Short answers, pulled from the story.
A dictator holds absolute or near-absolute political power, controlling all aspects of government and society. Politics in a dictatorship are managed by an inner circle of elites that includes advisers, generals, and other high-ranking officials.
The Latin word dictator originated in the early Roman Republic to refer to a constitutional office granting temporary absolute power during emergencies. At least 85 such dictators were chosen for the Roman Republic, with the last appointed to wage the Second Punic War.
Political scientist Barbara Geddes began a classification system in 1999 focusing on where power lies within different regimes. Her work identifies military dictatorships controlled by officers, one-party dictatorships dominated by a single party, and personalist dictatorships placing power in a single individual.
A study found that 70.63% of dictators who engage in oil drilling remain in power after five years compared to only 59.92% of non-oil producing dictators. Economies based on natural resources allow dictators more power as they can easily extract rents without strengthening other institutions.