A one-party state, single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a governance structure in which only a single political party controls the ruling system. In the one-party state, all opposition parties are either outlawed or have limited and controlled participation in elections. The expression "de facto one-party" is sometimes used to describe a dominant-party system that, unlike a one-party state, allows (at least nominally) multiparty elections, but the existing practices or balance of political power effectively prevent the opposition from winning power.
Membership in the ruling party tends to be relatively small compared to the population; however, this is not a universal rule, as some one-party states, such as Zaire under Mobutu, made the entire citizenry members of the party. Rather, they give out private goods to fellow elites to ensure continued support. One-party, compared to dominant-party dictatorships, structure themselves unlike democracies. They also turn into multi-party democracies at a lower rate than dominant-party dictatorships. While one-party states prohibit opposition parties, some allow for independent candidates to stand for election in competition with party candidates. Therefore, they place elites and sympathetic candidates in key administrative races. For example, the Chinese Communist Party exercises political control by infiltrating village administrations. They view these positions as crucial for gathering information on the population and maintaining a presence in the far reaches of their borders.
One-party states recognize the trade-off between election victory and gathering valuable data. To account for this, the governments have been observed placing local nobility in easy-to-win races. One-party states have also been observed using elections to ensure that only the most popular elites get chosen to office. They also gather data from elections to indicate if a local official is performing poorly in the eyes of the residents. This gives locals the opportunity to monitor local officials and communicate satisfaction with the local government. Throughout the country, members of the one party hold key political positions. In doing so, the party avoids committing outright fraud and rather sustains their power at the local level with strategic appointment of elites. Data on one-party governments can be difficult to gather given their lack of transparency.
Official one-party states The following countries are legally constituted as one-party states:
CountryHead of partyLeader titlePartyIdeologyDate of establishmentDurationConstitutional basisNotes China Xi JinpingGeneral SecretarySocialism with Chinese characteristicsMarxism-Leninism1 October 1949Article 1 of the Constitution: "Leadership by the Communist Party of China is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics."Eight minor non-oppositional parties, officially termed "democratic parties," have legal status as part of the "united front" system, but their leadership is determined by the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Work Department. Cuba Miguel Díaz-CanelFirst Secretary Communist Party of CubaMarxism–Leninism-Castroism-GuevarismLeft-wing nationalism3 October 1965Article 5 of the Constitution: "The Communist Party of Cuba, unique, Martiano, Fidelista, and Marxist-Leninist, the organized vanguard of the Cuban nation, sustained in its democratic character as well as its permanent linkage to the people, is the superior driving force of the society and the State." Eritrea Isaias AfwerkiChairperson People's Front for Democracy and JusticeEritrean nationalismStatismLeft-wing nationalism16 February 1994The People's Front for Democracy and Justice is the only party in Eritrea. The 1997 Constitution has not been enforced. Laos Thongloun SisoulithGeneral Secretary Lao People's Revolutionary PartyKaysone Phomvihane ThoughtMarxism-Leninism2 December 1975Article 3 of the Constitution: "The rights of the multi-ethnic people to be the masters of the country are exercised and ensured through the functioning of the political system with the Lao People's Revolutionary Party as its leading nucleus." North Korea Kim Jong UnGeneral Secretary Workers' Party of KoreaKimilsungism–KimjongilismJuche Communism9 September 1948Article 11 of the Constitution: "The Democratic People's Republic of Korea shall conduct all activities under the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea."Two minor parties are legally recognised, but are under the control of the Workers' Party of Korea Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Brahim GhaliSecretary General Polisario FrontSahrawi nationalismArab socialism27 February 1976Article 32 of the Constitution: "Until the complete recovery of national sovereignty, the Frente POLISARIO shall be the political framework that shall unite and mobilise politically the Sahrawis to express their aspirations and legitimate rights to self-determination and independence and to defend their national unity and complete the building of their independent Sahrawi State."State with limited recognition, headquartered in Algeria Vietnam Tô LâmGeneral Secretary Communist Party of VietnamHo Chi Minh ThoughtMarxism-Leninism2 September 1945Article 4 of the Constitution: " Communist Party of Vietnam - the Vanguard of the working class, concurrently the vanguard of the labouring people and Vietnamese nation, faithfully representing the interests of the working class, labouring people and entire nation, and acting upon the Marxist-Leninist doctrine and Ho Chi Minh Thought, is the force leading the State and society."Two minor parties, the Democratic Party of Vietnam and Socialist Party of Vietnam, had legal status within the Vietnam Fatherland Front until 1988.
Former one-party states CountryPartyIdeologyDate of establishmentDate of dissolutionDurationContinent Republic of AfghanistanNational Revolutionary PartyPashtun nationalismPashtunizationRepublicanismSecularismAsia Democratic Republic of Afghanistan People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan-KhalqCommunismMarxism–LeninismStalinismPashtun nationalismAnti-imperialismAsia Democratic Republic of Afghanistan/Republic of Afghanistan People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan-Parcham (National Fatherland Front)Communism (until 1990)Marxism–Leninism (until 1990)Afghan nationalismAnti-imperialismAsia Albanian Kingdom Albanian Fascist PartyAlbanian nationalismGreater AlbaniaFascismItalophiliaSerbophobiaHellenophobiaEuropeGuard of Greater AlbaniaAlbanian nationalismFascismEurope Albanian KingdomNational FrontAlbanian nationalismGreater AlbaniaAnti-communismRepublicanismBig tentAgrarian socialismEurope Democratic Government of Albania Party of Labour of Albania (National Liberation Movement)CommunismMarxism–LeninismHoxhaismAnti-revisionismAlbanian nationalismState atheismEurope Party of Labour of Albania (Democratic Front)Europe AlbaniaEurope National Liberation FrontArab socialismAlgerian nationalismPan-ArabismAnti-imperialismAfrica People's Republic of Angola People's Movement for the Liberation of AngolaCommunismLeft-wing nationalismMarxism–LeninismAfrica ArmeniaCommunist Party of ArmeniaCommunismMarxism–LeninismDemocratic centralismState socialismAsia TranscaucasiaCommunist Party of ArmeniaAsia Federal State of Austria Fatherland FrontClerical fascismEurope AzerbaijanAzerbaijan Communist PartyCommunismMarxism–LeninismDemocratic centralismState socialismAsia TranscaucasiaAzerbaijan Communist PartyAsiaBangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami LeagueMujibismBengali nationalismAsiaJatiya PartyBangladeshi nationalismConservatismAuthoritarianismMilitarismAsia DahomeyDahomeyan Democratic PartyAfrican nationalismAfrica Benin People's Revolutionary Party of BeninCommunismMarxism–Leninism (nominally)Africa Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia National PartnershipCollaborationism, NazismEurope Bulgaria Bulgarian Communist Party (Fatherland Front)CommunismMarxism–LeninismDemocratic centralismState socialismEurope State of BurmaDobama Sinyetha Asi AyonAsia State of BurmaMaha Bama Asi AyonAsia Burma Burma Socialist Programme PartyBurmese Way to SocialismAsia Republic of Burundi Union for National ProgressBurundian nationalismTutsi interestsAfrica ByelorussiaCommunist Party of ByelorussiaCommunismMarxism–LeninismDemocratic centralismState socialismEurope (Sangkum era)SangkumKhmer nationalismNational conservatismRoyalismStatismBuddhist socialismEconomic nationalismAsia KampucheaKampuchean People's Revolutionary PartyCommunismSocialismMarxism–LeninismRevisionismLeft-wing nationalismAsia Republic of CameroonCameroonian National UnionBig tentAfricaCameroon People's Democratic MovementBig tentNationalismFrancophilia19751990Africa African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape VerdeCommunismMarxism–LeninismAfrica African Party for the Independence of Cape VerdeAfrica Carpatho-UkraineUkrainian National UnionNationalismEuropeMovement for the Social Evolution of Black AfricaAfrican nationalismAnti-colonialismProgressivismAnti-imperialism19621980AfricaCentral African Democratic UnionAfrican nationalismRepublicanismAfricaCentral African Democratic RallyAfrican nationalismDemocratic socialismSocial democracyRepublicanismAfrica ChadChadian Progressive PartyAfrican nationalismPan-AfricanismAnti-imperialismAfrican socialismFederalismAfricaNational Movement for the Cultural and Social RevolutionAfricaNational Union for Independence and RevolutionNationalismAfricaGuangzhouChinese Communist PartyMarxism–LeninismMao Zedong ThoughtChinese communism19271927AsiaHunan19271927AsiaJinggang19271928AsiaSouthwest Jiangxi19301931Asia Chinese Soviet Republic Chinese Communist PartyAsia XinjiangPeople's Anti-Imperialist AssociationSix Great PoliciesAsia/Taiwan KuomintangTridemismAsiaYan'anChinese Communist PartyMarxism–LeninismMao Zedong ThoughtChinese communism19371949AsiaComorian Union for ProgressNationalism19821990Africa Republic of the CongoNational Movement of the RevolutionScientific SocialismAfrica People's Republic of the CongoCongolese Party of LabourCommunism, Marxism–LeninismAfrica Tinoquista Costa RicaPeliquista PartyNationalismPersonalismAuthoritarianismNorth America Czechoslovakia Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (National Front)Marxism–LeninismDemocratic centralismState socialismHusakismEurope DahomeyDahomeyan Unity PartyAfrican nationalismRepublicanismAfrica Danzig Nazi PartyNazismEuropePeople's Rally for ProgressIssa interestsAfrica Dominican RepublicDominican PartyTrujillismNational conservatismRight-wing populismAntihaitianismoNorth America East Germany Socialist Unity Party of Germany (National Front)Marxism–LeninismDemocratic centralismState socialismStalinismEuropeLiberation RallyEgyptian nationalismPan-ArabismSocialism1957AfricaNational UnionNasserismPan-ArabismSocialism19571962AfricaArab Socialist UnionArab nationalismArab socialismPan-ArabismNasserism19611976Africa El Salvador National Pro Patria PartyFascismAnti-communismConservatismAgrarian oligarchy19331944Central AmericaUnited National Workers' PartyAfrican nationalismPersonalismAnti-imperialismAnti-colonialismAnti-racismPan-AfricanismAnti-intellectualismTotalitarianismAfricaDemocratic Party of Equatorial GuineaAfrican nationalismMilitarismAfrica Eritrean People's Liberation FrontLeft-wing nationalism1991 (Provisional government)