Which of the following best describes a dictatorship?

A dictatorship is best described as governance led by a leader with absolute power. In this political system, authority is concentrated in the hands of a single person or a small group, often without effective constitutional limitations. This concentration of power typically comes at the expense of democratic processes, such as free elections or checks and balances that are present in other forms of government.

In contrast, mutual agreement among elected officials points towards a democratic process where power is shared and decisions are made collectively. A political system controlled by multiple leaders suggests a form of governance with an element of collaboration or coalition, potentially resembling a democracy or oligarchy, where leadership is more distributed. Lastly, a system where the public decides on all laws indicates a direct democracy, which is fundamentally different from dictatorship as it emphasizes broad public participation and control over legislation, rather than concentrating power in a single leader.

Thus, the definition of a dictatorship as one where a single individual wields absolute authority encapsulates its core characteristic, distinguishing it sharply from other forms of governance.