Democratic centralism
Encyclopedia
Democratic centralism is the name given to the principles of internal organization used by Leninist
political parties, and the term is sometimes used as a synonym for any Leninist policy inside a political party. The democratic aspect of this organizational method describes the freedom of members of the political party to discuss and debate matters of policy and direction, but once the decision of the party is made by majority vote, all members are expected to uphold that decision. This latter aspect represents the centralism. As Lenin described it, democratic centralism consisted of "freedom of discussion, unity of action."
The Sixth Party Congress of the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party (Bolsheviks)
held at Petrograd
between July 26 and August 3, 1917 defined democratic centralism as follows:
The text What Is to Be Done?
from 1902 is popularly seen as the founding text of democratic centralism. At this time, democratic centralism was generally viewed as a set of principles for the organizing of a revolutionary workers' party. However, Lenin's model for such a party, which he repeatedly discussed as being "democratic centralist", was the German
Social Democratic Party
, inspired by remarks made by the social-democrat Jean Baptista von Schweitzer
.
The doctrine of democratic centralism served as one of the sources of the split between the Bolshevik
s and the Menshevik
s. The Mensheviks supported a looser party discipline
within the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party in 1903, as did Leon Trotsky
, in Our Political Tasks, although Trotsky joined ranks with the Bolsheviks in 1917.
After the successful consolidation of power by the Communist Party following the Russian Revolution of 1917
and the Russian Civil War
, the Bolshevik leadership, including Lenin, instituted a ban on factions in the Russian Communist Party as Resolution No. 12 of the 10th Party Congress in 1921. It was passed in the morning session on March 16, 1921 (Protokoly 1933 ed. 585–7; 1963 ed. 571–3). Supporters of Trotsky sometimes claim that this ban was intended to be temporary. But there is no language in the discussion at the 10th Party Congress suggesting that it was intended to be temporary (Protokoly 1933 ed. 523–548).
The Group of Democratic Centralism
was a group in the Russian Communist Party who advocated different concepts of party democracy.
By the Brezhnev
period democratic centralism was described, in the 1977 Soviet Constitution
, as a principle for organizing the state: "The Soviet state is organized and functions on the principle of democratic centralism, namely the electiveness of all bodies of state authority from the lowest to the highest, their accountability to the people, and the obligation of lower bodies to observe the decisions of higher ones. Democratic centralism combines central leadership with local initiative and creative activity and with the responsibility of the each state body and official for the work entrusted to them." Democratic centralism is also stated in Article 3 of the 1982 Constitution
of the People's Republic of China
.
Leninism
In Marxist philosophy, Leninism is the body of political theory for the democratic organisation of a revolutionary vanguard party, and the achievement of a direct-democracy dictatorship of the proletariat, as political prelude to the establishment of socialism...
political parties, and the term is sometimes used as a synonym for any Leninist policy inside a political party. The democratic aspect of this organizational method describes the freedom of members of the political party to discuss and debate matters of policy and direction, but once the decision of the party is made by majority vote, all members are expected to uphold that decision. This latter aspect represents the centralism. As Lenin described it, democratic centralism consisted of "freedom of discussion, unity of action."
The Sixth Party Congress of the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party (Bolsheviks)
Russian Social Democratic Labour Party
The Russian Social Democratic Labour Party , also known as Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party or Russian Social Democratic Party, was a revolutionary socialist Russian political party formed in 1898 in Minsk to unite the various revolutionary organizations into one party...
held at Petrograd
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
between July 26 and August 3, 1917 defined democratic centralism as follows:
- That all directing bodies of the Party, from top to bottom, shall be elected;
- That Party bodies shall give periodical accounts of their activities to their respective Party organizations;
- That there shall be strict Party discipline and the subordination of the minority to the majority;
- That all decisions of higher bodies shall be absolutely binding on lower bodies and on all Party members.
The text What Is to Be Done?
What is to be Done?
What to do? Burning Questions of Our Movement is a political pamphlet written by the Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin in 1901 and published in 1902...
from 1902 is popularly seen as the founding text of democratic centralism. At this time, democratic centralism was generally viewed as a set of principles for the organizing of a revolutionary workers' party. However, Lenin's model for such a party, which he repeatedly discussed as being "democratic centralist", was the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
, inspired by remarks made by the social-democrat Jean Baptista von Schweitzer
Jean Baptista von Schweitzer
Jean Baptista von Schweitzer , German politician and dramatic poet, was born at Frankfurt am Main, of an old aristocratic Catholic family.He studied law in Berlin and Heidelberg, and afterwards practised in his native city...
.
The doctrine of democratic centralism served as one of the sources of the split between the Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
s and the Menshevik
Menshevik
The Mensheviks were a faction of the Russian revolutionary movement that emerged in 1904 after a dispute between Vladimir Lenin and Julius Martov, both members of the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party. The dispute originated at the Second Congress of that party, ostensibly over minor issues...
s. The Mensheviks supported a looser party discipline
Party discipline
Party discipline is the ability of a parliamentary group of a political party to get its members to support the policies of their party leadership. In liberal democracies, it usually refers to the control that party leaders have over its legislature...
within the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party in 1903, as did Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
, in Our Political Tasks, although Trotsky joined ranks with the Bolsheviks in 1917.
After the successful consolidation of power by the Communist Party following the Russian Revolution of 1917
Russian Revolution of 1917
The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
and the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
, the Bolshevik leadership, including Lenin, instituted a ban on factions in the Russian Communist Party as Resolution No. 12 of the 10th Party Congress in 1921. It was passed in the morning session on March 16, 1921 (Protokoly 1933 ed. 585–7; 1963 ed. 571–3). Supporters of Trotsky sometimes claim that this ban was intended to be temporary. But there is no language in the discussion at the 10th Party Congress suggesting that it was intended to be temporary (Protokoly 1933 ed. 523–548).
The Group of Democratic Centralism
Group of Democratic Centralism
The Group of Democratic Centralism, sometimes called the Group of 15, the Decists, or the Decemists, was a dissenting faction within the Soviet Communist Party in the early 1920s.The Group was formed in March 1919 at the 8th Party Congress...
was a group in the Russian Communist Party who advocated different concepts of party democracy.
By the Brezhnev
Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
period democratic centralism was described, in the 1977 Soviet Constitution
1977 Soviet Constitution
At the Seventh Session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR Ninth Convocation on October 7, 1977, the third and last Soviet Constitution, also known as the "Brezhnev Constitution", was unanimously adopted...
, as a principle for organizing the state: "The Soviet state is organized and functions on the principle of democratic centralism, namely the electiveness of all bodies of state authority from the lowest to the highest, their accountability to the people, and the obligation of lower bodies to observe the decisions of higher ones. Democratic centralism combines central leadership with local initiative and creative activity and with the responsibility of the each state body and official for the work entrusted to them." Democratic centralism is also stated in Article 3 of the 1982 Constitution
Constitution of the People's Republic of China
The Constitution of the People's Republic of China is the highest law within the People's Republic of China. The current version was adopted by the 5th National People's Congress on December 4, 1982 with further revisions in 1988, 1993, 1999, and 2004. Three previous state constitutions—those of...
of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
See also
- 21 Conditions given in 1920 by the Third International to all socialist parties
- Cabinet collective responsibilityCabinet collective responsibilityCabinet collective responsibility is constitutional convention in governments using the Westminster System that members of the Cabinet must publicly support all governmental decisions made in Cabinet, even if they do not privately agree with them. This support includes voting for the government in...
, a similar concept in parliamentary governmentParliamentA parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which... - Eastern Bloc politicsEastern Bloc politicsEastern Bloc politics followed the Red Army's occupation of much of eastern Europe at the end of World War II and the Soviet Union's installation of Soviet-controlled communist governments in the Eastern Bloc through a process of bloc politics and repression...
- Spontaneism
- Ronald Reagan's Eleventh CommandmentThe Eleventh Commandment (Ronald Reagan)The Eleventh Commandment was a phrase used by former President of the United States Ronald Reagan during his 1966 campaign for Governor of California. The Commandment reads:-History:...
External links
- 10-iy s"ezd RKP(b). Protokoly. Transcript of 10th Party Congress, 1933 edition (in Russian)
- Transcript of 10th Party Congress, 1963 edition (in Russian).
- On Democratic-Centralism & The Regime Leon Trotsky.
- Notes on democratic centralism Tony Cliff, June 1968.
- Bolshevism, Fraudulent Practice Of Democratic Centralism Albert Weisbord, 1976.
- On Democratic Centralism PL Magazine, 1982.
- Democratic Centralism MIM Notes 51, April 1991
- On democratic centralism Mick Armstrong, 2000.
- Democratic Centralism Glossary of Terms on http://www.marxists.org