Democratic centralism

Democratic centralism is a political principle in which party members may discuss policy internally, then must follow decisions made by centralized party authority.

Party discipline: The expectation that members of a political party support its rules, decisions, and public positions. Centralized decisions bind members after internal discussion ends.
Vladimir Lenin: A Russian revolutionary and political leader who helped establish the Bolshevik Party and the Soviet state. Lenin made centralized organization a central concern of Bolshevik strategy.
Social democracy: A political tradition that pursues social equality through democratic institutions and usually accepts multiparty competition. It generally works through electoral pluralism rather than a single party’s binding internal line.
Communist Party of China: The ruling political party of the People's Republic of China, founded in 1921. Its rules and practice invoke democratic centralism in party governance.
Party line: An official position adopted by a political party on an issue. The principle channels debate into a common position members are expected to uphold.
Bolsheviks: The faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party that seized power in Russia in 1917. Their organization became a major historical model for democratic centralism.
Liberal democracy: A political system combining competitive elections with civil liberties, rule of law, and limits on government power. Its public political competition differs from centralized decision-making within a ruling party.
Communist Party of the Soviet Union: The ruling party of the Soviet Union from 1922 until its dissolution in 1991. Its authority structure gave the principle far-reaching political consequences.
Party congress: A formal assembly of party delegates that sets policy, elects leaders, or revises party rules. Congresses can provide a venue for internal debate and formal decisions.
Russian Social Democratic Labour Party: A Marxist political party founded in the Russian Empire in 1898. Debates within this party helped shape the organizational principle.

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