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A civilian dictatorship[1] is a form of government different from military dictatorships where the ruling dictator does not derive their power from the military. Among civilian dictatorships, dominant-party dictatorships tend to outlast personalistic dictatorships.[2]
This chapter investigates different types of dictatorships and discusses several useful typologies. In particular, it identifies "support coalitions" as one way to distinguish among dictatorships, which leads to three main types: monarchies, military dictatorships and civilian dictatorships. These types vary not only in terms of their "support coalitions" but also in regard to their durability. Monarchies are the most stable, and military dictatorships are the least durable. Among civilian dictatorships, dominant-party dictatorships tend to outlast personalistic dictatorships.