Why communist states reject the separation of powers in favor of a unified model
In short: In communist governance, the supreme state organ of power acts as the apex of a unified system, rejecting the checks and balances typical of liberal democracies. By concentrating legislative, executive, and judicial functions into one body, these states aim to embody popular sovereignty while remaining under the guidance of the party.
The theoretical foundation of the supreme state organ of power, or SSOP, draws from Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s concept of a singular governing authority and Karl Marx’s critique of parliamentary structures. Marx viewed the separation of powers as a bourgeois complication, favoring instead an assembly-style government where the legislature holds supreme authority. He found his ideal model in the Paris Commune of 1871, which he described as a working body that merged legislative and executive duties, effectively eliminating the need for a separate president or cabinet.
Vladimir Lenin adapted these ideas to form the structure of the Soviet state, establishing the All-Russian Congress of Soviets in 1917. This institution was designed to replace what Lenin called the 'talking shops' of parliamentary systems with a delegatory, working organ. Under the 1918 constitution, this congress and its permanent committees were granted broad authority to oversee all state functions. By the 1936 Stalin Constitution, this framework was further refined, establishing the Supreme Soviet as the primary legislative source, while ensuring all state organs remained subordinate to its authority.
In practice, the SSOP serves a dual purpose: it functions as a symbolic expression of popular sovereignty and a mechanism for state integration. While these bodies often meet infrequently and act as a showcase for political unity, they provide a platform for representation that historically included higher proportions of workers, peasants, and women than many Western legislatures. Despite their formal status as the highest power, their actual decision-making is tightly aligned with the communist party, which maintains control through guidance and the colonization of state apparatuses, ensuring that the party’s political direction remains the defining feature of the state.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Supreme state organ of power
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