Compare And Contrast The Power Of Presidents And Dictators

While both offices hold immense political power, dictators and presidents rule very differently. Presidents primarily use persuasion while dictators use force to get their policies across. Presidents are elected, which promotes democratic freedom. On the other hand, dictators usually take power by overthrowing the preceding government. The president is the elected leader of a republic. The president of any country has limits to their power. These limits come from the people as well as a constitution or written law that outlines what they can and cannot do. In regard to America’s government, the president cannot declare war or make laws singlehandedly. He or she would need assistance from the other branches of government, the legislature, the judiciary or both. This system of checks
Dictators have complete power and they are not bound by laws. In most cases, dictators eliminate all of their political opponents, including the existing government, usually by violent means. This means that the people did not give the dictator permission to rule the country. Most often, the dictator will not answer to the people and will instead rule with an iron fist. Idi Amin Dada was one of the worst dictators in the twentieth century. In the seventies, Amin overthrew the existing government and declared himself the new president of Uganda. During his reign, Amin launched genocide of tribes within Uganda, exiled Asians, and violently eliminated anyone who spoke out in protest against his regime. He did all of this despite his promise to Ugandans to give power back to the people. Amin had very loyal followers as well. His charisma compelled everyone to do as he said, and he also used fear. As a result, no one dared to protest what Amin was doing. Dictators may say that they plan to give their people more freedom, but they use this excuse to justify the atrocities and violations of human rights that they