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{{Short description|Executive committee of a communist party}}
{{Marxism-Leninism sidebar}}
[[File:Execute 346 Politburo passes.jpg|thumb|274px|The Soviet Politburo passes a resolution to execute 346 "enemies of the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|CPSU]] and the Soviet Government" who led "counter-revolutionary, pro-Trotskyist, plotting and spying activities", signed by secretary [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]], 17 January 1940.]]
A '''politburo''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|ɒ|l|ɪ|t|b|j|ʊər|oʊ|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-politburo.wav}}) or '''political bureau''' is the highest organ of the [[central committee]] in [[Communist party|communist parties]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Politburo#ref1 | title=Politburo &#124; Soviet Leadership & Decision-Making &#124; Britannica }}</ref> The term is also sometimes used to refer to similar organs in [[Socialism|socialist]] and [[Islamism|Islamist]] parties, such as the Political Bureau of [[Hamas]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ecfr.eu/special/mapping_palestinian_politics/politburo/ | title=Politburo | date=21 March 2018 }}</ref> Politburos are part of the governing structure in most former and existing [[Communist state|communist states]].

==Names==
The term ''politburo'' in English comes from the [[Russian language|Russian]] ''politbyuro'' ({{lang|ru|политбюро}}), itself an abbreviation of ''politicheskoye byuro'' ({{lang|ru|политическое бюро}} 'political bureau'). The [[Spanish language|Spanish]] term ''Politburó'' is directly [[Loanword|loaned]] from Russian, as is the [[German language|German]] ''Politbüro''. [[Chinese language|Chinese]] uses a [[calque]] ({{zh|c=政治局|p=Zhèngzhìjú}}), from which the [[Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary|Vietnamese]] ({{lang|vi|Bộ Chính trị}} {{lang|vi-Hani|部政治}}), and [[Sino-Korean vocabulary|Korean]] ({{lang|ko|정치국, 政治局}} ''Jeongchiguk'') terms derive.

==History==
{{expand section|date=October 2022}}
The first politburo was created in [[Russia]] by the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Bolshevik Party]] in 1917 during the [[Russian Revolution]] that occurred during that year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.archontology.org/nations/ussr/cpsu/politburo_hist.php |title=USSR: Communist Party: Politburo |publisher=Archontology.org |access-date=2014-06-16 |archive-date=5 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200105193012/http://www.archontology.org/nations/ussr/cpsu/politburo_hist.php |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/467548/Politburo |title=Politburo (Soviet political body) – Encyclopædia Britannica |encyclopedia=Britannica.com |date=2013-04-24 |access-date=2014-06-16}}</ref> The first Politburo had seven members: [[Vladimir Lenin]],  [[Grigory Zinoviev]], [[Lev Kamenev]], [[Leon Trotsky]], [[Joseph Stalin]], [[Grigori Sokolnikov]], and [[Andrei Bubnov]].<ref>Dmitri Volkogonov, ''Lenin. A New Biography'', translated and edited by Harold Shukman (New York: The Free Press, 1994), p. 185.</ref>

During the 20th century, politburos were established in most Communist states. They included the politburos of [[Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|the USSR]], [[Politburo of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany|East Germany]], [[Politburo of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan|Afghanistan]], and [[Czechoslovak Socialist Republic|Czechoslovakia]]. Today, there are five countries that have a politburo system: [[Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party|China]], [[Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea|North Korea]], [[Politburo of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party|Laos]], [[Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam|Vietnam]], and [[Politburo of the Communist Party of Cuba|Cuba]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://geography.about.com/od/lists/tp/communistcountries.htm |title=A List of Current Communist Countries |publisher=Geography.about.com |date=2014-05-29 |access-date=2014-06-16 |archive-date=16 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161216230655/http://geography.about.com/od/lists/tp/communistcountries.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Marxist–Leninist states===
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2015}}

In [[Marxism–Leninism|Marxist–Leninist]] states, the communist party is the [[vanguardism|vanguard of the people]], therefore the legitimate body to lead the state. The party selects officials to serve in its politburo, which decides party policy. As a [[one-party state]], party policy invariably becomes national policy.

Each [[Party Congress]] elects a [[Central Committee]] which, in turn, elects the members of the politburo, secretariat, and a [[general secretary]]. This process is termed [[democratic centralism]]. In theory, the politburo is answerable to the Central Committee, however in practice all the authority lies with the politburo.

===Trotskyist parties===
In [[Trotskyism|Trotskyist]] parties, the Politburo is a bureau of the Central Committee tasked with making day-to-day political decisions, which must later be ratified by the Central Committee. Its members are chosen by the Central Committee, who appoints it. The post of General Secretary carries far less weight in this model. See, for example, the [[Lanka Sama Samaja Party]].

==See also==
{{Portal|Communism}}
* [[Eastern Bloc politics]]
* [[Executive committee]]
* [[Orgburo]]
* [[Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union]]
* [[Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party]]
* [[Politburo of the Communist Party of Cuba]]
* [[Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam]]
* [[Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)]]
* [[Politburo of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party]]
* [[Politburo of the Party of Labour of Albania]]
* [[Politburo of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan]]
* [[Politburo of the Polish United Workers' Party]]
* [[Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea]]
* [[Political Bureau of the Central Committee of FRELIMO]]
* [[Politburo of the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front]]
* [[Presidium]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wiktionary}}

{{Authority control}}
{{Marxism-Leninism}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}

[[Category:Politburos| ]]
[[Category:Communist organizations]]
[[Category:Political parties]]
[[Category:Political terminology]]