Developmental Authoritarianism
Growth now, democracy later. Maybe.
Developmental authoritarians put economic growth above everything else and run a strong, unelected or barely contested government to make it happen fast. Political freedom is put on hold for stability and long-term planning. Singapore and 1960s–70s South Korea are the classic examples.
What they'd say
You can't eat democracy.
Stability first, prosperity next.
Plan for the next generation, not the next election.
Its 12-axis profile
Where it gets messy
For every authoritarian success story, there are many authoritarian regimes that stayed poor. And democracies like Japan and Botswana grew fast too.
Names to know
- Lee Kuan Yew
- Park Chung-hee
- Chalmers Johnson (who studies it)
Its squad
Countries that think like this
These countries and regimes have Developmental Authoritarianism as their closest match out of all 46 types.
SingaporeIs Developmental Authoritarianism your type?
Answer 60 quick questions and find out which of the 46 types you really are, plus the country that thinks most like you.
How this works: every ideology sits at a typical spot on the 12 axes, set by us, not copied from anywhere. Match percentages are 100 minus the average gap across all 12 axes. Countries are listed when this is the type closest to their own 12-axis profile.