The American Communist Party is the fighting organization of the American working class, and within the country now governed by today’s United States of America and Canada it aspires to be the leading political force of the whole people.
The Party upholds and strives to deepen the American revolutionary tradition beginning in 1776 and for the construction of a sovereign and united Republic of, by, and for the American people.
Basing its outlook upon the historical synthesis of Marxism–Leninism, the Party endeavors toward a new synthesis of Marxism within the American context in an age characterized by the breakdown of the unipolar world system and the emergence of a new mode of production.
In an age where anticipating the future has become actual in large-scale, information-based systems of planning, management, and control, the concrete context of class struggle is rediscovered in the battle for the future. The Party therefore inscribes upon its banner the slogan:
“The Future Belongs to the Working Class.”
The task of building a Communist Party in the American context, like the task of building an American state, depends upon the unification of disparate elements.
Toward that principal end, the Party establishes this Constitution to formally outline the procedures and laws governing its unity:
Article I
One Communist Party
Section 1:
The American Communist Party recognizes only one Communist Party within the territory encompassed by the present states of the United States and Canada, with the exception of the colonies, territories, and lands occupied by the United States and Canada which are legitimately contested by other nations.
The American Communist Party is that Party.
Section 2:
The American Communist Party is the official reconstitution of and successor to the historical Communist Party USA.
Article II
Name
Section 1:
The name of the organization is the American Communist Party and abbreviated as “ACP.”
Article III
Logo and Colors
Section 1:
The logo of the American Communist Party is the historical logo of the Communist Party USA, all in red, tilted at a 45-degree angle counterclockwise, with four red stripes extending rightwards and the initials “ACP” in bold letters directly underneath.
These letters are to be written in the unique Party font, and black in all circumstances except where they are imperceptible due to the background, under which exceptional circumstances they may be white.
In all but exceptional cases, the logo should be contrasted with a white background.
Article IV
Official Party Outlook
Section 1:
Marxism–Leninism constitutes the official outlook of the American Communist Party.
Section 2:
The recognition of all historical contributions within the Marxist–Leninist tradition is regarded not as a matter of subjective opinion but as an indispensable condition of being a member of the Communist Party.
The criterion according to which a historical contribution has been made within Marxism–Leninism is judged according to its results or the manner by which the praxis has made a novel contribution to the development of history.
The synthesis of Marxism–Leninism deepens the range of its practical application in new contexts, which reveal with greater clarity its common essence across different eras, regions, and nations.
Section 3:
The Party therefore upholds a Unified Tendency of Marxism–Leninism and rejects dogmatic, sectarian, and doctrinaire interpretations of its various historical expressions.
Article V
Central Party Bodies
Section 1 - Executive Board:
The Executive Board is the highest organ of power within the Party, comprising seven members. All day-to-day tasks of Party leadership are fulfilled by the Executive Board, whose purpose is to ensure the operational success and unity of the Party. The more contentious a given decision by the Executive Board, the more it is incumbent upon the Executive Board to properly consult with lower bodies of Party leadership.
Section 1A:
Each member of the Executive Board will be tasked with a definite role conducive to the general purpose of ensuring the operational success and unity of the Party. These roles include, but are not limited to Executive Chairman, Director of Personnel, International Secretary, Secretary of Education, Party Treasurer. The range of these duties and responsibilities will be decided by the Executive Board itself.
Section 1B:
The Executive Chairman and all other Executive roles will be selected according to the consensus of the Executive Board, pending the first National Congress. The duty of the Executive Chairman is to execute the will of the Executive Board, lower party bodies, and all membership.
Section 1C:
It is incumbent upon the Executive Board to provide reports to the Central Committee outlining the goals of the Party, the plans for how it endeavors to implement them, and whereupon these goals are unable to be fulfilled, a proper explanation of why.
Section 1D:
Upon the formation of the Central Committee, the goals of the Executive Board will be established through close communication, consultation, and dialogue between the Executive Board, Politburo, and Central Committee.
Section 1E:
To whatever extent the Executive Board is unable to fulfill these pre-established goals, its positions, as well as the positions within the Politburo, are subject to contestation by the Central Committee.
Section 1F:
The Executive Board members are vested with the power of deputizing qualified Party members with working under their respective division of labor.
Section 1G:
The Executive Board executes internal decisions by consensus. Disputes in decision-making are referred to the Politburo, which is tasked by means of its input with further arbitrating said disputes until a better consensus is arrived at. If a given decision remains contentious, it is referred to the input of the Central Committee, whereupon a vote is necessary.
Section 2 - Politburo:
The Politburo, comprising 12 deputized members, is an extension of the authority of the Executive Board. It is tasked with aiding in the facilitation of the tasks of the Board. The Politburo works closely with the Executive Board in making major decisions. Active decisions by the Executive Board, which cannot be reasonably inferred to be a mere extension of its enumerated duties, must always be made with the input of the Politburo.
Section 3 - Central Committee:
The Central Committee, comprising one qualified delegate from each chapter, is vested with the power of democratically overseeing that the Executive Board and its deputies in the Politburo correctly fulfill their duties and obligations to the Party. The Executive Board is principally accountable to the Central Committee. The Central Committee works in close consultation with Party leadership to ultimately form realistic, attainable, and where possible, quantifiable goals for the Party.
Section 3A:
Chapter members must meet three criteria in order to be eligible for membership in the Central Committee:
- A minimal level of education, established formally by the Secretary of Education
- Proper recorded participation and contribution to Chapter initiatives
- Election by majority vote within the chapter to be a delegate
Section 3B:
Chapter Executives, Executive Board and Politburo members are ineligible for membership within the Central Committee.
Section 3C:
Where the establishment of Party goals cannot be agreed upon by a clear and overwhelming consensus, it will be arbitrated by vote.
Section 3D:
The Central Committee receives annual political, organizational and financial reports from Party leadership.
Section 4 - National Convention:
The National Convention is the interim body through which the Executive Board will issue initial reports on Party development, present the Party Program, and ratify the Constitution. Upon ratification, the constitution will be binding until the National Congress where a new, updated constitution will be ratified.
Section 5 - Chapters:
A given American Communist Party Chapter can form only on the basis of independent organizational and practical initiative, comprising no fewer than five members. Chapters are tasked with the aim of fulfilling the general initiatives of Party leadership. Toward that end, they are entitled to employ the maximum degree of creativity, experimentation, and ingenuity within reasonable limits.
Article VI
Executive Accountability
Section 1 - Objective Criteria of Executive Performance:
When the Executive Board and Central Committee arrive at a mutually-agreed upon set of objective criteria, the criterion is recorded on the public ledger.
Article VII
Chapters
Section 1:
Chapters are autonomous only to the extent that they fulfill the general aims of the Party. They are tasked with the responsibility of electing leadership, ensuring organizational coherence, and administering and managing their members.
Section 2:
Chapter autonomy with regard to administration, management and governance extends only insofar as it does not conflict with the goals established by Party leadership.
Section 2A:
Chapters have the experimental autonomy of independently establishing democratic procedures with regard to decision-making, management, and control of chapter resources, provided that said procedures are viable, functional, conform to principles of democratic centralism at the practical level, and in no way conflict with the general aims of the Party overall.
Section 3:
The relationship between the leading bodies of the Party and chapters are governed by a general principle and norm of non-interference, unless deemed necessary by extraordinary circumstances at the discretion of Party leadership.
Section 3A:
To the extent that Chapters become dysfunctional as a consequence of poor leadership, conflicts, or poor discipline, they invite the intervention of Party leadership.
Section 3B:
The extent of which leading Party bodies participate in interventions will be determined by weighing the urgency of circumstances, the necessary extent of confidentiality on the basis of Party security, and its contentiousness at the democratic level. For example, in circumstances that demand quick, immediate, and decisive action, the Executive Board may act alone in intervening. In circumstances which may be contentious at the Party-wide level, the given extent of an intervention may be decided by a vote within the Central Committee.
Section 3C:
Depending on the level of confidentiality deemed necessary by security, reports to the Central Committee and Party organs will be published with regard to interventions.
Section 4:
All Chapter social media accounts must be verified on the Party’s public blockchain ledger, approved by Party leadership, and conform to the established Social Media guidelines.
Section 4A:
All Two-Factor authentications of Social Media accounts must be centralized in the hands of Party leadership.
Section 4B:
Social Media accounts must be controlled democratically within a given Chapter, and under no circumstances can be permitted to fall in the hands of a single individual.
Section 5:
All intra-chapter disputes will be arbitrated by Party leadership. The leading bodies which participate in this arbitration are to be decided on the same basis as established in Article VII, Section 3B.
Article VIII
Democratic Centralism
Section 1:
The American Communist Party is guided by the Leninist organizational principle of Democratic Centralism.
Section 2:
In keeping with Democratic Centralist principles, the Party formally establishes a criterion of practical success as the fundamental element in the determination of law, procedure, and governance within the Party.
Section 2A:
The yielding of practical results and fulfilling practical objectives is to be given a greater degree of importance than bourgeois formalism.
Section 2B:
Democracy is not to be regarded as a principle in and of itself, but is necessary to the extent that it aids in the facilitation of genuine organization, operational and practical success.
Section 2C:
In extraordinary historical circumstances, such as in a state of civil war, all democratic procedures must give way to a strict, militant chain of command.
Section 3:
The Party, in contrast to bourgeois law, operates not on the basis of dead legal formalism but acquiesces wherever necessary to the living demands of active organization and struggle in the course of its development.
Section 4:
The Party grants membership the right of a strictly internal freedom of criticism. Public criticism of the Party may be permitted through approved Party mediums, such as the Party journal.
Section 4A:
Freedom of criticism and of opinion are permitted only insofar as they do not degrade the dignity of others or the Party and are presented in a genuinely comradely fashion.
Section 4B:
It is incumbent upon Party leadership to allow for genuine differences of opinion and criticism to be given expression within the Party. No suppression of internal discussion, dialogue and debate is permissible except in highly extraordinary circumstances.
Section 4C:
It is binding upon all Party members to practically fulfill the line established by Party leadership. However, Party members reserve the right to internally critique this line discursively.
Section 5:
All Party members have the right to participate in and submit theoretical or analytical work to Party publications and media (such as Red America), provided that these submissions evince an appropriate level of articulation, education, and sincerity.
Section 6:
All discussions pertaining to Party work, business and governance must confine themselves to formally approved and appropriate channels of communication.
Section 7:
Discrimination according to race, ethnicity, sex, or religious creed is strictly prohibited. To offend, demean or degrade the heritage of a given historically-constituted group is strictly prohibited. Any violation of the dignity and privacy of a given Party member on the basis of sex or other characteristics is strictly prohibited.
Section 7A:
The Party exercises a strict zero-tolerance policy with regard to any and all forms of sexual harassment and abuse.
Section 7B:
The Party exercises a strict zero-tolerance policy with regard to all lewd, obscene, and inappropriate displays and behaviors which offend the moral sensibilities of the people.
Section 7C:
All attempts to offend and provoke the national and religious sensibilities of the people are strictly prohibited.
Section 7D:
The Party exercises a strict zero-tolerance policy with regard to members found guilty of sexual crimes of any kind whatsoever, according to the laws established by the United States and Canada.
Section 8:
Any member conclusively found to be engaging in espionage or subversion against the Party, who participates in the activities of any group or organization which seeks to undermine the Party mission, or who advocates for violent or criminal activity will be expelled. Any member will be expelled from the Party who is found to be engaged in espionage against the Party, or anyone who advocates for violence or terrorism. Any member who engages in public doxxing or harassment campaigns, or who participates in the activities of any group or party which works to undermine the Party mission will face disciplinary action or expulsion.
Article IX
National Congress
Section 1:
No later than two years after the ratification of this constitution, the first National Congress of the Party will be convened.
Section 2:
The National Congress of the American Communist Party serves the purpose of comprehensively evaluating and scrutinizing the performance of Party leadership as it pertains to the fulfillment of objectively established criterion.
Section 3:
The National Congress is vested with the power of amending and ratifying the Party constitution.
Section 4:
Before the convocation of the National Congress, Party leadership will be accountable for their performance with regard to the objectively established criterion established before.
Section 4A:
In the event that Party leadership fails in fulfilling the established goals, they are automatically subject to a vote of no confidence by the Central Committee, during which they will have the opportunity to explain their failure.
Section 4A(1):
If the Central Committee finds the explanation by Party leadership unsatisfactory, they may, through a majority vote, dissolve the current Executive Board and Politburo.
Section 4B:
Upon the dissolution of the Executive Board and Politburo, it is incumbent upon the Central Committee to nominate new members of the Executive Board.
Section 4B(1):
Executive Board, Politburo, and Central Committee members alone are eligible for nomination to the Executive Board.
Section 4B(2):
Central Committee nominees must be nominated by at least one other member of the Central Committee, seconded by one other member of the Central Committee, and accepted by the nominee.
Section 4B(3):
Members of the Politburo reserve the right to nominate themselves.
Section 4B(4):
In the event that there are multiple nominees for a single position, a run-off election will take place, at the conclusion of which two nominees with the highest votes will run against one another for the position.
Section 4B(5):
Former Executive Board members will be eligible nominees according to the same standards established for Central Committee members.
Section 5:
Upon the selection of new nominees for the Executive Board, the National Congress, selected as an odd number, will serve as the voting body for the election of Executive Board members.
Section 5A:
The election of new members of the Executive Board will be determined on the strict basis of a majority vote.
Section 6:
The National Congress consists of a combination of the Central Committee and Congressional Delegates.
Section 6A:
The allotted number of Congressional Delegates per Chapter is determined on the basis of Chapter size, geography and performance.
Section 7:
Six months prior to the National Congress, all bodies of the Party will discuss, critique, and scrutinize party program, policy, and direction. In this period, Party bodies will draft reports and recommendations to present to the Party ahead of the National Congress.
Section 8:
On the basis of close dialogue, communication, and consultation between Party leadership, the Central Committee, Party Chapters and individuals, it is incumbent upon the existing Executive Board, together with the Politburo, to produce amendments and modifications to the Party constitution on the basis of input provided by Party membership, practical experience, and novel developments.
Section 9:
The National Congress must ratify the Party constitution by majority vote, regardless of the extent of changes made to the Party constitution.
Section 9A:
In the event of the National Congress rejecting the ratification of the Party constitution, the voting period of the National Congress is prolonged by two months, during which time the Party leadership must present a constitution that is ratified by the National Congress by a majority vote.
Section 9B:
In the event of the dissolution of the Executive Board prior to the convocation of the National Congress, the National Congress will be prolonged by two months, in order to give the newly elected leadership adequate time to propose the Party constitution to be ratified by the National Congress.
Section 10:
During the interim period following the dissolution of the Executive Board by the Central Committee before the convocation of the National Congress, existing Executive Board members retain effective leadership for the facilitation of day-to-day responsibilities until the election of new members.
Article X
Membership
Section 1:
Any citizen of the United States and Canada, permitted that they dwell within uncontested territory, are 18 years of age is eligible to apply for membership.
Section 2:
A candidate for membership must apply through such means as the Executive Board has provided (e.g., the Party’s website) and fill out any associated questionnaires and forms. This application will be private and shared only with the Executive Board and Politburo (and executive board) for purposes of conducting interviews, verifying the applicant’s identity, and intent in joining.
Section 2A:
Candidate for membership will be interviewed and approved directly by a member(s) of the Party’s sitting Executive Board or a deputized Politburo representative and put into contact with the appropriate chapter.
Section 2B:
After approval, a candidate for membership will be assigned to the chapter closest to their place of permanent residence. This application will be subject to approval by the chapter’s existing membership. A candidate must be endorsed by at least one member of the chapter in order to qualify for membership to the Party. This endorsement will be considered the candidate’s sponsor, and take responsibility for the candidate’s character and education.
Section 3:
After approval by his or her local chapter, a Party member is considered probationary for a period of no less than three months and not to exceed one calendar year, during which time they must demonstrate acceptance of the Party’s constitution, program, and active dedication to the class struggle (through attending chapter meetings, participating in Party work, assisting with chapter enterprises, etc.), adherence to democratic centralism, and a working knowledge of the basics of Marxism–Leninism.
Section 4:
Once a Party member is approved or has been a Party member for at least one calendar year they will be subject to the standard review, disciplinary processes, and assigned the full rights and duties of Party membership.
Section 4A:
Probationary members will not be considered full members in this regard. Each probationary member’s participation is subject to the discretion of his or her sponsor and Chapter Executive.
Section 5:
The Executive Board, Politburo, and State Chapters will participate in pre-congressional discussions to develop reports for the National Congress.
Section 6:
Prior to the National Congress, at least four months will be allotted for pre-congressional discussions encompassing all levels of the Party’s organization and all members in which State Chapters, the Central Committee, the Politburo Bureau, and the Executive Board can consider policies, evaluate leadership, develop reports and other documents coming before the National Congress. During pre-congressional discussions, Party members have the right and duty to engage with and discuss any and all Party policies, strategies, and tactics, the right to criticize the composition and work of all leading committees and bodies, and the right to suggest new tactics, strategies, policies, and leaders.
Section 7:
Any chapter may recall its executive or appointments to committees at any time by a vote of two-thirds of the chapter’s membership. Members of a chapter have the right to submit statements, suggestions, or pleas relating to the performance of Chapter Executives at any time to the Executive Board and Politburo so long as such requests are made in such a way that is not public and not in violation of democratic centralism.
Section 8:
All members have the right to pursue internal charges against any other member of the organization in accord with Article XII. Any member who has been subject to disciplinary action has the right to appeal to the next higher body, using the same protocols established in Article XII. Appeals to the National Congress and Executive Board will be heard by a committee appointed by the appropriate body.
Article XI
Advancement of Community Work and Enterprise
Section 1:
Community work is encouraged for all members through their Chapters. All community work must be in keeping with the general principles of the Party and this Constitution. All community work must be conducted in accordance with laws of the jurisdiction in which the work is carried out. All community work must avoid conflicts of interests that interfere with or undermine the fundamental principles of the Party and the Constitution.
Section 2:
Chapters will establish small businesses or cooperatives owned by the Party Chapter (Chapter Enterprises) with the intent of both funding the Chapter and Party.
Section 3:
Taxes and special assessments may be levied on Chapter enterprises by the Executive Board for the purposes of maintaining essential operations of the Party and applying only in cases where the Chapter enterprise is deemed able to afford such levies.
Section 4:
A Chapter may apply for investment funding or seed capital for Chapter enterprises. This Party fund will be under the direct supervision of the National Treasury section of the Executive Board, and awarded on a case-by-case basis, as decided by the Executive Board. The Executive Board reserves the right to require expertise in any field being investigated and to bring in a consultant with expertise in the field in order to provide sound investment advice.
Section 5:
Henceforth, In order to maintain transparency, the Party treasury will issue a report on finances at every regularly-scheduled National Congress.
Article XII
Disciplinary Procedures
Section 1:
All disciplinary matters will be handled by the Executive Board or by Politburo members designated by the Executive Board.
Section 2:
Charges against individual members or committees of the Party may be made by any member of the corresponding Chapter or Committee. A charge will be brought through the appropriate mediums of communication used by the official Party Chapters and Committees. All charges will be handled expeditiously.
Section 3:
All persons concerned in a disciplinary case have the right to appear, bring material witnesses, and testify on the matter at hand.
Section 4:
The Chapter or committee having jurisdiction, or Executive Board has the right to remove members from the Chapter. The Executive Board retains the right to implement any disciplinary action, including expulsion.
Section 5:
Upon Party leadership's decision of Party expulsion, the expelled former member will be immediately removed from all official Party communications and lose credentials, digital or otherwise, of Party membership.
Article XIII
The Use of Blockchain and Verification Processes
Section 1:
The blockchain smart contract will be a transparent, verifiable, and permanent record that reflects a subset of the Party policy, decisions, and consensus. As such, the software may be corrected, modified, or completely replaced by the leadership of the Party in accordance with the Party’s democratic centralist principles.
Section 2:
The Party will establish a public permanent ledger of all members, including verified social media accounts, executives of Party chapters, leadership positions, and the objective Party goals. Social media accounts will be verified via cryptographic signatures generated by the presiding executive of a given chapter.
Section 3:
If removed from membership or a leadership position, whether by vote or disciplinary action, an individual must immediately relinquish control of and access to any official social media accounts of the Party, including State Chapter social media accounts. The Party reserves the ability to pursue all legal remedies to protect the rights and integrity of the Party by ensuring accountability regarding public facing communications associated with its official accounts.
Article XIV
Financial Accountability
Section 1:
Financial reports of the Executive Board, Politburo, and State Chapters will be presented to members in writing by the time of the National Congress.
Article XV
Liabilities
Section 1:
The American Communist Party is not responsible for any political document, policy, book, article, or any other expression of political opinion, whether in person, in print, or online, except those which are authorized by the leadership of the American Communist Party.