Central Committee

Under Soviet Communist Party rules, the highest decision-making authority in the former USSR, apart from Congress, which elected it. Except in rare circumstances, however, it exercised little influence, partly because of its unwieldy size and partly because of the concentration of power in the Politburo.

Central Committee most commonly refers to the central executive unit of a communist party, whether ruling or non-ruling. In a communist party, the Central Committee is made up of delegates elected at a Party Congress. In ruling communist parties, the Central Committee makes decisions for the party between congresses, and usually is responsible for electing the Politburo. In non-ruling communist parties, the Central Committee is usually understood by the party membership to be the ultimate authority in decision-making once the process of democratic centralism has led to an agreed-upon position.

Organizations besides communist ones also have Central Committees, such as the Mennonite Church and Alcoholics Anonymous, as well as the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors (to war).