(i) Oppositionless: Opposition, whether official or unofficial, is completely disallowed or outlawed.
(ii) Non-competitive: Even though elections are held within party, the voters are extremely limited to names submitted to them by the party hierarchy. A no-vote is unaccepted and carries severe penalties.
(iii) Dictatorial: Most one party systems are essentially dictatorial. The only party decreed to exist is usually dominated by a dictator or elite oligarchy. All formal institutions in the state are subservient to the dictate of the party.
(iv) Ideological: The party has strong ideology. Most one party systems are founded on ideological divide or rationalisation.
(v) The party is the government and the government is the party.
