Many ancient non-[[monarchial]] systems were effectively dictatorships, often under wartime conditions where a leader could fight an enemy with unchallenged power. The term is usually heard in it's modern context, where [[democracy]] and checks on power (a Council of Elders, such as the [[Senate]], [[House of Lords]], or judicial processes) exist as an alternative to absolute power by an [[Executive]]. | Many ancient non-[[monarchial]] systems were effectively dictatorships, often under wartime conditions where a leader could fight an enemy with unchallenged power. The term is usually heard in it's modern context, where [[democracy]] and checks on power (a Council of Elders, such as the [[Senate]], [[House of Lords]], or judicial processes) exist as an alternative to absolute power by an [[Executive]]. |