> Why do authoritarian governments engage in propaganda when citizens often know that their governments are propagandizing and therefore resist, ignore, or deri

> Why do authoritarian governments engage in propaganda when citizens often know that their governments are propagandizing and therefore resist, ignore, or deride the messages? Wrong premise. Authoritarian governments need less propaganda because they have authoritarian powers. It's a "nice to have" for them than a necissity. The "free" countries who have to compete against authoritarian countries on the other hand need a lot of propaganda because they rely on it to maintain the shadow authorative structures required for their survival.