Lesson 2: The Will of the People

5. Conclusion

Liberal democracies walk a fine line between achieving the will of the people and rejecting liberal values to protect society against threats like terrorism. By contrast, authoritarian governments typically do not bother with the will of the people or individual rights and freedoms. Authoritarian political systems are more concerned with obedience to those in power and their ideology.

Remember which way power flows in an authoritarian political system compared to liberal democratic systems. Examine the diagram below: