Principles of Management CLEP Practice Exam 2025 – Your Comprehensive All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

Authoritarianism in a social context is characterized by strict obedience to authority, often enforced through oppressive means. This form of governance or social organization prioritizes the power and control of leaders over the individual freedoms or rights of the populace. In an authoritarian system, decisions are made by a central authority without consent or input from those affected. This leads to limited political pluralism and restricted civil liberties, where dissent is often punished and the general population lacks the means to influence governance.

The other choices reflect significantly different ideologies. A strong focus on group collaboration suggests a more democratic or participative approach, which is contrary to authoritarian principles. Similarly, the promotion of individual freedoms and rights contradicts the authoritarian ethos, which tends to suppress personal liberties in favor of centralized control. Finally, a democratic approach to decision-making directly opposes authoritarianism, as it involves the participation and consent of the governed. Each of these options highlights aspects of governance that are fundamentally opposed to the authoritarian model, reinforcing why option B is the accurate representation of authoritarianism in a social context.