IAF Words

WATCH “If America Fails?” Season Premiere
“American Democracy Under Siege:
The Color of Autocracy”
with
Author Jared Yates Sexton
January 13, 2022
on the
TruthWorks Network YouTube Channel

Political and Economic Definitions for An America in Decline

Accelerationism–

In political and social theory, accelerationism is the idea that capitalism, or some processes associated with it, and technological change should be (or is) “accelerated” and drastically intensified to create radical social change. Sometimes, and often in a pejorative sense, it may refer to the theory that the end of capitalism should be brought about by its acceleration.

Anocracy–

Anocracy or semi-democracy is a form of government that is loosely defined as part democracy and part dictatorship, or as a “regime that mixes democratic with autocratic features.” Another definition classifies anocracy as “a regime that permits some means of participation through opposition group behavior but that has incomplete development of mechanisms to redress grievances.” The term “semi-democratic” is reserved for stable regimes that combine democratic and authoritarian elements. Scholars have also distinguished anocracies from autocracies and democracies in their capability to maintain authority, political dynamics, and policy agendas. Similarly, the regimes have democratic institutions that allow for nominal amounts of competition.

Authoritarianism –

The enforcement or advocacy of strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom; lack of concern for the wishes or opinions of others.

Autocracy –

A system of government by one person with absolute power.

Capitalism –

An economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.

Communism –

A political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs.

Democracy –

A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.

Democratic Socialism –

A socialist economy in which the means of production are socially and collectively owned or controlled, alongside a democratic political system of government.

Domestic Terrorism –

Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature.

Fascism –

A form of far-right, authoritarian ultranationalism characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, and strong regimentation of society and of the economy, which came to prominence in early 20th-century Europe.

Hierarchy –

A system or organization in which people or groups are ranked one above the other according to status or authority.

Hypercapitalism –

Hypercapitalism is a term used by Marxist scholars, in their continuing critique of political economy, to depict a relatively new form of capitalistic social organization marked by the speed and intensity of global flows that include exchange of both material and immaterial goods, people, and information.

Kleptocracy –

Government by those who seek chiefly status and personal gain at the expense of the governed.

Liberalism –

A political and social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise.

Monarchism –

Support for the principle of having monarchs.

Neo-Liberalism –

An approach to development that heralds the free market as the best way to initiate and sustain economic development, such that typical policy responses involve removing the influence of the state in the domestic economy and external markets.

Oligarchy –

A small group of people having control of a country, organization, or institution.

Privatization –

The transfer of a business, industry, or service from public to private ownership and control.

Repression –

The action of subduing someone or something by force.

Republic –

A form of government in which a state is ruled by representatives of the citizen body.

Revolution –

A forcible overthrow of a government or social order, in favor of a new system.

Simulacrum –

A representation of someone or something.  (For example, the appearance of democracy).

Social Democracy –

A socialist system of government achieved by democratic means.

Socialism –

A political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.

Theocracy –

A system of government in which priests rule in the name of God or a god.

Totalitarianism –

A system of government that is centralized and dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the state.

Tyranny –

The cruel, unreasonable, or arbitrary use of power or control.

“If America Fails?” Livestreams
Thursdays, January 13 to April 7, 2022, 8 pm ET
on the
TruthWorks Network YouTube Channel