Tyranny is a cruel and oppressive government or rule. The American colonies wrote the Declaration of Independence to decry British tyranny. Then colonists fought the Revolutionary War to throw off the bonds of British tyranny. After Independence the United States wrote the Constitution to ensure it would never again be ruled by a tyrant. The Constitution included separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, free and fair elections, and civil liberties in order to keep tyranny at bay. Tyranny is a form of autocracy - a system of government by one person with absolute power. Synonyms for tyranny include: absolutism, totalitarianism, dictatorship, despotism, tyranny, monocracy, autarchy. An enlightened, educated, and active public is the best challenge to an autocracy. Yikes.
