A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio- economic goals of communism
. These parties aim to facilitate the transition of society from capitalism through socialism to communism
. The term "communist party" was popularized by the title of The Manifesto of the Communist Party, written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
. Key aspects of communist parties include:
- Vanguard role : As a vanguard party, the communist party guides the political education and development of the working class (proletariat)
- One-party state : In some countries, such as the Soviet Union, the communist party was the only formal political organization permitted, and it held control over all aspects of political and economic life
- Membership : Communists parties have varying levels of membership, with some parties, like the Soviet Union's, having approximately 2,500,000 members out of a total population of 170,000,000
- Youth wings : Many communist parties have youth wings, such as the Young Communist League in the United States
Examples of communist parties include the Soviet Union's All-Russian Communist Party, the Chinese Communist Party, and the Communist Party USA
. While the historical importance of communist parties is widely accepted, their activities and functions have been interpreted in different ways, with some scholars focusing on the totalitarian aspects of these parties
