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Police State

Definition

A police state is a totalitarian regime where the government exercises rigid control over its citizens' lives through pervasive surveillance, secret police forces, censorship and other forms of state control.

Related terms

Totalitarianism: A system where there is absolute centralization of power in an autocratic authority with no tolerance for political pluralism or independent media.

Surveillance State: A country where the government engages in extensive monitoring or tracking its citizens' activities for controlling or influencing the society.

Censorship: The suppression of speech, public communication, or other information on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, politically incorrect or "inconvenient" as determined by a government.

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AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.