Review the characteristics of totalitarianism in this interactivity and your reading. Choose one trait illustrated here and compare it to a democracy. Is there any similar trait in a democracy? What are the differences?

Totalitarianism is a form of political organization in which the state controls every aspect of people's lives: from the political views they hold, to the people they can vote for, to even the way they dress, or the art they like.

The classic example of a totalitarian state in Nazi Germany. In literature, there is also a famous example in the novel 1984, by George Orwell, where a totalitarian government, led by a mysterious figure named "Big Brother" controls even the thoughts of the protagonist.

Democracy is very different from totalitarianism, however, one thing that both systems share is the tendency to overvalue the opinion of the majority of people, over the opinion of the minority. This is why it is important for a democracy to promote pluralism, and to protect the rights of minorities to express their ideas, opinions, and culture.