p The communist requirement of “from each according to his ability signifies not only work to the utmost of one’s ability but also active, habitual participation by every citizen in the administration of social affairs. In communist society 281 this important assertion of the individual will be a feature of every citizen, for social self-administration will be a reality. The formation of the new, all-sidedly developed individual necessarily presupposes the formation of the ability to administer social affairs. “The Socialist Soviet Republic,” Lenin wrote, “is faced with a task which may be briefly formulated as follows ... six hours of physical work for every adult citizen daily and four hours of work in administering the state.” Of course, the number of hours mentioned here is relative, but the very fact that Lenin placed work in production on the same plane as the administration of the state shows the tremendous importance that he attached to teaching every person to be a civic worker, a citizen and an administrator.

p In order to make every citizen a capable administrator there must be the corresponding facilities, of which the principal are the material and technical basis of communism and a high level of labour productivity, which gives people free time for non-production (including administrative) activities. In addition, the level of political consciousness must be considerably enhanced so that people would feel the need to administer, to emerge from the shell of their own personal interests. Lastly, every person must be taught to administer social affairs.

p To teach a person to administer social affairs means primarily to raise his cultural level, for administration is creative, intellectual work which requires a knowledge of the intricate mechanism of social relations in society as a whole and in its separate links, and a knowledge of the laws and trends of social development, of the operation of objective laws and potentialities and of the limits within which they can be applied. Before one can administer one must know production, the rudiments of science and technology, spiritual culture and people themselves, as well as their relationship to each other in different spheres of social life. In short, in order to administer, one must know the object of administration and have a thorough knowledge of the methods and means of administration. The best way to learn to administer is through practical participation in administration. The vanguard of the oppressed classes, Lenin wrote, “must educate every member of the working 282 population for independent participation in the administration of the state not theoretically but practically".

p The working people learn the art of administration during the building of communism. On the one hand, the building of communism cannot proceed without drawing the masses into administration and, on the other, the learning of the methods of administration facilitate the success of communist construction.

A necessary condition for the participation of more and more people in the administration of society and the acquiring by them of the art of administration is that socialist democracy must be extended. During the period of communist construction, the development of the socialist state pursues the line of further extending democracy and improving the work of all links of the state machine. In this connection, the Programme of the C.P.S.U. declares: “ Allround extension and perfection of socialist democracy, active participation of all citizens in the administration of the state, in the management of economic and cultural development, improvement of the government apparatus, and increased control over its activity by the people constitute the main direction in which socialist statehood develops in the period of the building of communism."