_amin.htmDavison, G.D., Neale, J.M., & Kring, A.M. (2004) Abnormal Psychology (9th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Orizio, R. (2004). Speeches of the Devil: Encounters with Seven Dictators (4th ed.). (A. Bardoni trans. 2003). New York, NY: Walker & Company. (Original work published 2002). Post, J. M. (2004). Leaders and their followers in a dangerous world: The psychology of political behavior. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University PressRourke, J. T. (2008). International politics on the world stage. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Somit, A. & Peterson, S. A. (1997). Darwinism, dominance and democracy: the biological bases of authoritarianism. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press