Absolutism

In Politics. A government in which public power is vested in some person or persons, unchecked and uncontrolled by any law or institution. The word was first used at the beginning of this century, in Spain, where one who was in favor of the absolute power of the king, and opposed to the constitutional system introduced by the Cortes during the struggle with the French, was called absolutista. The term Absolutist spread over Europe, and was applied exclusively to absolute monarchies; but absolute power may exist in an aristocracy and in a democracy as well. Dr. Lieber uses in his works the term Absolute Democracy for that government in which the public power rests unchecked in the multitude (practically speaking, in the majority).