unified power

{{Short description|Political power principle of socialist/communist states}}

{{Marxism–Leninism sidebar}}

Unified power{{efn|Also referred to as "unity of power", "unitary power", "unified state power" and "unity of state power".}} is the political power principle of communist states, whereby political power, instead of being separated into different branches as Montesquieu called for, is unified, in the state's case, in the highest organ of state power.

This principle drew inspiration from the Paris Commune established in 1871. This commune established a representative institution, the Commune Council, which had executive, legislative and judicial powers and, therefore, no separation of powers. Karl Marx wrote approvingly of this model, noting that it was "a working, not a parliamentary, body, executive and legislative at the same time."{{Cite book |last=Davidshofer |first=William J. |title=Marxism and the Leninist Revolutionary Model |date=2014 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-1-349-48849-0 |location=New York |language=en |doi=10.1057/9781137460295}}{{Rp|page=61}}

The constitution of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic was the first modern state formation to put this system into practice, and designated the All-Russian Congress of Soviets as the highest organ of state power. Vladimir Lenin, the leader of Russia at the time, believed that only through unified power could one govern in the name of the dictatorship of the proletariat.{{Cite book |title=China's Political System |date=2020 |publisher=China Social Sciences Press and Springer Publishing Company |isbn=978-981-15-8361-2 |editor-last=Fang |editor-first=Ning |series=China Governance System Research Series |location=Singapore |language=en |chapter=Chapter 3: China’s System of People’s Congresses |doi=10.1007/978-981-15-8362-9 |s2cid=158853804 |oclc=1198557413}}{{Rp|pages=55–57}}

In communist systems, the highest organ of state power works under the ruling party's leadership.

The People's Republic of China's political system, officially referred to as the system of people's congress, is grounded on this principle.{{Rp|pages=57–59}}