How do people connect and compare Panem to the real world?

The country of Panem is a fictional country from the Hunger games, a dystopian novel written by Suzanne Collins.

Panem is somewhat smaller than North America. It is a totalitarian society - a political system in which any kind of a rebellion against the state is prohibited, while both public and private life of the citizens is strictly controlled. This is familiar to us in the real world - totalitarianism was largely present in the past. Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler were the most famous dictatorial rulers, and are considered as representatives of a totalitarian regime.

There are also similarities between Panem and the United States of America. In both countries, there are lower, middle and upper social classes. The citizens that live in the Capitol have certain benefits, just like those who live in urban areas in America. Many people who live in deprived areas are starving in the real world as well. In Panem, needless to say, these differences between the classes are more exaggerated.