Cuba is one of the last socialist republics in the Western Hemisphere. The current Constitution, adopted in 1975, describes Cuba as a "socialist state of workers and peasants and all other manual and intellectual workers." Within Cuba, the Communist Party is the only legally recognized political organization.

State Structure

Executive

Cuba's highest executive body is the Council of Ministers. As head of state, Fidel Castro leads this council. The council performs two main functions: it conducts affairs of state, and draws up bills for submission to the Assembly. The Executive Committee of the Council of Ministers is the body that handles the details of Cuba's day-to-day administration.

Legislative

The Asemblea Nacional (National Assembly of People's Power) is the legislative branch of the government. It writes some bills and also implements decisions of state and party officials.

Nomination to the National Assembly is a two-pronged process: half the candidates are nominated by mass organizations like the Cuban Worker's Confederation, and the other half are selected by municipal delegates. In some races, there is only one candidate; the electorate votes either for or against the candidate, making the race something of a referendum on that candidate. In such cases, more than half of the voters in a race need to cast positive votes for the candidate in order for him or her to win the election.

Judiciary

Cuba's highest court is the People's Supreme Court in Havana. The court has a president, similar to the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, and a vice president, who are both appointed by the head of state. The National Assembly elects the other judges. The judiciary is charged with "maintaining and strengthening socialist legality." The court is influenced by political orthodoxy. In contrast to the system in the United States, the National Assembly, not the courts, interprets the Constitution.

The Communist Party

Known by its Spanish name, the Partido Comunista de Cuba (PCC), the Cuban Communist Party is modeled on the Communist Party of the former Soviet Union. Every five years, a 150-member Central Committee meets to choose the 24 members of the Political Bureau, or Politburo. The Politburo influences state policy.

Mass Organizations

Several mass organizations, such as the Cuban Workers' Confederation, the National Association of Small Farmers, the Cuban Women's Federation, and the Union of Communist Youth, represent the interests of Cuban citizens.

Committees for the Defense of the Revolution

These committees were formed in the wake of the Bay of Pigs invasion in order to protect national security and spread loyalty to the revolution at the grassroots level. Every neighborhood has one; there are 15,000 CDRs in Havana alone. Committees serve several purposes. These committees do vital community work: they collect blood for hospitals, organize graduation parties, and act as response teams in emergencies and natural disasters. Critics claim that they also monitor the political attitudes of the committee's members.