Democratic centralism is the doctrine, espoused by Lenin, according to which the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), and most other communist parties, was traditionally run. It lays down that conflicting opinions and views should be freely...

Democratic centralism is the name given to the principles of internal organization used by Leninist political parties, and the term is sometimes used as a synonym for any Leninist policy inside a political party. The democratic aspect of this...