p The building of communist society is characterised by the further development and extension of Soviet democracy. It witnesses the further development of democratic centralism, which ensures the correct combination of central leadership with the utmost promotion of local initiative and an extension of the rights of the Union republics, of local authorities and individual enterprises. Legislation in law, administrative and territorial matters and a number of other economic, political and cultural spheres has been turned over to the jurisdiction of the Union republics. The Rules of the Socialist State Enterprise, adopted in October 1965, envisage a considerable extension of the rights and economic independence of enterprises in utilising funds, regulating the size of the staff, adopting a system of wages, planning, sales, establishing economic relations with other production and trade enterprises, and so forth. There can be no doubt that these Rules 283 will help to encourage the people to display initiative and learn to manage production.

p The extension of democracy is strikingly manifested in the growing role of the Soviets of Working People’s Deputies in the life of society. It is characteristic that by their nature the Soviets have been and remain not only government but also public institutions, and with the development of socialism more and more stress is laid on their social side. “The Soviets,” the Programme of the C.P.S.U. notes, “which combine the features of a government body and a mass organisation of the people, operate more and more like social organisations, with the masses participating extensively and directly in their work.”

p Today with a total of nearly 2,000,000 deputies the Soviets are among the most representative organisations of the people. Most of the deputies are not career politicians but people working at factories, collective or state farms, and scientific and cultural institutions. They fulfil their duties as deputies in their spare time and receive no remuneration. For instance, over 46 per cent of the deputies in the present Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R. are workers or collective farmers directly engaged in material production, and they perform their functions as deputies not as a profession but as a civic duty. In the local (regional, district, town and rural) Soviets more than 70 per cent of the deputies are engaged in material production.

p The Communist Party regards the Soviets as a school of social administration and seeks to draw as many people as possible into their work. To this end the number of deputies in the local Soviets was increased in 1959 by 350,000. As a result, a new, large contingent of workers, collective farmers and intellectuals obtained the possibility of taking part in the work of the Soviets and thereby acquiring experience in the administration of the state. The renewal of the Soviets by not less than one-third at every election ensures an influx of new blood and affords more and more people the opportunity of learning the art of administration. At the March 1965 elections, 55.6 per cent of the composition of the local Soviets was renewed.

p In order to administer society more successfully, the Soviets draw a large number of activists into their work. At the Soviets there are standing commissions consisting, 284 in addition to deputies, of nearly 2,500,000 activists. For example, the Supreme Soviets of the Union republics have standing credentials, legislative, foreign affairs, industry and transport, agriculture, public education, public health and social security, trade and public catering and other commissions. These commissions study the state of affairs in one or another sphere of economy or culture, and submit recommendations to the Soviets, which at their sessions pass decisions on these recommendations and take steps to ensure the fulfilment of these decisions.

p There are other forms of mass participation in state administration, and they include supernumarary departments of the Executive Committees of the Soviets (which enjoy the same rights as regular departments), people’s inspection departments, non-staff instructors, and so forth. Altogether more than 23 million people, or 11 times more than the total number of deputies, participate in the work of the Soviets on a voluntary basis.

p Thus, one of the ways to enable the people to learn the art of administration is to encourage their participation on a voluntary basis in the work of the Soviets.

People’s control over the work of organs of administration is steadily expanding. This control is becoming widespread as is shown by the fact that at every factory and office groups have been elected to control the activities of the factory or office concerned, the quality of the output and the safeguarding of socialist property. Reports by these groups appear regularly in the press.