Everything about One Party State totally explained
A
single-party state or
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 unfair laws or practices prevent the opposition from legally getting power. 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 means the
Communist Party of the Soviet Union; in reference to
People's Republic of Poland it refers to the
Polish United Workers' Party.
A one-party system shouldn't be confused with a
non-partisan democracy which prohibits all political parties. Also, 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.
In most cases, single-party states have arisen from
Leninist,
fascist or
nationalist ideologies, particularly 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.
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 don't use that term to describe themselves, adopting instead the title of
people's republic,
socialist republic or
democratic republic. In communist states such as
Cuba, 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.
Arguments for and against a single party-system
Supporters of a single-party state often appeal to a sense of unity, strength and commonality that a single-party government can lend a state. They argue that multi-party systems introduce too much division and are unsuitable for economic and political development. This argument was particularly popular during the mid-
20th century, as many developing nations sought to emulate the
Soviet Union, which had transformed itself from a backward,
agrarian nation into a
superpower.
A common counter-argument is that one-party systems have a tendency to become rigid and unwilling to accept change, which renders them unable to deal with new situations and may result in their collapse. This counter-argument became more widely held as the 20th century drew to a close and the
Soviet Union and the countries of the
Warsaw Pact collapsed. Finally, one-party states have often been criticized for their disrespect towards
human rights, however, this is more a reflection on the ideology of the party in power, rather than on the system itself.
Democracy, dictatorship and the single-party system
Some don't consider a single party system to be truly
democratic. This is due, in part, to the perception that a single party represents a single choice for a voter, which is seen to be no choice at all. While this is often true it isn't necessarily the case. For example, under
Mussolini's National Fascist Party numerous candidates ran for election in each
constituency, albeit under the Fascist Party.
Furthermore, the single-party system is heavily associated with
dictatorship. As there's only one party,
political power tends to be concentrated solely within the ruling party. As a result it's usually easy for the party in power to disregard previous
laws or the
constitution of the state, creating a dictatorship consisting of the party. Further contributing to the association of dictatorship and the single-party system is the fact that many dictatorships have adopted a single-party system. This may be a means of legitimizing the dictatorship under that nation's constitution, or to present a veneer of democracy to other democratic nations, or the
ideology of the party may require that the dictatorship rule "by the will of the people".
Although many dictatorships represent themselves as one-party states, a one party-state isn't a requirement of dictatorships. Examples of a dictatorship that isn't a one-party state includes
military dictatorships wherein the political power resides with the
military, who exercise their authority without regard to political parties or elections.
Examples
The
True Whig Party of Liberia is considered the founder of the first single-party state in the world. The party was concieved 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 United States party of the same name. Overtime it morphed into 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 exist today its influence has declined substantially.
Current single party states
The following list includes the countries that are legally constituted as single-party states
as of 2007 and the name of the single party in power:
Former single-party states
Examples include:
many governments in Sub-Saharan Africa after independence, although all except Eritrea have converted to a de jure multi-party system.
many Middle Eastern and North African governments such as:
the former Soviet Union, the Warsaw Pact, and some of its neighbors were ruled by Communist parties.
Afghanistan (National Revolutionary Party) 1975-1978
Burma (Burma Socialist Programme Party) 1962-1988
Cambodia (Communist Party of Kampuchea) 1975-79 (not official until September 1977)
Republic of China (Nationalist Party of China), on Mainland China 1928-1949, on Taiwan 1949-1987
Croatia (Ustaše) 1941-1945
Dominican Republic (Dominican Party) 1930-1961
Germany (National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party)) 1933-1945
Grenada (New Jewel Movement) 1979-1983
Hungary (Arrow Cross Party) 1944-1945
Italy (National Fascist Party) 1928-1943
Japan (Imperial Rule Assistance Association) 1940-1945
Paraguay (Colorado Party) 1947-1962
Portugal (National Union) 1930-1974
Romania (National Renaissance Front) 1938-1940, (Iron Guard) 1940-1941
Slovak Republic (Slovak People's Party) 1939-1945
Spain (Spanish Patriotic Union), 1923-1930, and the (National Movement), 1939-1977.
Turkey (Republican People’s Party),1923-1946.Further Information
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