One-party state
A one-party state, single-party state, one-party system, or single-party system is a type of state in which one political party has the right to form the government, usually based on the existing constitution.[1] All other parties are either outlawed or allowed to take only a limited and controlled participation in elections. Sometimes the term de facto one-party state is used to describe a dominant-party system that, unlike the one-party state, allows (at least nominally) democratic multiparty elections, but the existing practices or balance of political power effectively prevent the opposition from winning the elections.
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Concept
One-party states explain themselves through various methods. Most often, proponents of a one-party state argue that the existence of separate parties runs counter to national unity. Others argue that the one party is the vanguard of the people, and therefore its right to rule cannot be legitimately questioned. The Soviet government argued that multiple parties represented the class struggle, which was absent in Soviet society, and so the Soviet Union only had one party, namely the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
Some one-party states only outlaw opposition parties, while allowing allied parties to exist as part of a permanent coalition such as a popular front. However, these parties are largely or completely subservient to the ruling party and must accept the ruling party's monopoly of power as a condition of their existence. Examples of this are the People's Republic of China under the United Front, the National Front in former East Germany and the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea in North Korea. Others may allow non-party members to run for legislative seats, as was the case with Taiwan’s Tangwai movement in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as the elections in the former Soviet Union.
Within their own countries, dominant parties ruling over one-party states are often referred to simply as the Party. For example, in reference to the Soviet Union, the Party meant the Communist Party of the Soviet Union; in reference to the pre-1991 Republic of Zambia, it referred to the United National Independence Party.
Most one-party states have been ruled by parties forming in one of the following three circumstances:
- an ideology of Marxism–Leninism and international solidarity (such as the Soviet Union for most of its existence)
- some type of nationalist or fascist ideology (such as Kingdom of Italy under National Fascist Party)
- parties that came to power in the wake of independence from colonial rule. One-party systems often arise from decolonization because a single party gains an overwhelmingly dominant role in liberation or in independence struggles.
One-party states are usually considered to be authoritarian, to the extent that they are occasionally totalitarian. On the other hand, not all authoritarian or totalitarian states operate upon one-party rule. Some, especially amongst absolute monarchies and military dictatorships, have no need for a ruling party, and therefore make all political parties illegal.
The term "communist state" is sometimes used in the West to describe states in which the ruling party subscribes to a form of Marxism–Leninism. However, such states may not use that term themselves, seeing communism as a phase to develop after the full maturation of socialism, and instead use descriptions such as "people's republic", "socialist republic", or "democratic republic". One peculiar example is Cuba where, despite the role of the Communist Party being enshrined in the constitution, no party, including the Communist Party, is permitted to campaign or run candidates for elections. Candidates are elected on an individual referendum basis without formal party involvement, although elected assemblies predominantly consist of members of the Communist Party alongside non-affiliated candidates.[2]
Examples
Current one-party states
As of 2020 the following countries are legally constituted as one-party states:
Country | Head of party | Party | Head of popular front | Popular front | Date of establishment | Duration |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kim Jong-un, Chairman | Pak Myong-chol, President[3] | Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea | October 10, 1945 | 74 years, 198 days | ||
Bounnhang Vorachith, General Secretary | Xaysomphone Phomvihane, President of the Standing Committee | Lao Front for National Construction | December 2, 1975 | 44 years, 145 days | ||
Xi Jinping, General Secretary | Wang Yang, Chairman of National CPPCC You Quan, Head of the Department |
United Front | October 1, 1949 | 70 years, 207 days | ||
Raúl Castro, First Secretary | January 1, 1959 | 61 years, 115 days | ||||
Brahim Ghali, Secretary General | February 27, 1976 | 44 years, 58 days | ||||
Nguyễn Phú Trọng, General Secretary | Trần Thanh Mẫn, Chairman | Vietnamese Fatherland Front | April 30, 1975 | 44 years, 361 days | ||
Isaias Afwerki, Chairperson | February 10, 1994 | 26 years, 75 days |
Former one-party states
Country | Party | Date of establishment | Date of dissolution | Continent |
---|---|---|---|---|
1923 | 1945 | Asia/Europe | ||
Cameroon People's Democratic Movement | 1975 | 1990 | Africa | |
Neo Destour | 1963 | 1964 | Africa | |
Socialist Destourian Party | 1964 | 1981 | Africa | |
Democratic Party of Turkmenistan | 1992 | 2008 | Asia | |
1925 | 1949 | Asia | ||
1945 | 1990 | Asia | ||
Arab Liberation Movement | 1953 | 1954 | Asia | |
National Revolutionary Party | February 14, 1977[4][5] | April 28, 1978 | Asia | |
National Liberation Front | 1962 | 1989 | Africa | |
Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League | 1974 | 1975 | Asia | |
1962 | 1988 | Asia | ||
African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde | 1975 | 1980 | Africa | |
African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde | 1980 | 1990 | Africa | |
Movement for the Social Evolution of Black Africa | 1962 | 1980 | Africa | |
People's Rally for Progress | 1977 | 1992 | Africa | |
United National Workers' Party | 1970 | 1979 | Africa | |
Arab Socialist Union | 1962 | 1976 | Africa | |
Eritrean People's Liberation Front | 1991 (Provisional government) 1993 (Recognized state) |
1994 | Africa | |
Convention People's Party | 1964 | 1966 | Africa | |
Democratic Party of Guinea – African Democratic Rally | 1958 | 1984 | Africa | |
African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde | 1974 | 1991 | Africa | |
Indonesian National Party | August 17, 1945 | November 3, 1945 | Asia | |
Iraqi Arab Socialist Union | 1964 | 1968 | Asia | |
1968 | 2003 | Asia | ||
Libyan Arab Socialist Union | 1971 | 1977 | Africa | |
National Front for the Defense of the Revolution | 1976 | 1989 | Africa | |
Sudanese Union – African Democratic Rally | 1960 | 1968 | Africa | |
Democratic Union of the Malian People | 1976 | 1991 | Africa | |
Mauritanian People's Party | 1961 | 1978 | Africa | |
Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe/Social Democratic Party | 1975 | 1990 | Africa | |
Socialist Party of Senegal | 1966 | 1974 | Africa | |
Seychelles People's Progressive Front | 1977 | 1991 | Africa | |
All People's Congress | 1978 | 1991 | Africa | |
Sudanese Socialist Union | 1971 | 1985 | Africa | |
Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party (National Progressive Front) | 1963 | February 27, 2012[6][7] | Asia | |
Chama Cha Mapinduzi | 1977 | 1992 | Africa | |
Tanganyika African National Union | 1961 | 1977 | Africa | |
Uganda People's Congress | 1969 | 1971 | Africa | |
National Union | 1958 | 1961 | Africa | |
People's Anti-Imperialist Association | 1935 | 1942 | Asia | |
United National Independence Party | 1972 | 1990 | Africa | |
Afro-Shirazi Party | 1964 | 1977 | Africa | |
December 24, 1980 | July 27, 1990 | Asia | ||
Party of Labour of Albania (National Liberation Movement) | October 20, 1944 | August 5, 1945 | Europe | |
Party of Labour of Albania (Democratic Front) | August 5, 1945 | January 11, 1946 | Europe | |
Party of Labour of Albania (Democratic Front) | January 11, 1946 | December 11, 1990 | Europe | |
November 11, 1975 | May 30, 1991 | Africa | ||
Communist Party of Armenia | December 2, 1920 | December 30, 1922 | Asia | |
Communist Party of Azerbaijan | April 30, 1920 | December 30, 1922 | Asia | |
November 30, 1975 | March 1, 1990 | Africa | ||
September 15, 1946 | January 15, 1990 | Europe | ||
Communist Party of Byelorussia | July 31, 1920 | December 30, 1922 | Europe | |
Communist Party of China | 1930 | 1937 | Asia | |
February 25, 1948 | December 29, 1989 | Europe | ||
October 7, 1949 | March 30, 1950 | Europe | ||
March 30, 1950 | December 1, 1989 | Europe | ||
Russian Communist Party (Central Committee of the Estonian Sections) |
November 29, 1918 | June 5, 1919 | Europe | |
Communist Party of Estonia | July 21, 1940 | August 9, 1940 | Europe | |
Workers' Party of Ethiopia | September 12, 1984 | February 22, 1987 | Africa | |
Workers' Party of Ethiopia | February 22, 1987 | April 28, 1991 | Africa | |
Communist Party of Georgia | February 25, 1921 | December 30, 1922 | Asia | |
New Jewel Movement | March 13, 1979 | October 25, 1983 | Central America | |
Guangzhou | Communist Party of China | 1927 | 1927 | Asia |
Hunan | Communist Party of China | 1927 | 1927 | Asia |
August 20, 1949 | October 30, 1956 | Europe | ||
Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party | November 4, 1956 | October 7, 1989 | Europe | |
Jinggang | Communist Party of China | 1927 | 1928 | Asia |
April 17, 1975 | June 22, 1982 | Asia | ||
Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party | January 7, 1979 | October 23, 1991 | Asia | |
Communist Party of Latvia | December 17, 1918 | January 13, 1920 | Europe | |
Communist Party of Latvia | July 21, 1940 | August 5, 1940 | Europe | |
Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party | 1921 | July 29, 1990 | Asia | |
June 25, 1975 | December 1, 1990 | Africa | ||
Vietnam (partially) | Workers' Party of North Vietnam (League for the Independence of Vietnam) | September 2, 1945 | 1946 | Asia |
North Vietnam | Workers' Party of North Vietnam (Vietnamese Fatherland Front) | 1955 | July 2, 1976 | Asia |
Communist Party of Lithuania | July 21, 1940 | August 3, 1940 | Europe | |
Communist Party of Lithuania and Belorussia | February 17, 1919 | July 17, 1919 | Europe | |
Congolese Party of Labour | January 31, 1969 | 1991 | Africa | |
Communist Party of Persia | 1920 | 1921 | Asia | |
February 5, 1947 | July 1982 | Europe | ||
July 1982 | August 24, 1989 | Europe | ||
February 5, 1948 | 1968 | Europe | ||
1968 | 1980 | Europe | ||
1980 | December 29, 1989 | Europe | ||
Russian Social Democratic Labour Party | January 19, 1918 | March 8, 1918[8] | Europe/Asia | |
Russian Communist Party | March 8, 1918[8] | December 30, 1922 | Europe/Asia | |
Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party | July 1976 | January 26, 1991 | Africa | |
October 31, 1978 | May 22, 1990 | Asia | ||
Southwest Jiangxi | Communist Party of China | 1930 | 1931 | Asia |
Russian Communist Party | December 30, 1922 | December 31, 1925[8] | Europe/Asia | |
All-Union Communist Party | December 31, 1925[8] | October 13, 1952[8] | Europe/Asia | |
Communist Party of the Soviet Union | October 13, 1952[8] | October 9, 1990[9] | Europe/Asia | |
Communist Part of Armenia | March 12, 1922 | December 30, 1922 | Asia | |
Communist Party of Azerbaijan | March 12, 1922 | December 30, 1922 | Asia | |
Communist Party of Georgia | March 12, 1922 | December 30, 1922 | Asia | |
Tuvan People's Revolutionary Party | August 14, 1921 | October 11, 1944 | Asia | |
Communist Party of Ukraine | March 10, 1919 | December 30, 1922 | Europe | |
Yan'an | Communist Party of China | 1937 | 1949 | Asia |
May 21, 1994 | July 7, 1994 | Asia | ||
League of Communists of Yugoslavia (Socialist Alliance of Working People of Yugoslavia) | November 29, 1945 | April 8, 1990 | Europe | |
Reform Party | 1894 | 1898 | North America | |
ARENA[Note 1] | 1964 | 1979 | South America | |
Gabonese Democratic Party | 1968 | 1990 | Africa | |
Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire – African Democratic Rally | 1960 | 1990 | Africa | |
Spanish Patriotic Union | 1924 | 1930 | Europe | |
Malawi Congress Party | 1964 | 1993 | Africa | |
Islamic Republican Party | 1981 | 1987 | Asia | |
National Movement for the Development of Society | 1989 | 1991 | Africa | |
June 2, 1939 | July 27, 1943 | Europe | ||
Guard of Greater Albania | July 27, 1943 | September 8, 1943 | Europe | |
National Front | September 14, 1943 | November 29, 1943 | Europe | |
May 1, 1934 | March 13, 1938 | Europe | ||
July 11, 1974 | March 13, 1992 | Africa | ||
Cameroonian National Union | September 1, 1966[10] | March 24, 1985 | Africa | |
Central African Democratic Union | March 1, 1980 | September 2, 1981 | Africa | |
Central African Democratic Rally | February 6, 1987 | April 22, 1991[11] | Africa | |
Chadian Progressive Party | April 16, 1962 | April 6, 1973 | Africa | |
National Movement for the Cultural and Social Revolution | April 6, 1973 | April 13, 1975 | Africa | |
National Union for Independence and Revolution | 1984 | 1990 | Africa | |
Comorian Union for Progress | 1982 | 1990 | Africa | |
Ustaša – Croatian Revolutionary Movement | April 10, 1941 | May 8, 1945 | Europe | |
Dahomeyan Unity Party | 1961 | 1963 | Africa | |
Dahomeyan Democratic Party | 1963 | 1965 | Africa | |
Dominican Party | 1931 | 1961 | Central America | |
National Democratic Party | 1956 | 1958 | Africa | |
National Democratic Party | 1961 | 1962 | Africa | |
National Pro Patria Party | 1931 | 1944 | South America | |
Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea | 1987 | 1991 | Africa | |
Patriotic League (National Front for the Implementation of the Constitution) | March 9, 1935 | July 21, 1940 | Europe | |
July 14, 1933 | May 23, 1945 | Europe | ||
National Partnership | March 21, 1939 | May 9, 1945 | Europe | |
Progressive Liberal Party | 1931 | 1944 | South America | |
National Unity Party | 1957 | 1985 | Central America | |
October 16, 1944 | May 7, 1945 | Europe | ||
Indian National Congress | October 21, 1943 | August 18, 1945 | Asia | |
Rastakhiz Party | 1975 | 1978 | Asia | |
|
|
May 17, 1928[12]
|
July 27, 1943 | Europe
|
September 13, 1943 | April 28, 1945 | Europe | ||
Kenya African National Union | 1982 | 1991 | Africa | |
Lithuanian Nationalist Union | 1927 | 1940 | Europe | |
April 1, 1932[13] | May 1, 1945[13] | Asia | ||
December 14, 1941 | May 6, 1945 | Europe | ||
Nigerien Progressive Party – African Democratic Rally | 1960 | 1974 | Africa | |
General People's Congress | 1982 | 1988 | Asia | |
February 1, 1942 | May 9, 1945 | Europe | ||
Committee of Union and Progress | 1913 | 1918 | Asia/Europe | |
Colorado Party | 1947 | 1962 | South America | |
December 8, 1942 | October 14, 1943 | Asia | ||
October 14, 1943 | August 17, 1945 | Asia | ||
July 30, 1930[14] | October 8, 1945[14] | Europe | ||
January 31, 1948[15] | April 25, 1974 | Europe | ||
December 16, 1938 | September 6, 1940 | Europe | ||
September 6, 1940 | January 23, 1941 | Europe | ||
Parmehutu | 1965 | 1973 | Africa | |
National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development | 1978 | 1991 | Africa | |
Sammarinese Fascist Party | 1926 | 1943 | Europe | |
Republican Fascist Party of San Marino | 1943 | 1944 | Europe | |
March 14, 1939 | May 8, 1945 | Europe | ||
April 19, 1937 | July 6, 1976[16] | Europe | ||
National Congress Party | 1989 | 2005 | Africa | |
Party of Togolese Unity | 1962 | 1963 | Africa | |
Rally of the Togolese People | 1969 | 1991 | Africa | |
Voltaic Democratic Union-African Democratic Rally | 1960 | 1966 | Africa | |
Yugoslav Radical Peasants' Democracy | 1929 | 1931 | Europe | |
Popular Movement of the Revolution | 1970 | 1990 | Africa | |
See also
- Ban on factions in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
- Political organisation
- Dominant-party system
- Political factionalism
- Outline of democracy
- Multi-party system
- Two-party system
- List of political party songs
Notes
- Although there was an official democratic opposition, the MDB, ARENA was de facto the only governing party.
References
- Clark, William Roberts; Golder, Matt; Golder, Sona Nadenichek (2012-03-23). Principles of Comparative Politics. SAGE. ISBN 9781608716791.
- Cuba: Elections and Events 1991–2001 Archived 2007-03-01 at the Wayback Machine Latin American Election Statistics Home
- "Vietnam's Party, State delegation visits DPRK". Nhân Dân. NDO/VNA. 10 September 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
- Afghanistan: A Country Study
- Afghanistan 1977
- "Presidential Decree on Syria's New Constitution". Syrian Arab News Agency. 28 February 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
- Chulov, Martin (27 February 2012). "Syrian regime rockets bombard Homs". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
- The Constitution of the Russian Federation: A Contextual Analysis By Jane Henderson
- Ideology And Political System By Kundan Kumar
- The Search for a Cameroonian Model of Democracy or the Search for the Domination of the State Party: 1966-2006
- Central African Republic Unions Strike for Democracy 1990-1993
- Mediterranean Fascism 1919–1945
- China at War: Regions of China, 1937-1945
- 12th Period - Second Republic of Portugal
- Fascism and Resistance in Portugal: Communists, Liberals and Military
- Law 21/1976, of June 14, on the Right of Political Association.