--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No authoritarian leader cedes power…" description: "\"No authoritarian leader cedes power easily or turns it over to bodies he cannot control.\" — Stephen Kinzer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a9/stephen-kinzer-2514_authoritarian_no-authoritarian-leader-cedes-power-easi_786335.jpg" --- # No authoritarian leader cedes power easily or turns it… ![“No authoritarian leader cedes power easily or turns it over to bodies he cannot control.” quote by Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a9/stephen-kinzer-2514_authoritarian_no-authoritarian-leader-cedes-power-easi_786335.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a9/stephen-kinzer-2514_authoritarian_no-authoritarian-leader-cedes-power-easi_786335.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a9/stephen-kinzer-2514_authoritarian_no-authoritarian-leader-cedes-power-easi_786335.jpg) > “No authoritarian leader cedes power easily or turns it over to bodies he cannot control.” [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Power is rarely relinquished willingly; leaders cling to control and resist ceding authority to independent bodies. **In simple terms:** Leaders rarely give up power easily. Key Takeaway Question authority, protect autonomy. Themes politics authority control leadership Mood critical analytical Type political commentary When to use this quote - political reform - activism - institutional checks - civil society engagement Key Concepts Power dynamics authoritarianism governance Questions to Reflect On - How can institutions incentivize leaders to share power? - What safeguards prevent power concentration? A Different Perspective Power can be entrenched through legal and cultural mechanisms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authoritarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarian/) [Authoritarian Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarian-leader-4005697/) [Bodies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bodies/) [Bodies Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bodies-control-303876/) [Cannot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cannot/) [Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) [Easily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easily/) [He](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/he/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leader Cedes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader-cedes-6049329/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Over](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/over/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) ## Related quotes > [The one source of criticism even the most repressive authoritarian leader cannot silence is the outside world. Autocrats are usually thin-skinned and like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrystia-freeland/the-one-source-of-criticism-even-the-most-repressive-authoritarian/) [Chrystia Freeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrystia-freeland/) > [There's this notion of women's bodies being out of control - so out of control that men don't understand it at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-abbott/there-s-this-notion-of-women-s-bodies-being-out-of-control-so-out-of/) [Megan Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-abbott/) > [In Russia an authoritarian leader is running the country. You can't fight Putin with elections because he controls them. That's why demonstrations are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/in-russia-an-authoritarian-leader-is-running-the-country-you-can-t/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [In order to live a fully human life we require not only control of our bodies (though control is a prerequisite); we must touch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/in-order-to-live-a-fully-human-life-we-require-not-only-control-of/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [I am the first authoritarian government elected to become a dictator and then resigning as a dictator. 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Coward nations always live under the authoritarian regimes!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/democracy-can-exist-only-in-the-countries-where-people-are-brave/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“If you care about other people, that's now a very dangerous idea. If you care about other people, you might try to organize to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-care-about-other-people-that-s-now-a-very-dangerous-idea-if/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Cumulatively, American society is sliding toward a new form of 'authoritarian democracy'. Elections continue, free speech is generally protected, institutions operate in accordance with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-a-falk/cumulatively-american-society-is-sliding-toward-a-new-form-of/) [Richard A. Falk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-a-falk/) > [We very clearly do not want an authoritarian regime... setting standards in the world marketplace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ratcliffe/we-very-clearly-do-not-want-an-authoritarian-regime-setting-standards/) [John Ratcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ratcliffe/) > [Sometimes it's easier for people who are in authority to be authoritarian, because people know where you stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/sometimes-it-s-easier-for-people-who-are-in-authority-to-be/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) ## More by Stephen Kinzer > [It is truly vital for the United States to assure that it is not attacked with weapons of mass destruction; to prevent wars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-truly-vital-for-the-united-states-to-assure-that-it-is-not/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Because Iran understands Afghanistan far better than Americans do, making Iran a partner in a long-term effort to transform Afghan agriculture makes sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/because-iran-understands-afghanistan-far-better-than-americans-do/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Land ownership in Guatemala is more unequal than anywhere else in Latin America. Roughly 90 percent of Guatemalan farms are too small to support…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/land-ownership-in-guatemala-is-more-unequal-than-anywhere-else-in/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Honduras is strongly anti-Communist, maintains no diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union, and has provided vital support for United States-backed rebels fighting to overthrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/honduras-is-strongly-anti-communist-maintains-no-diplomatic-relations/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Any country that grants asylum to Snowden risks retaliation from the United States, including diplomatic isolation and costly trade sanctions. 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He summoned Ambassador Franks and told him that the United States resolutely opposed “the use of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/acheson-immediately-understood-the-urgency-of-this-message-he/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [During the 1980s, international interest in the Nicaraguan war was intense. No conflict since the Spanish civil war had provoked such passion around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/during-the-1980s-international-interest-in-the-nicaraguan-war-was/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [As long as Iran believes that its security will be increased by having a nuclear program, it's going to pursue its program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/as-long-as-iran-believes-that-its-security-will-be-increased-by/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Countries that control water are likely to be the big winners of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/countries-that-control-water-are-likely-to-be-the-big-winners-of-the/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [“It is a great tool of dictators and tyrants, who want to get masses of people to do what they want, to make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-a-great-tool-of-dictators-and-tyrants-who-want-to-get-masses-of/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [No offense to Iceland, but Latin America is where the fugitive leaker Edward Snowden should settle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/no-offense-to-iceland-but-latin-america-is-where-the-fugitive-leaker/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Castro has lived almost his entire life as a clandestine revolutionary. To such figures, truth is always malleable, always subservient to political goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/castro-has-lived-almost-his-entire-life-as-a-clandestine/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Latin America moved decisively away from military rule and toward civilian democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/during-the-late-1970s-and-early-1980s-latin-america-moved-decisively/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) [Explore all 163 Stephen Kinzer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) ## More Authoritarian quotes > [Sometimes it's easier for people who are in authority to be authoritarian, because people know where you stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/sometimes-it-s-easier-for-people-who-are-in-authority-to-be/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [We very clearly do not want an authoritarian regime... setting standards in the world marketplace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ratcliffe/we-very-clearly-do-not-want-an-authoritarian-regime-setting-standards/) [John Ratcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ratcliffe/) > [Cumulatively, American society is sliding toward a new form of 'authoritarian democracy'. Elections continue, free speech is generally protected, institutions operate in accordance with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-a-falk/cumulatively-american-society-is-sliding-toward-a-new-form-of/) [Richard A. Falk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-a-falk/) > [“If you care about other people, that's now a very dangerous idea. If you care about other people, you might try to organize to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-care-about-other-people-that-s-now-a-very-dangerous-idea-if/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“Democracy can exist only in the countries where people are brave! Coward nations always live under the authoritarian regimes!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/democracy-can-exist-only-in-the-countries-where-people-are-brave/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Even more than comparing society to a family, comparing it to a body makes an authoritarian ordering of society seem inevitable, immutable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/even-more-than-comparing-society-to-a-family-comparing-it-to-a-body/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [We are not and will never be an authoritarian regime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/we-are-not-and-will-never-be-an-authoritarian-regime/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [Why do economists fall in love with authoritarian governments?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasheng-huang/why-do-economists-fall-in-love-with-authoritarian-governments/) [Yasheng Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasheng-huang/) > [“Just as in the Trump-Giuliani Ukraine conspiracy, we saw a ruthless, single-minded obsession with staying in power; a manifest lack of moral values, shame,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-yovanovitch/just-as-in-the-trump-giuliani-ukraine-conspiracy-we-saw-a-ruthless/) [Marie Yovanovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-yovanovitch/) > [North Korea aside, most authoritarian governments have already accepted the growth of the Internet culture as inevitable; they have little choice but to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeny-morozov/north-korea-aside-most-authoritarian-governments-have-already/) [Evgeny Morozov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeny-morozov/) > [I am the first authoritarian government elected to become a dictator and then resigning as a dictator. So this is the first dictator in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/i-am-the-first-authoritarian-government-elected-to-become-a-dictator/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [There is an authoritarian strain in all of Leftism-- because the bigger the government, the more it controls other peoples' lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/there-is-an-authoritarian-strain-in-all-of-leftism-because-the-bigger/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [My position and the state will never allow me to become a dictator, but an authoritarian style of rule is characteristic of me, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-lukashenko/my-position-and-the-state-will-never-allow-me-to-become-a-dictator/) [Alexander Lukashenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-lukashenko/) > [You really don't create an authoritarian society unless you control the personal choices including the sexual choices of the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-hefner/you-really-don-t-create-an-authoritarian-society-unless-you-control/) [Hugh Hefner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-hefner/) > [The question is: Particularly in the post-9/11 era, are societies becoming more liberal or more authoritarian?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-question-is-particularly-in-the-post-9-11-era-are-societies/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) [Browse all 185 Authoritarian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarian/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No authoritarian leader cedes power easily or turns it over to bodies he cannot control.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen Kinzer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/no-authoritarian-leader-cedes-power-easily-or-turns-it-over-to-bodies/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Authoritarian" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/no-authoritarian-leader-cedes-power-easily-or-turns-it-over-to-bodies/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a9/stephen-kinzer-2514_authoritarian_no-authoritarian-leader-cedes-power-easi_786335.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a9/stephen-kinzer-2514_authoritarian_no-authoritarian-leader-cedes-power-easi_786335.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a9/stephen-kinzer-2514_authoritarian_no-authoritarian-leader-cedes-power-easi_786335.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“No authoritarian leader cedes power easily or turns it over to bodies he cannot control.” — Stephen Kinzer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Stephen Kinzer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "No authoritarian leader cedes power easily...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/no-authoritarian-leader-cedes-power-easily-or-turns-it-over-to-bodies/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/no-authoritarian-leader-cedes-power-easily-or-turns-it-over-to-bodies/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```