American authoritarianism

From John Dean's introduction to his just-published book Conservatives Without Conscience:

Frankly, when I started writing this book I had a difficult time accounting for what had become of conservatism or, for that matter, the Republican Party.  I went down a number of dead-end streets looking for answers, before finally discovering a true explanation.  My finding, simply stated, is the growing presence of conservative authoritarianism.  Conservatism has noticeably evolved from its so-called modern phase (1950-94) into what might be called a postmodern phase (1994 to the present), and in doing so it has regressed to its earliest authoritarian roots.  Authoritarianism is not well understood and seldom discussed in the context of American government and politics, yet it now constitutes the prevailing thinking and behavior among conservatives.  Regrettably, empirical studies reveal, however, that authoritarians are frequently enemies of freedom, antidemocratic, antiequality, highly prejudiced, mean-spirited, power hungry, Machiavellian, and amoral.  They are also often conservatives without conscience who are capable of plunging this nation into disasters the likes of which we have never known.  (my emphasis)

Steve Bradbury, Acting Deputy Attorney General of the United States, to the Senate Judiciary Committee on 07/11/06:

The President is always right.

That's today's Republican Party.