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Numerous governments and other authorities have used the image of the fasces for a symbol of power since the end of the Roman Empire.

It has also been used to hearken back to the Roman republic, particularly by those who see themselves as modern-day successors to the old republic and / or its ideals.

Italian Fascism, which derives its name from the fasces, arguably used this symbolism the most in the 20th century.

The British Union of Fascists also used it in the 1930s.

However, the fasces, as a widespread and long-established symbol in the West, has avoided the stigma associated with much of fascist symbolism, and many authorities continue to display them, including the federal government of the United States.