Recently I have noticed what seems to be a difference of usage in the United Kingdom and Canada. In writings from the UK one frequently finds the term 'elective dictatorship' used while in Canada it seems that the synonym 'elected dictatorship' is preferred.
The other thing that is rather noticeable about the difference is that in the United Kingdom the phrase is associated with a particular individual, Lord Halisham. I feel that this phrase, and the name of the person to whom it is attributed, came up in almost every class I took during my year at Keele. One seemingly couldn't say 'elective dicatorship' without referencing good old Lord Halisham.
In Canada we don't ever refer to the origin of the phrase 'elected dictatorship,' we just use it. Presumably, though I don't have any evidence to support my claim, this phrase is a bastardization of Lord Halisham's original. The crossing of the Atlantic caused it to become corroded and slightly reduced in elegance.
I think that I prefer 'elective dictatorship,' though I don't have a particularly good reason. Maybe it is because 'elective dictatorship' seems to indicated that the process doesn't happen just one time, we continue to use the system. 'Elected dictatorship,' on the other hand, could mean an instance in which a dictator was elected and then remained for as long as they saw fit. There was no assumption that as dictator they would ever face another election.
On a related note, I finally found the source and text of a quote that I read some number of years ago and have been since misquoting.
"I have heard many arguments which influenced my opinion, but never one which influenced my vote." attributed to Sir James Ferguson, 1832-1907. The quote was included as an epigraph in the article Constitutional Reform: A Modest Proposal By Leonard Tivey.
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