Authoritarian governments operate by concentrating power in the hands of a single leader or a small elite, suppressing dissent, and maintaining control over state institutions to eliminate opposition that favors or enforces strict obedience to authority, especially that of the government, at the expense of personal freedom. Instead of relying on the will of the people, they consolidate power through political repression and deception to preserve the political status quo. The authoritarian leader systematically dismantles or corrupts institutions designed to provide checks and balances, such as the judiciary, law enforcement, and central banks. By packing these bodies with loyalists, they turn them into tools for suppressing rivals rather than independent entities by manipulating information to shape public opinion and control the narrative. They utilize state-controlled or aligned media to disseminate propaganda, fabricate false grievances, and discredit their opponents. The goal is not just to promote a specific lie, but to undermine the public's trust in the very idea of objective truth. The Leader justifies expanding their own power by framing checks and balances as corrupt obstacles to the "popular will". They may rewrite constitutional rules to grant themselves more authority or ignore existing limits by ruling through decree. While modern authoritarian governments hold elections to maintain a facade of democratic legitimacy, they rig the system to guarantee a favorable outcome. This includes suppressing voter turnout among opponents, manipulating electoral rules, and using disinformation to influence voters and Opposition voices, including independent media, civil society organizations, activists, and whistleblowers, who are consistently suppressed. Tactics range from intimidation and harassment to imprisonment and violence. Leaders may use a "fake news" cry to delegitimize critical reporting, as authoritarian regimes have become more subtle, preferring manipulation and subversion over overt, violent repression. This has led to the rise of elected leaders who gradually erode democratic institutions from within, a process known as democratic backsliding. These "spin dictators" control the population by shaping their beliefs through information control rather than outright terror.