Steven Ai

AP English 3
Lazarow
I. Introduction
II. Totalitarian governments stay in power by oppressing its constituents.
A. Totalitarian governments use the economy to control its constituents.
1. Manipulation of the economy allows governments to alter the interactions between
different segments of the countrys population.
a. As CJ Friedrich boobssays, a quality of totalitarianism is a central control and
direction of the economy (Friedrich 22).
(1) Artificial direction of an economy can lead to prosperity or poverty depending
on the governments desire.
(2) The government can choose to create tension between segments of the
population that specialize in similar or competing industries.
(a) Tension between segments will keep the constituency divided.
(b) A population that is at odds with one another will find it difficult to initiate
a rebellion.
b. In The Hunger Games trilogy, all districts specialize in one aspect of the economy.
(1) The districts do not interact with each other to produce goods.
(2) The districts are reliant on the Capitol to provide them with other aspects
necessary to life.
2. Altering the economy is an effective way to punish or oppress constituents.
a. As John Tamny says, Even more than monetary debasement, the creation of food
scarcity through unnatural barriers to production and trade is the easiest way for
governments to divide citizenry (Tamny 19).
(1) The government is responsible for linking different parts of a country together.
(a) This responsibility affords the power to restrict resources.
(b) The government can utilize restriction of resources to force the population
into submission.
(2) The economy affects almost every aspect of a persons life.
(3) Control of the economy affords great control over the way someone thinks
and acts.
(4) A show of power such as the creation of food scarcity forces citizens to
recognize the power of a totalitarian government
(a) These punishments are intended to result in submission.
(b) Expressions of power dissuade constituents from believing rebellion is
feasible.
b. As John Tamny says, Free societies, personally and economically, dont rely on
government. Instead, a natural harmony eventuates as self-interested individuals
create what theyre best at so that they can trade their production for that of
others (Tamny 17).
(1) Ones job and the current economic climate play large parts in how one feels
and acts.
(2) In The Hunger Games Trilogy the Capitol does not allow districts to trade
production with each other.
(a) This separation makes it difficult for districts to coordinate rebellion.

Steven Ai
AP English 3
Lazarow
(b) The districts did not have personal ties with each other and thus were not
motivated to help each other survive.
(c) A persons job was determined by which district he/she was born in.
(d) This lack of interaction between districts can also be interpreted as a form
of propaganda.
B. Totalitarian governments use propaganda to control its constituents.
1. Propaganda can affect the thought processes and actions of individuals.
a. Many individuals are unable to ignore the effects of propaganda.
(1) As Mary Matos says, Throughout the Hunger Games Trilogy, Katniss
alternates between that awareness, understanding, and manipulation of the
media. The trilogy does not reflect these media concepts as linear modules,
but they show how a person can alternate through all of these phases fluidly
(Matos 4).
(a) Those being subjected to propaganda are often cognizant that they are not
being told the entire truth.
(b) The constituents do not have the ability to know what the actual truth is.
(i) If the constituents try to uncover the truth the propaganda is hiding
they are usually punished severely.
(ii) The constituents must either accept the propaganda as truth or live
with the fact that they may never have a true understanding of reality.
(c) By obscuring the truth the government is reducing the chances that other
districts attempt to rebel.
b. The goal of propaganda is to instill a certain feeling or belief in the constituency.
(1) Although the targets may realize that they are being lied to they can still be
affected be affected by the information being given to them.
(2) By being able to alter peoples perception of reality the government has a
large amount of control over its people.
(3) Propaganda can artificially foster terror or hopelessness in individuals.
2. Propaganda can be used to cover up undesired events.
a. The government has almost complete control over the media and is able to
disseminate lies as the truth.
(1) As Suzanne Collins says, You know, because the weathers been so bad in
District 4. My mind starts buzzing. No seafood. For weeks. From District 4.
The barely concealed rage in the crowd during the Victory Tour. And suddenly
I am sure that District 4 has revolted (Collins Catching Fire 165).
(a) The Capitol utilized bad weather as an excuse to prevent other districts
and Capitol citizens from knowing that District 4 had revolted.
(i) Knowledge that another district had begun a rebellion could have led
other districts to rebel.
(ii) Faith in the government could weaken and unrest could have spread if
the citizens of the Capitol had discovered that a district had rebelled.
(b) The Capitol controls what the districts know about each other as well as
what the Capitol citizens know about the districts.

Steven Ai
AP English 3
Lazarow
(c) This control leads to control over the beliefs and behaviors over a
governments constituency.
b. Propaganda is able to manipulate the interpretation of events.
(1) The government can alter the circumstances or results of events.
(a) The publics perception of an event will be different from if they knew the
truth.
(b) The government can create a desired reaction to an event.
(2) The government has control over the publics reaction to events.
(a) It can tactically alter events to gain loyalty or nationalistic pride.
(b) Correct use of propaganda can inspire intense emotion or hopelessness.
C. Totalitarian governments use fear tactics to control its constituents.
1. Totalitarian governments can use public punishment to scare the constituency.
a. Public punishment elicits a more emotional response than the passage of written
law.
(1) As Robert Paxton says, Neither regime was conceivable without terror. Nazi
violence was omnipresent and highly visible after 1933. The concentration
camps were not hidden, and executions of dissidents were meant to be
known (Paxton 135).
(a) The concentration camps and executions of dissidents are forms of public
punishment.
(i) Many Germans did not want to aid those in need because of the fear
that these public punishments caused.
(ii) The Germans did not want to be subjected to the same punishment.
(iii)
These forms of public punishment were effective in deterring
citizens from disobeying Nazi wishes.
(b) The Nazis used public punishment as a fear tactic.
(i) The Nazis hoped this would help citizens realize the consequences of
defying orders.
(ii) These public punishments were used to maintain the power of the
government.
(2) Written laws are more likely than public punishment to result in dissent.
(a) Written laws do not make as emotional an appeal as punishment does.
(i) Constituents are not emotionally shocked by written laws.
(ii) Constituents are able to rationally consider ways to avoid the
consequences of the law.
(b) The passage of written laws is often more cost-effective than public
punishment.
(c) Public punishment can be used to enforce written laws.
b. As Suzanne Collins says, Thread put Gale under immediate arrest, and of course,
since he was standing there holding a turkey there was little Gale could say in his
defense. He was forced to plead guilty to his crime, and sentenced to a whipping
to be carried out immediately (Collins Catching Fire 110).
(1) Thread whipped Gale, someone that was well known in the community.

Steven Ai
AP English 3
Lazarow
(a) The punishment of someone well known in the community had a large
impact.
(b) People were able to sympathize with Gale and did not want to be in the
same position.
(2) This public punishment created a sense of hopelessness and fear.
(3) Public punishment is most effective in the community surrounding it.
(4) The punishment of strangers is not as effective as the punishment of familiars.