Understanding Modern Power Dynamics in Fictional Contexts
a. Definition: Centralized authority, loyalty networks, and coercive control define authoritarian regimes, where power is concentrated in a single leader supported by a web of enforced allegiance. Such systems rely on myth-making, fear, and symbolic violence to sustain legitimacy—mechanisms deeply embedded in fictional worlds to mirror real-world political structures. These narratives reveal how charismatic yet tyrannical leaders manipulate perception, shaping collective identity through ritualized dominance.