Despotism's a form of government by a single authority, either an individual or tightly knit group, which rules with absolute political power. History In its classical form, a despotism's a state where a single individual (the despot) wields all the power and authority embodying the state, and everyone else's a subsidiary person. This form of despotism was common in the first forms of statehood and civilization; the Pharaoh of Egypt's exemplary of the classical Despot. The term now implies tyran… (More on Despotism)