Democratic Centralism

The principle underlying the government and organization of socialist society. It is a combination of the independent activity and initiative of all collectives and groups, and the electiveness of the leading organs on the one hand and the subordination of the minority to the majority, and the recognition of a single guiding center and discipline on the other. It is opposed to bureacurratic centralism, which precludes independent local activity, and anarchism, which rejects the need for the state, i.e. of a single guiding centre.