ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

One-party state

Imagine if you were playing a game with your friends, but only one person got to make all the rules and decisions. They wouldn't need to ask anyone else what they wanted to do, they could just do whatever they wanted. That's kind of what a one-party state is like.

In a country that's a one-party state, there is only one political party that's allowed to run the government. This party gets to make all the rules and decisions for everyone in the country. People who belong to other parties aren't allowed to be part of the government or have much say in what happens.

This can be good in some ways because it makes it easier for the government to get things done quickly. But it also means that the people in power might not always care about what everyone else wants, because they don't have to worry about competing with other parties.

In some one-party states, people aren't allowed to speak out against the government or protest things they don't like. This can be scary because it means people don't get to share their opinions or try to change things if they think they're wrong.

Overall, a one-party state is like playing a game where only one person gets to make all the rules. It can be good in some ways, but it can also be scary and unfair for people who don't agree with the person in charge.