Often it’s described as democratic centralism, but such a term is polyvalent, it means different things to different people. Democratic centralism is often attributed to Lenin as a key innovation, sometimes its blurred with vanguardism, another ‘Leninist’ term. Independent initiative is sometimes described as federalism, the opposite of democratic centralism and something to be wary of. Even in Lenin’s controversial What is to be Done the reorganisation of the party as a collective of professional revolutionaries dedicated to distributing newspapers, posters, leaflets and on, was meant to encourage independent initiative: the ultimate aim being a simultaneous (or practically simultaneous) uprising among the diverse and dispersed people suffering under the Russian Empire.
An ounce of theory is worth a ton of action
The old 'orthodoxy' such as it was, was the three pillars of the IS, state capitalism, permanent arms economy and deflected permanent revolution. The last two are now void and the first isn't such a tremendous intellectual head start any more. The SWP has no programme. What makes the party different and how? Why is it a distinct organisation?
But step into our time again, a party whose point of differentiation is it’s own internal organisation is a step away from a party that exists to perpetuate itself.