Dr. Jorge I. Dominguez is a retired Harvard University professor. He held a number of offices during his tenure, such as the Harvard vice provost for international affairs, director of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, and chair of the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies. Additionally, Dr. Jorge I. Dominguez is a writer and publisher and has written research articles and books, including “The Democratic Claims of Communist Regime Leaders - Cuba’s Council of State in a Comparative Context.”

This article investigates the democratic claims made by communist regime officials, using Cuba's Council of State as a case study of how Cuba's political system in practice compares to the democratic principles advocated by Cuba's leaders, who state that the country has a democratic system. Doing this is misleading based on how one can typically define democracy in comparative politics.

The Council of State, which is Cuba’s highest and final decision-making body, is presented by Cuban leaders as embodying exemplary leadership and policymaking. However, the article explains that the Council of State appears to have significant authority and influence, but in reality lacks genuine independent power. The article explains that Raul Castro (former president of Cuba) and a small group of senior officials who dominate decision-making hold the real power. Elections for the National Assembly involve a single approved slate of candidates with high approval rates that suggest a lack of meaningful choice or competition.

Through this analysis of Cuba's political institutions and processes, the article challenges the notion that one can characterize the country as based on the principles of liberal democracy or communist democracy. The article concludes that Cuba exhibits authoritarian features more than democratic ones based on the concentration of power and lack of political pluralism. The reality falls far short of the democratic rhetoric employed by the country’s leaders.