The 14 characteristics are:

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make
constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other
paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and
in public displays.

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies
and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that
human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people
tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions,
assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are
rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a
perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic or religious minorities;
liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

4. Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread domestic
problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government
funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service
are glamorized.

5. Rampant Sexism - The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost
exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles
are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and
anti-gay legislation and national policy.

6. Controlled Mass Media - Access to media is directly controlled by the
government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by
government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives.
Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.

7. Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by
the government over the masses.

8. Religion and Government are Intertwined - Governments in fascist nations
tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate
public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government
leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed
to the government's policies or actions.

9. Corporate Power is Protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a
fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into
power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and
power elite.

10. Labor Power is Suppressed - Because the organizing power of labor is the
only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated
entirely, or are severely suppressed .

11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - Fascist nations tend to promote
and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia.. It is not
uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested.
Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse
to fund the arts.

12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment - Under fascist regimes, the police
are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing
to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of
patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited
power in fascist nations.

13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - Fascist regimes almost always are
governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to
government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their
friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for
national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright
stolen by government leaders.

14. Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a
complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns
against or even assassination of opposition candidat es, use of legislation to
control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of
the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate
or control elections.

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