Politburo: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Executive committee of a communist party}}[[Democracy Party]]

The term "''politburo"'' in English comes from the [[Russian language|Russian]] ''Politbyuropolitbyuro'' ({{lang|ru|Политбюрополитбюро}}), itself aan contractionabbreviation of ''Politicheskoyepoliticheskoye Byurobyuro'' ({{lang|ru|Политическоеполитическое бюро}}, "Political'political Bureau"bureau'). The [[Spanish language|Spanish]] term ''Politburó'' is directly [[loan wordLoanword|loaned]] from Russian, as is the [[German language|German]] ''Politbüro''. [[Chinese language|Chinese]] uses a [[calque]] ({{zh|c=政治局|p=Zhèngzhìjú}}), from which the [[Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary|Vietnamese]] ({{lang|vi|Bộ Chính trị}} "{{lang|vi-Hani|部政治"}}), and [[Sino-Korean vocabulary|Korean]] ({{lang|ko|정치국, 政治局}} ''Jeongchiguk'') terms derive.

The first politburo was created in [[Russia]] by the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Bolshevik Party]] in 1917 to provide strong and continuous leadership during the [[Russian Revolution]] occurringthat occurred during the samethat year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.archontology.org/nations/ussr/cpsu/politburo_hist.php |title=USSR: Communist Party: Politburo |publisher=Archontology.org |access-date=2014-06-16 |archive-date=5 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200105193012/http://www.archontology.org/nations/ussr/cpsu/politburo_hist.php |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/467548/Politburo |title=Politburo (Soviet political body) – Encyclopædia Britannica |encyclopedia=Britannica.com |date=2013-04-24 |access-date=2014-06-16}}</ref> The first Politburo had seven members: [[Vladimir Lenin]], [[Grigory Zinoviev|Zinoviev]], [[Lev Kamenev|Kamenev]], [[Leon Trotsky|Trotsky]], [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]], [[Grigori Sokolnikov|Sokolnikov]], and [[Andrei Bubnov|Bubnov]].<ref>Dmitri Volkogonov, ''Lenin. A New Biography'', translated and edited by Harold Shukman (New York: The Free Press, 1994), p. 185.</ref> During the 20th century, nations that had a politburo included the [[Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|USSR]], [[Politburo of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany|East Germany]], [[Politburo of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan|Afghanistan]], [[Czechoslovak Socialist Republic|Czechoslovakia]] and [[China]], among others. Today, there are many countries that have a politburo system: [[Politburo of the Communist Party of China|China]], [[Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea|North Korea]], [[Politburo of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party|Laos]], [[Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam|Vietnam]], [[Politburo of the Communist Party of Cuba|Cuba]] and India [[Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)| CPI(M)]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://geography.about.com/od/lists/tp/communistcountries.htm |title=A List of Current Communist Countries |publisher=Geography.about.com |date=2014-05-29 |access-date=2014-06-16}}</ref>

===Marxist–Leninist states===

In [[Marxism–Leninism|Marxist–Leninist]] states, the communist party isclaims seento asbe the [[vanguardism|vanguard of the people]], andtherefore from thatthe legitimizeslegitimate itselfbody to lead the state. Essentially, theThe party selects officials to serve in theits Politburopolitburo, informallywhich leaddecides theparty policy. As a [[one-party state]], party policy invariably becomes national policy.

Officially, theEach [[Party Congress]] elects a [[Central Committee]] which, in turn, elects the Politburomembers of the politburo, secretariat, and a [[Generalgeneral Secretarysecretary]]. inThis aprocess processis termed [[democratic centralism]]. TheIn Politburotheory, wasthe theoreticallypolitburo is answerable to the Central Committee, however in practice all the authority lies with the politburo.

===Trotskyist parties===

In [[Trotskyism|Trotskyist]] parties, the Politburo is a bureau of the Central Committee tasked with making day-to-day political decisions, which must later be ratified by the Central Committee. ItIts ismembers appointedare chosen by the Central Committee, fromwho amongappoints its membersit. The post of General Secretary carries far less weight in this model. See, for example, the [[Lanka Sama Samaja Party]].

* [[Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party of China]]