Dictatorship vs. Theocracy — What's the Difference?

A dictatorship is a form of government characterized by a single leader or group of leaders and little or no toleration for political pluralism or independent media. According to other definitions, democracies are a form of government in which "those who govern are selected through periodically contested elections (in years)"; therefore, dictatorships are "not democracies,.".With the advent of the 19th and 20th centuries, dictatorships and constitutional democracies emerged as the world's two major forms of government, gradually eliminating monarchies with significant political power, the most widespread form of government in the pre-industrial era.

Theocracy is a form of government in which a deity of some type is recognized as the supreme ruling authority, giving divine guidance to human intermediaries that manage the day-to-day affairs of the government.The Imperial cult of ancient Rome identified Roman emperors and some members of their families with the divinely sanctioned authority (auctoritas) of the Roman State. The official offer of cultus to a living emperor acknowledged his office and rule as divinely approved and constitutional: his Principate should therefore demonstrate pious respect for traditional Republican deities and mores.

The office or tenure of a dictator.

Government ruled by or subject to religious authority.

A state or government under dictatorial rule.

A country or state governed in this way.

Absolute or despotic control or power.

Government under the control of a state religion.

A type of government where absolute sovereignty is allotted to an individual or a small clique.

Rule by a god.

A government which exercises autocratic rule.

Government of a state by the immediate direction or administration of God; hence, the exercise of political authority by priests as representing the Deity.

Any household, institution, or other organization that is run under such sovereignty or autocracy.

The state thus governed, as the Hebrew commonwealth before it became a kingdom.

The office, or the term of office, of a dictator; hence, absolute power.

A political unit governed by a deity (or by officials thought to be divinely guided)

A form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)

The belief in government by divine guidance