The Pros And Cons Of A Single-Party System
“A one-party state can be the start of the slippery slope towards fascism,” said by Hu Yaobang, who was the third Chairman of the Communist Party of China. Single-party system is a type of system in which state has single political party could form a government. Under a Single-party system government, all the party are illegal other than ruling party. Since single-party system state only allow single party in the government, citizen have no right to choose their ruling party. Therefore, it is not a democracy system.
Why single-party government could be a dictatorship government? It is because the ruling party has the absolute control of the state. Most democracy countries have Separation of powers, which is a system separate and independent …show more content…
the power of legislature, an executive, and a judiciary. However, the ruling government could centralize the power under single-party system. When the single-party own the absolute control, it could be danger of misuse the power. After WW2 and Chinese Civil War, Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communist Party build the People’s Republic of China. Mao qualifies as the greatest mass murderer in world history (Akbar). Mao always reminded his committee members that never be corrupt by power. Ironically, Mao became corrupt and killed millions of people for maintaining his power. In fact, most single-party governments are dictatorship government because the power tends to corrupt. Thus, although single-party system has it’s own benefit, it also create a dictatorship country.
Most single-party governments are come from pain. It means most single-party governments formed when the state are being suffer. If the government is unable to solve the social problem, the country would become social unrest. Rally, march, or riot would happen for express their mistrust of weak government. Church and Carney say that “A weak democratic government fails to maintain order, and is vilified by nationalists furious at the country's fall from world power to beggary. An attempted coup designed to install a dictatorship collapses, and its leaders are tried for treason. But after a final economic breakdown marked by mass unemployment, fascists come to power with wide popular support and institute a ruthless totalitarianism.” It means when the democratic government unable the social unrest, and the citizens mistrust the government, than the dictatorship government would be able to rule the country because the citizen require a strong and tough government. Therefore, single-party government could rise when the state are suffer.
A single-party government could be a very efficient government, so they would be supported by citizens when the states are suffer. Under this system, the government could make a quick decision and implement the policy efficiently since no opposite party or opposite voice are inside the government or council. After WW1 and The Great Depression, Germany became a weak country from a big power, and the Weimar Republic could not solve the internal and external problems (Church and Carney). Therefore, German supported Hitler and Nazi party, which is a dictatorship party. When Hitler and his Nazi party became the single ruling party of Germany, Hitler break the Treaty of Versailles, which is a harsh treaty for punishing Germany after WW1, and Hitler reform the army and invade Austria. Thus, Germany became a big power in Europe again (Bukey 171-173). When Hitler made the decision, the Nazi government could run the policy immediately because did not have any party or resistance. Therefore, single-party government could be very efficient. That is what a democracy government could not achieve. Most democracy government allow multi party inside the council. Those parties have different opinions and political stand. In some multi-party council, the opposition would prevent the ruling party by means of Filibuster, which is a strategy to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal. It is totally different with single-party government. Thus, single-party government could be more efficient than multi party government. Thus, some country would form a single-party government after war. For example: Germany, and Italy after WW1; China, and many Eastern Europe countries. It is because those countries aimed to rebuild their society. Efficient is the greatest advantage of one-party system. However, it comes with many disadvantage.
"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely," said by Lord Acton. Efficient is come from centralization of power, so it could tends single-party government to a corruptive government.
Reign of terror is very often under single-party government, for they could maintain their ruling and power by the means of assassinating, imprisoning, or threatening.
The ruling party centralize the power of legislature, an executive, and a judiciary, than the government could not be supervised by other independent organization. Since the ruling party control the executive government department, they could arrest and imprison the opposition. Furthermore, most single-party government control the council, and court of law, or some dictatorship government form a secret policy organization to purge the dissident. Secret police are intelligence services or police, and it is quite often in totalitarian states to protect the political power of the dictatorship government or dictator. Nazi government was a dictatorship government which own a secret policy organization. Gestapo, which was an organization of Nazi Germany, used to arrest communist, left-wing politics, dissident, and Jews. In Nazi Germany period, millions of them were sent to concentration camp to imprison, torture, and execute (Malamud). Since Nazi government was a single-party government, and the court and council were controlled by Hitler; therefore, Gestapo could arrest anyone and execute secretly without any evident or reasons. It proves that when the single-party government centralize the powers, lacking of supervising would allow the government misuse the powers and tends to
corrupt.
Major of single-party government would practice obscurantism, which is a policy of preventing the facts from becoming known deliberately. Major of single-party government control citizens' thought by the means of obscurantism. Mostly the government would control the media and information by announcing information selectively, or they instill the minds of the citizens by the means of education. Therefore, the single-party government could select the favorable information to gain support and having absolute obedience from the citizens. Furthermore, obscurantism could use to attack or discredit enemies or opposite ideas; on the other hand, obscurantism could shape a positive image of the dictator. In North Korea, Kim family and the Workers' Party of Korea, which is the only party in North Korea, have been ruling North Korea for almost 67 years. The current leader is Kim Jong-un. According to Kim Jong-un's profile from BBC, the official government states Kim Jong-un could drive a car and shoot in 3 years old, and he could play any sports professionally. The government are trying to shape an incredible Kim Jong-un for gaining worshipper. On the other hand, the government shape democracy, capitalism, and America to an evil image for making common enemies by the means of propaganda. Since the Workers' Party of Korea have been controlling and selecting every information and educations for 67 years, North Koreans do not know anything about foreign country. Therefore, they receive the information of what the government want them to know. It is a successful obscurantism. Obscurantism could be used by single-party government because they can control information and media easily, and it is a useful strategy for having absolute obedience; furthermore, it could control citizen' mind. Like North Korea, even it is an absolute corruptive country, North Korean still believe Kim Jong-un is god. However, this "god" could not lead them to escape from hunger and suffer.
It is not difficult to find massacre of single-party country. This is the symbol of absolute corruption. No matter what party and government, their powers are come from citizen. Therefore, when the government tends to corrupt by powers, people have right to take back the powers. After centralization of powers, single-party government could use the powers to build the state efficiently; however, misusing of powers could tends the state to corrupt. When the government become absolutely corruption, mostly the citizens would join forces and anti-government by any means. Therefore, some kind of mass movement would happen. Like: march, sit-in protest, strike, etc. However, an absolute corrupt government would not return their powers to people, and they want to maintain their powers by any means, include violence and murder. In April 15, 1989, Chairman Hu Yaobang passed away, and many citizen grieve about him. Since Hu was chairman who promote democracy after Chinese economic reform, Chinese thought he was a admirable leader. After he passed away, major of student and intellectual thought the government should face up to the corruption problem. They gather in the Tiananmen Square and express their demands. They drafted a list of Seven Demands for the government: Affirm as correct Hu Yaobang's views on democracy and freedom; Admit that the campaigns against spiritual pollution and bourgeois liberalization had been wrong; Publish information on the income of state leaders and their family members; End the ban on privately run newspapers and stop press censorship; Increase funding for education and raise intellectuals' pay; End restrictions on demonstrations in Beijing; Provide objective coverage of students in official media ( Zhang). Those students wanted democracy and anti-corruption. They gathered in the Tiananmen Square because they realize how corrupt the communist government were, so they wanted to take back their powers. The movement extend to every city of China. After few time of negotiation, the communist government basically agreed their demands. However, Deng Xiaoping, who was a current leader of China, declared martial law on 20 May. Finally, he ordered the armies to clear the square. Tanks and soldiers with firearms started to clear the square in June 3-4. The armies were clearing the square by using guns. Many students, reporters, medical personnel, etc. were killed in that clearing action (Zhang). This is called the June Fourth Incident. However, the June Fourth Incident did not ended in 1989 because the government has been trying to prevent the information of the incident by the means of forming secret police organization and practice obscurantism. This is the model of a single-party government become absolute corruption government, and it show what Lord Acton say. Therefore, when single-party government centralize the powers from citizens and have absolute control, than the government would be absolute corrupt. They would maintain their powers by any means, include killing who were supporting them. This is the absolute single-party dictatorship.
In conclusion, single-party system is a system which have many defect. The central problem is centralization of powers. Power of legislature, an executive, and a judiciary not only cooperate with each other but also supervise. It could prevent misuse of powers; however, single-party government control those powers and military power, so the ruling party would tends to corrupt. Mostly, single-party government rise when the state are suffer and the multi-party government are weak because the people would like to change the situation as soon as possible. Therefore, they would choose single-party government, which is the most efficient government. Single-party government could lead the state escape from suffer; however, it could also bring them to suffer. Reign of terror break the confident of citizens. They would feel scared and danger under the Reign of terror, and they do not trust the law. Practicing obscurantism tends to culture decay. Citizens do not have true understanding because the single-party government shield the truth. When the citizens want to take back the powers from the corruptive government, they sacrifice their life for nothing. Thus, most the single-party government are dictatorship government. Maybe they are not dictatorship government at the beginning, but they would like to maintain their powers by any means, than they transform to a single-party dictatorship.
Why single-party government could be a dictatorship government? It is because the ruling party has the absolute control of the state. Most democracy countries have Separation of powers, which is a system separate and independent …show more content…
the power of legislature, an executive, and a judiciary. However, the ruling government could centralize the power under single-party system. When the single-party own the absolute control, it could be danger of misuse the power. After WW2 and Chinese Civil War, Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communist Party build the People’s Republic of China. Mao qualifies as the greatest mass murderer in world history (Akbar). Mao always reminded his committee members that never be corrupt by power. Ironically, Mao became corrupt and killed millions of people for maintaining his power. In fact, most single-party governments are dictatorship government because the power tends to corrupt. Thus, although single-party system has it’s own benefit, it also create a dictatorship country.
Most single-party governments are come from pain. It means most single-party governments formed when the state are being suffer. If the government is unable to solve the social problem, the country would become social unrest. Rally, march, or riot would happen for express their mistrust of weak government. Church and Carney say that “A weak democratic government fails to maintain order, and is vilified by nationalists furious at the country's fall from world power to beggary. An attempted coup designed to install a dictatorship collapses, and its leaders are tried for treason. But after a final economic breakdown marked by mass unemployment, fascists come to power with wide popular support and institute a ruthless totalitarianism.” It means when the democratic government unable the social unrest, and the citizens mistrust the government, than the dictatorship government would be able to rule the country because the citizen require a strong and tough government. Therefore, single-party government could rise when the state are suffer.
A single-party government could be a very efficient government, so they would be supported by citizens when the states are suffer. Under this system, the government could make a quick decision and implement the policy efficiently since no opposite party or opposite voice are inside the government or council. After WW1 and The Great Depression, Germany became a weak country from a big power, and the Weimar Republic could not solve the internal and external problems (Church and Carney). Therefore, German supported Hitler and Nazi party, which is a dictatorship party. When Hitler and his Nazi party became the single ruling party of Germany, Hitler break the Treaty of Versailles, which is a harsh treaty for punishing Germany after WW1, and Hitler reform the army and invade Austria. Thus, Germany became a big power in Europe again (Bukey 171-173). When Hitler made the decision, the Nazi government could run the policy immediately because did not have any party or resistance. Therefore, single-party government could be very efficient. That is what a democracy government could not achieve. Most democracy government allow multi party inside the council. Those parties have different opinions and political stand. In some multi-party council, the opposition would prevent the ruling party by means of Filibuster, which is a strategy to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal. It is totally different with single-party government. Thus, single-party government could be more efficient than multi party government. Thus, some country would form a single-party government after war. For example: Germany, and Italy after WW1; China, and many Eastern Europe countries. It is because those countries aimed to rebuild their society. Efficient is the greatest advantage of one-party system. However, it comes with many disadvantage.
"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely," said by Lord Acton. Efficient is come from centralization of power, so it could tends single-party government to a corruptive government.
Reign of terror is very often under single-party government, for they could maintain their ruling and power by the means of assassinating, imprisoning, or threatening.
The ruling party centralize the power of legislature, an executive, and a judiciary, than the government could not be supervised by other independent organization. Since the ruling party control the executive government department, they could arrest and imprison the opposition. Furthermore, most single-party government control the council, and court of law, or some dictatorship government form a secret policy organization to purge the dissident. Secret police are intelligence services or police, and it is quite often in totalitarian states to protect the political power of the dictatorship government or dictator. Nazi government was a dictatorship government which own a secret policy organization. Gestapo, which was an organization of Nazi Germany, used to arrest communist, left-wing politics, dissident, and Jews. In Nazi Germany period, millions of them were sent to concentration camp to imprison, torture, and execute (Malamud). Since Nazi government was a single-party government, and the court and council were controlled by Hitler; therefore, Gestapo could arrest anyone and execute secretly without any evident or reasons. It proves that when the single-party government centralize the powers, lacking of supervising would allow the government misuse the powers and tends to
corrupt.
Major of single-party government would practice obscurantism, which is a policy of preventing the facts from becoming known deliberately. Major of single-party government control citizens' thought by the means of obscurantism. Mostly the government would control the media and information by announcing information selectively, or they instill the minds of the citizens by the means of education. Therefore, the single-party government could select the favorable information to gain support and having absolute obedience from the citizens. Furthermore, obscurantism could use to attack or discredit enemies or opposite ideas; on the other hand, obscurantism could shape a positive image of the dictator. In North Korea, Kim family and the Workers' Party of Korea, which is the only party in North Korea, have been ruling North Korea for almost 67 years. The current leader is Kim Jong-un. According to Kim Jong-un's profile from BBC, the official government states Kim Jong-un could drive a car and shoot in 3 years old, and he could play any sports professionally. The government are trying to shape an incredible Kim Jong-un for gaining worshipper. On the other hand, the government shape democracy, capitalism, and America to an evil image for making common enemies by the means of propaganda. Since the Workers' Party of Korea have been controlling and selecting every information and educations for 67 years, North Koreans do not know anything about foreign country. Therefore, they receive the information of what the government want them to know. It is a successful obscurantism. Obscurantism could be used by single-party government because they can control information and media easily, and it is a useful strategy for having absolute obedience; furthermore, it could control citizen' mind. Like North Korea, even it is an absolute corruptive country, North Korean still believe Kim Jong-un is god. However, this "god" could not lead them to escape from hunger and suffer.
It is not difficult to find massacre of single-party country. This is the symbol of absolute corruption. No matter what party and government, their powers are come from citizen. Therefore, when the government tends to corrupt by powers, people have right to take back the powers. After centralization of powers, single-party government could use the powers to build the state efficiently; however, misusing of powers could tends the state to corrupt. When the government become absolutely corruption, mostly the citizens would join forces and anti-government by any means. Therefore, some kind of mass movement would happen. Like: march, sit-in protest, strike, etc. However, an absolute corrupt government would not return their powers to people, and they want to maintain their powers by any means, include violence and murder. In April 15, 1989, Chairman Hu Yaobang passed away, and many citizen grieve about him. Since Hu was chairman who promote democracy after Chinese economic reform, Chinese thought he was a admirable leader. After he passed away, major of student and intellectual thought the government should face up to the corruption problem. They gather in the Tiananmen Square and express their demands. They drafted a list of Seven Demands for the government: Affirm as correct Hu Yaobang's views on democracy and freedom; Admit that the campaigns against spiritual pollution and bourgeois liberalization had been wrong; Publish information on the income of state leaders and their family members; End the ban on privately run newspapers and stop press censorship; Increase funding for education and raise intellectuals' pay; End restrictions on demonstrations in Beijing; Provide objective coverage of students in official media ( Zhang). Those students wanted democracy and anti-corruption. They gathered in the Tiananmen Square because they realize how corrupt the communist government were, so they wanted to take back their powers. The movement extend to every city of China. After few time of negotiation, the communist government basically agreed their demands. However, Deng Xiaoping, who was a current leader of China, declared martial law on 20 May. Finally, he ordered the armies to clear the square. Tanks and soldiers with firearms started to clear the square in June 3-4. The armies were clearing the square by using guns. Many students, reporters, medical personnel, etc. were killed in that clearing action (Zhang). This is called the June Fourth Incident. However, the June Fourth Incident did not ended in 1989 because the government has been trying to prevent the information of the incident by the means of forming secret police organization and practice obscurantism. This is the model of a single-party government become absolute corruption government, and it show what Lord Acton say. Therefore, when single-party government centralize the powers from citizens and have absolute control, than the government would be absolute corrupt. They would maintain their powers by any means, include killing who were supporting them. This is the absolute single-party dictatorship.
In conclusion, single-party system is a system which have many defect. The central problem is centralization of powers. Power of legislature, an executive, and a judiciary not only cooperate with each other but also supervise. It could prevent misuse of powers; however, single-party government control those powers and military power, so the ruling party would tends to corrupt. Mostly, single-party government rise when the state are suffer and the multi-party government are weak because the people would like to change the situation as soon as possible. Therefore, they would choose single-party government, which is the most efficient government. Single-party government could lead the state escape from suffer; however, it could also bring them to suffer. Reign of terror break the confident of citizens. They would feel scared and danger under the Reign of terror, and they do not trust the law. Practicing obscurantism tends to culture decay. Citizens do not have true understanding because the single-party government shield the truth. When the citizens want to take back the powers from the corruptive government, they sacrifice their life for nothing. Thus, most the single-party government are dictatorship government. Maybe they are not dictatorship government at the beginning, but they would like to maintain their powers by any means, than they transform to a single-party dictatorship.