One-party state
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A single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a type of party system government in which a single political party forms the government and no other parties are permitted to run candidates for election. Sometimes the term de facto single-party state is used to describe a dominant-party system where laws or practices prevent the opposition from legally getting power.
Concept
Some single party states only outlaw opposition parties, while allowing subordinate allied parties to exist as part of a permanent coalition such as a popular front. Within their own countries, dominant parties ruling over single-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 former People's Republic of Poland it referred to the Polish United Workers' Party.
Some one-party states may allow non-party members to run for legislative seats, as was the case with Taiwan's Tangwai movement in the 1970s and 1980s. Other single-party states may allow limited participation by approved minor parties, such as the People's Republic of China under the United Front, or the National Front in former East Germany.
Most single-party states have been ruled either by parties following Leninism, or by parties following some type of nationalist or fascist ideology, or parties that came to power in the wake of independence from colonial rule. One-party systems often arise from decolonization because one party has had an overwhelmingly dominant role in liberation or in independence struggles. Not all authoritarian states and dictatorships operate based on single-party rule. Some, especially absolute monarchies and certain military dictatorships, have made all political parties illegal.
Where the ruling party subscribes to a form of Marxism-Leninism, the one-party state system is usually called a communist state, though such states do not use that term to describe themselves, adopting instead the title of people's republic, socialist republic or democratic republic. One peculiar example is Cuba, where the role of the Communist Party is enshrined in the constitution, and no party is permitted to campaign or run candidates for election, including the Communist party. Candidates are elected on an individual referendum basis without formal party involvement, though elected assemblies predominantly consist of members of the dominant party alongside non-affiliated candidates.[1]
Examples
The True Whig Party of Liberia is considered the founder of the first single-party state in the world, as despite opposition parties never being outlawed, it totally dominated Liberian politics from 1878 until 1980.[2] The party was conceived by the original Black American settlers and their descendants who referred to themselves as Americo-Liberians. Initially, its ideology was heavily influenced by that of the Whig Party in the United States. Over time it morphed into a powerful Masonic Order that ruled every aspect of Liberian society for well over a century until it was overthrown in 1980. While the True Whig Party still exists today, its influence has substantially declined.
Current single-party states
The following list includes the countries that are legally constituted as single-party states as of 2010 and the name of the single party in power:
People's Republic of China (Communist Party of China leads the United Front); Hong Kong and Macau are excluded. (1949)
Cuba (Communist Party of Cuba) (1959)
Eritrea (People's Front for Democracy and Justice) (1993)
North Korea (Korean Workers' Party leads the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland) (1948)
Laos (Lao People's Revolutionary Party leads the Lao Front for National Construction) (1975)
Syria (Baath Party leads the National Progressive Front) (1963)
Turkmenistan (Democratic Party of Turkmenistan) (1991)
Vietnam (Communist Party of Vietnam leads the Vietnamese Fatherland Front) (1976)
Former single-party states
- Most states in Sub-Saharan Africa after independence, although all except Eritrea have eventually converted to a de jure multi-party system;
Angola (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola-Labour Party) 1975-1991
Benin (People's Revolutionary Party of Benin) 1975-1990
Burundi (Union for National Progress) 1966-1992
Cameroon (Cameroon National Union) 1966-1985, (Cameroon People's Democratic Movement) 1985-1990
Cape Verde (African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde) 1975-1981, (African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde) 1981-1990
Central African Republic (Movement for the Social Evolution of Black Africa) 1962-1980, (Central African Democratic Union) 1980-1981, (Central African Democratic Rally) 1987-1991
Chad (Chadian Progressive Party) 1962-1973, (National Movement for the Cultural and Social Revolution) 1973-1975, (National Union for Independence and Revolution) 1984-1990
Comoros (Comorian Union for Progress) 1982-1990
Congo-Brazzaville (Congolese Party of Labour) 1969-1990
Côte d'Ivoire (Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire-African Democratic Rally) 1960-1990
Djibouti (People's Rally for Progress) 1977-1992
Equatorial Guinea (Worker's National United Party) 1970-1979, (Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea) 1987-1991
Ethiopia (Worker's Party of Ethiopia) 1984-1991
Gabon (Gabonese Democratic Party) 1968-1990
Ghana (Convention People's Party) 1964-1966
Guinea (Democratic Party of Guinea) 1958-1984
Guinea-Bissau (African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde) 1974-1991
Kenya (Kenya African National Union) 1982-1991
Liberia (True Whig Party) 1878-1980
Madagascar (National Front for the Defense of the Revolution) 1976-1989
Malawi (Malawi Congress Party) 1964-1993
Mali (Sudanese Union-African Democratic Rally) 1960-1968, (Democratic Union of the Malian People) 1976-1991
Mauritania (Mauritanian People's Party) 1961-1978
Mozambique (Mozambique Liberation Front) 1975-1990
Niger (Nigerien Progressive Party-African Democratic Rally) 1960-1974, (National Movement for the Development of Society) 1989-1991
Rwanda (Democratic Republican Party-Party of the Hutu Emancipation Movement) 1965-1973, (National Revolutionary Movement for Democracy and Development) 1975-1991
São Tomé and Príncipe (Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe) 1975-1990
Senegal (Socialist Party of Senegal) 1966-1974
Seychelles (Seychelles People's Progressive Front) 1977-1991
Sierra Leone (All People's Congress) 1978-1991
Somalia (Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party) 1976-1991
Sudan (Sudanese Socialist Union) 1971-1985
Tanzania (Chama Cha Mapinduzi) 1977-1992
Tanganyika (Tanganyika African National Union) 1961-1977
Zanzibar (Afro-Shirazi Party) 1964-1977
Togo (Party of Togolese Unity) 1962-1963, (Rally of the Togolese People) 1969-1991
Uganda (Uganda People's Congress) 1969-1971
Upper Volta (Voltaic Democratic Union-African Democratic Rally) 1960-1966
Zambia (United National Independence Party) 1972-1990
Zaire (Popular Movement of the Revolution) 1967-1990
- Some Middle Eastern and North African states;
Algeria (National Liberation Front) 1962-1989
Egypt (National Union) 1953-1962, (Arab Socialist Union) 1962-1978
Iran (Rastakhiz Party) 1975-1978
Iraq (Baath Party) 1968-2003
South Yemen (Yemeni Socialist Party) 1978-1990
Syria (Arab Liberation Movement) 1952-1954
Tunisia (Socialist Destourian Party) 1957-1988
Turkey (Republican People’s Party) 1923-1946
- One state in South Asia;
Bangladesh (Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League) (June 1975 - April 1979)
- One state in Southeast Asia;
Burma (now known as Myanmar) (Burma Socialist Programme Party) (March 23, 1964- September 18, 1988)
- The former Soviet Union, Warsaw Pact, and other Communist states;
Afghanistan (People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan) 1978-1992
Albania (Labour Party of Albania) 1944-1991
Bulgaria (Bulgarian Communist Party) 1946-1990
Cambodia (Communist Party of Kampuchea) 1976-1979, (Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party) 1979-1991
Czechoslovakia (Communist Party of Czechoslovakia led the National Front) 1948-1989
East Germany (Socialist Unity Party of Germany led the National Front) 1949-1989
Grenada (New Jewel Movement) 1979-1983
Hungary (Hungarian Working People's Party) 1948-1956, (Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party) 1956-1989
Mongolia (Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party) 1921-1990
Poland (Polish United Workers' Party led the Patriotic Movement for National Rebirth) 1948-1989
Romania (Romanian Communist Party) 1947-1989
Soviet Union (Communist Party of the Soviet Union) 1922-1990
Yugoslavia (League of Communists of Yugoslavia) 1945-1990
- Several nationalist states;
Federal State of Austria (Fatherland's Front) 1934-1938
Republic of China (Chinese Nationalist Party) 1928-1987
Independent State of Croatia (Ustashe) 1941-1945
Dominican Republic (Dominican Party) 1930-1961
Nazi Germany (National Socialist German Workers' Party) 1933-1945
Kingdom of Hungary (Arrow Cross Party) 1944-1945
Kingdom of Italy (National Fascist Party) 1926-1943 and
Italian Social Republic (Republican Fascist Party) 1943-1945
Japan (Imperial Rule Assistance Association) 1940-1945
Manchukuo (Concordia Association) 1932-1945
Norway (National Gathering) 1942-1945
Paraguay (Colorado Party) 1947-1962
Philippines (KALIBAPI) 1943-1945
Portugal (National Union) 1933-1974
Kingdom of Romania (National Renaissance Front) 1938-1940, (Iron Guard) 1940-1941
San Marino (Sammarinese Fascist Party) 1926-1943, (Republican Fascio of San Marino) 1944
Slovak Republic (Slovak People's Party) 1939-1945
Spain (Spanish Patriotic Union) 1923-1930, (National Movement) 1939-1975
See also
- List of democracy and elections-related topics
- Multi-Party System
- Two-Party System
- Dominant Party System
Notes
- ^ Cuba: Elections and Events 1991-2001 Latin American Election Statistics Home
- ^ Liberia Country Study: The True Whig Ascendancy Global Security