A system of government where one person or one nation has complete power and total independence, ruling themselves without outside interference.
From Greek autos 'self' + arkhia 'rule' or archein 'to rule.' The term gained prominence in 1930s Europe when fascist regimes claimed they wanted economic and political independence.
Autarchy became the preferred spelling among political theorists, while autarky (with a 'y') is more common in economics—same concept, different domains and spellings battling for supremacy.
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