conf idence ▁from ▁below , ▁authority ▁from ▁above " ▁that ▁Sie y ès ▁claimed ▁must ▁be ▁an ▁en light ened ▁authority ▁that ▁is ▁respons ive ▁to ▁the ▁needs ▁and ▁cl amour ▁of ▁the ▁people . ▁▁ ▁Author itar ian ▁dem ocracy ▁was ▁promoted ▁ ▁by ▁fasc ists ▁who ▁presented ▁fasc ism ▁as ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁author itar ian ▁dem ocracy , ▁it ▁explicitly ▁reject s ▁the ▁conventional ▁concept ▁of ▁dem ocracy ▁as ▁in ▁a ▁major itar ian ▁dem ocracy ▁that ▁assumes ▁equality ▁of ▁citizens . ▁The ▁concept ▁of ▁author itar ian ▁dem ocracy ▁in ▁fasc ism ▁was ▁developed ▁by ▁Italian ▁F asc ist ▁political ▁the or ist ▁Giovanni ▁Gent ile ▁and ▁util ized ▁by ▁Italian ▁F asc ist ▁leader ▁Ben ito ▁M uss ol ini . ▁The ▁Naz is ▁supported ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁author itar ian ▁dem ocracy . ▁Francisco ▁Franco ' s ▁quasi - f asc ist ▁Fal ange ▁in ▁Spain ▁promoted ▁the ▁concept , ▁but ▁named ▁it ▁ ▁" organ ic ▁dem ocracy " ▁that ▁was ▁based ▁upon ▁national ▁ple b isc ites ▁issued ▁from ▁the ▁Spanish ▁government ▁to ▁the ▁Spanish ▁people . ▁ ▁Vari ants ▁ ▁F asc ist ▁and ▁quasi - f asc ist ▁ ▁F asc ist ▁movements ▁advoc ate ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁dem ocracy ▁that ▁advoc ates ▁the ▁rule ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁qualified , ▁rather ▁than ▁rule ▁by ▁a ▁majority ▁of ▁numbers . ▁ ▁Maurice ▁Bar rès , ▁who ▁greatly ▁influenced ▁the ▁policies ▁of ▁fasc ism , ▁claimed ▁that ▁true ▁dem ocracy ▁was ▁author itar ian ▁dem