Felgenhauer says decisions about such matters in Russia are made behind closed doors and are not always fully thought through, which he characterizes as a feature of authoritarian regimes.

VOA: standard.2009.03.20

The fact there is no clear-cut front-runner, as is the norm in more stagnant, authoritarian states nearby, has led many voters to seize their chance to make a difference.

VOA: standard.2010.03.07

Weber said the report recommends fighting poverty and using U.S.political and economic leverage with authoritarian governments to promote democratic reforms and create a middle class and a civil society.

VOA: standard.2009.04.24

There are all sorts of security problems. And then there are problems that we in the West would perhaps regard as a little less legitimate, like the simple desire of authoritarian governments to keep tabs on what their people are thinking and doing.

VOA: standard.2010.08.11