What is fascism?

The assassin who killed Charlie Kirk allegedly inscribed messages including “Hey fascist! Catch!” on his bullet casings. To call someone a fascist is one of the most powerful pejoratives in our political lexicon. It conjures up images of the unspeakable evil of Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust. Today, the term is applied frequently but often inaccurately.

The battle against perceived fascism in America has itself led to great evil. On Sept. 22, President Donald Trump designated the left-wing violent group Antifa—short for anti-fascists—as a domestic terrorist organization.

What does the term fascism mean? That depends on who you ask, according to Glenn Duerr, chair of the department of history and government at Cedarville University. “The textbook definition would be that it’s a far right, authoritarian movement or political system that pervades a country,” Duerr says. “It’s dictatorial. It’s based around militarism in general. It’s hyper-national in that there’s often an attempt to take over other countries.”

What were some famous fascist regimes? Benito Mussolini of Italy first popularized the term fascist around 1919. He named his political movement after the Latin word fasces, a symbol of authority in ancient Rome. The most famous fascist in history is Hitler, though the name of his Nazi Party means “national socialist.” Other regimes considered fascist include Greece under Ioannis Metaxas in the late 1930s and Spain under Francisco Franco between 1936 and 1975.

What’s the difference between communism and fascism? Communism and fascism can look similar in that they are both authoritarian and suppress key freedoms such as speech and the press. Duerr says the key difference comes down to the central question of the regime: “For communism, every question comes down to class and economics. For fascism, every question comes down to race and ethnicity.” Under communism, the means of production are controlled solely by the state. Under fascism, the means of production can be co-opted by the state, but a free market still exists theoretically.

Why is fascist used so widely as a pejorative in America today? Poor education is to blame, according to David Azerrad, of Hillsdale College’s Van Andel Graduate School of Government. “The average college grad knows very little history, but one thing everyone knows is that Hitler was bad,” Azerrad says. “Evil is defined as anyone who’s like Hitler.” This association with evil is a powerful weapon against political opponents. A poll in October 2024 found that 87% of Democrats believe Trump is a fascist. But Azerrad warns the label will lose its impact if used too often: “If everybody is a fascist, then nobody is a fascist.”

How far back do accusations of fascism go in America? In 1944, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt warned America would yield “to the spirit of fascism” if it returned to the economic policies of the 1920s before the New Deal. Since then, most right-wing political leaders, both elected and unelected, have faced accusations of fascism. Critics called President George W. Bush a fascist, though that had no basis in fact, according to Azerrad. Bush “was obsessed with curing AIDS in Africa and ensuring that every kid in America would succeed in school,” he noted.