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'''Fascism''' is a political system that believes that the nation is more important then any individual. A dictator rules the nation and imposes economic and social regimentation. It is often an autocratic system that has a militarized government backed up by popular militias. Special salutes to the dictator are also common. Equally common in Fascist societies is strict information control, such as the "people's radio" in Nazi Germany which delivered only one channel of propaganda, 24/7. Allowing only information which supports the state is a common means of fascist control.

'''Fascism''' is a political ideology of the extreme Right that emerged in early twentieth-century Europe. Though there is no universally agreed definition of what constitutes fascism, its characteristics include governmental [[authoritarianism]], exaltation of the [[State]], extreme [[nationalism]], social and religious conservatism, and a [[corporatist]] economic policy.

 

The prototypical fascist regime was that of [[Benito Mussolini]], who ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943. Other regimes which included fascist elements are those of [[Francisco Franco]] in Spain (1936-1975), [[Antonio Salazar]] in Portugal (1932-1968) and [[Augusto Pinochet]] in Chile (1973-1990). German [[Nazism]] has many similarities to fascism, though the extent to which it can be assimilated to fascism continues to be a matter of debate.

 

Though fascism is generally considered to be an ideology of the extreme right, it has important differences from conventional [[conservatism]]: for example, fascists reject free-market capitalism in favor of state-sponsored corporatism. While fascists and conservatives have co-operated in some countries, conservatives have clamped down on fascist movements in others (witness the fate of the Iron Guard in Romania, and Salazar's opposition to the National Syndicalists in Portugal).

 

Fascism was comprehensively discredited in the eyes of most Westerners by the defeat of the [[Axis]] powers in [[World War II]], and "fascist" is today frequently used as a term of abuse against one's political opponents. While few people are willing to describe themselves as fascists or endorse the fascist regimes of the past, fascism continues to be a minor but significant force in European politics.

The name "fascism" derives from an ancient Roman symbol, the ''[[fasces]],'' a group of birch rods bundled together with an axe. It symbolizes strength in unity; the rods are weak by themselves but strong when bundled together.

The name "fascism" derives from an ancient Roman symbol, the ''[[fasces]],'' a group of birch rods bundled together with an axe. It symbolizes strength in unity; the rods are weak by themselves but strong when bundled together.