Dictator / dictatorship
U.S. Naturalization Test (2025 Standard) glossary · Course Foundations
Definition
One ruler with unlimited power - what checks and balances prevent.
Dictator / dictatorship in plain English
A dictator is a single ruler who holds unlimited power, and a dictatorship is a country run that way — no real elections, no independent courts, no one able to say "no" to the ruler. Picture a group project where one person makes every decision and no one else gets a vote; that's the danger the U.S. system was built to avoid. This is exactly why America splits power among three branches (Congress, the President, the courts) with "checks and balances" — so no single person can grab total control. Understanding this helps you see why so many civics answers stress limited government and the rule of law.
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