Totalitarian regimes are characterized by absolute control by the state over public and private life. Key features include a single party system, where opposition is repressed, and a centralized authority that permits no dissent. These regimes typically utilize propaganda, surveillance, and state-sponsored repression to maintain power and control over the populace, often restricting freedoms of speech, assembly, and the press. Examples include historical totalitarian regimes such as Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia. Such systems prioritize conformity to the state's ideology, leading to widespread human rights abuses and diminished individual freedoms.