Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Early Theories of Socialist Government Chapter 3 Lenin and the Socialist State Chapter 4 The Organs of People's Power: An Overview Chapter 5 Nominations and Elections Chapter 6 Accountability Chapter 7 The People's Councils Chapter 8 Conclusion Part 9 Appendix: Workers' Parliament in Cuba

About the Author

Peter Roman is professor of political science at The Graduate Center, The City University of New York.

Reviews

Praise for the first edition: This is the first study to demarcate an important organ of Cuba's socialist government from its Soviet model. The study results in a reassessment of some entrenched presumptions about Cuba-that its government is totalitarianand non-responsive, and that all its allegedly representative bodies are rubber stamps, totally dominated by the Communist Party....
*The Washington Report On The Hemisphere*

Praise for the first edition: [Poeple's Power] reminds readers of a largely forgotten alternative approach to democracy, a (not fully worked out) approach that was embraced by many socialists for over a century but later was largely forgotten following the rejection of its completely bastardized application in the USSR. In this way this work also constitutes a contribution to the current debate on the nature of democracy under socialism, arguably the central issue in the post USSR debate on the nature of socialism...
*Science & Society*

Praise for the first edition: This is a powerful, well-written, well-argued, and honest book. It makes a really eye-opening classroom text for courses on Cuba or socialism. Peter Roman should be congratulated upon a singular accomplishment.....
*Monthly Review*

Peter Roman's book is a valuable study that helps us better understand the workings, successes, and shortcomings of the Cuban government's effort to promote democracy in that country.
*City University of New York, Carlos Sanabria, City University of New York*

This well-researched and -written book . . . will come as a revelation to many readers. People's Power, based on years of field work and first-hand experience of Cuban elections and the workings of representative bodies, demonstrates that there is a functioning popular democratic political culture as the basis of the Cuban government.
*Political Affairs*

Praise for the first edition:
This is the first study to demarcate an important organ of Cuba's socialist government from its Soviet model. The study results in a reassessment of some entrenched presumptions about Cuba-that its government is totalitarian and non-responsive, and that all its allegedly representative bodies are rubber stamps, totally dominated by the Communist Party.
*The Washington Report On The Hemisphere*

Praise for the first edition:
[Poeple's Power] reminds readers of a largely forgotten alternative approach to democracy, a (not fully worked out) approach that was embraced by many socialists for over a century but later was largely forgotten following the rejection of its completely bastardized application in the USSR. In this way this work also constitutes a contribution to the current debate on the nature of democracy under socialism, arguably the central issue in the post USSR debate on the nature of socialism.
*Science & Society*

Praise for the first edition:
This is a powerful, well-written, well-argued, and honest book. It makes a really eye-opening classroom text for courses on Cuba or socialism. Peter Roman should be congratulated upon a singular accomplishment.
*Monthly Review*

Deserves a place on the shelves of all serious students of Cuba and of comparative government.
*The Bulletin Of Latin American Research*

Praise for the first edition:
This detailed study of the representative institutions of Cuban government provides considerable insight as to the sources of the resilience of Cuban socialism in the face of its well-known economic challenges. . . . Roman makes a strong case that local participation by ordinary citizens is common, lively, and given the lack of resources, reasonably effective. . . . Cuba's system should definitely be pondered by serious students of democracy, and Roman's informative book is a good place to start.
*New Political Science*