Cuban Reform Essay -- International Government

Since the Cuban revolution, Cuba has been characterized as having a powerful centralized government and as being socialist in nature. Fidel Castro maintained leadership of Cuba from 1959 until 2008 and guarded Cuba away from capitalistic ideology. Throughout his presidency, he was able to curtail the establishment of privatization and economic liberalization. For instance, as late as 2006 the public sector made up 78% of the economy and the private sector only made up 22% of the economy (Oxfam). However, with the election of Raul Castro in 2008 by the National Assembly, there seems to be a shift in ideology that is less antagonistic toward decentralizing power, privatization, and economic liberalization. Raul Castro has brought reforms to Cuba that limit the power of government, weakens the influence of communist hardliners, and boost the ability of the Cuban people to participate in the economy without government supervision. All in all, Raul Castro is preparing Cuba for a period in which the Cuban Communist Party is becoming more moderate and market-oriented practices are being sought after and implemented. One of the biggest reforms in Cuba has been the implementation of term limits on political offices. They were first proposed at the Communist Party national conference in 2011, in which Raul Castro urged the adoption of ten-year terms, including a two five-year term limit for the presidency (Bo). The proposal of term limits manifested itself from Castro’s plan to feed democracy into Cuban politics. He believes that the term limits will allow new ideas into government as a result of more people participating in Cuba’s political system over a shorter period of time. The proposal’s popularity proved itself when it w... ...food production and the benefits of localizing it. Neill, Morgan. "Raul Castro Pushes Change for Cubans." CNN. Cable News Network, 26 Apr. a Talks about the profits made by private farmers after they were given land for food growing. Robles, Frances. "Cubans Who Work More Will Get Higher Salaries." MiamiHerald. Miami Herald, 11 June 2008. Web. 01 Apr. 2012. Explains the changes from flat rate wages to wages that respond to work ethic and position. "Social Policy at the Crossroads." Oxfamamerica. Oxfam, 05 Mar. 2009. Web. 02 Apr. 2012. Gives the statistic of the amount of food Cuba imports. Sullivan, Mark. "Cuba: Issues for the 112th Congress." Congressional Reasearch Service. Federation of American Scientists, 24 Feb. 2012. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. Report that informs of the economic changes undergoing Cuba since Raul Castro’s presidency, financial statistics. Cuban Reform Essay -- International Government Since the Cuban revolution, Cuba has been characterized as having a powerful centralized government and as being socialist in nature. Fidel Castro maintained leadership of Cuba from 1959 until 2008 and guarded Cuba away from capitalistic ideology. Throughout his presidency, he was able to curtail the establishment of privatization and economic liberalization. For instance, as late as 2006 the public sector made up 78% of the economy and the private sector only made up 22% of the economy (Oxfam). However, with the election of Raul Castro in 2008 by the National Assembly, there seems to be a shift in ideology that is less antagonistic toward decentralizing power, privatization, and economic liberalization. Raul Castro has brought reforms to Cuba that limit the power of government, weakens the influence of communist hardliners, and boost the ability of the Cuban people to participate in the economy without government supervision. All in all, Raul Castro is preparing Cuba for a period in which the Cuban Communist Party is becoming more moderate and market-oriented practices are being sought after and implemented. One of the biggest reforms in Cuba has been the implementation of term limits on political offices. They were first proposed at the Communist Party national conference in 2011, in which Raul Castro urged the adoption of ten-year terms, including a two five-year term limit for the presidency (Bo). The proposal of term limits manifested itself from Castro’s plan to feed democracy into Cuban politics. He believes that the term limits will allow new ideas into government as a result of more people participating in Cuba’s political system over a shorter period of time. The proposal’s popularity proved itself when it w... ...food production and the benefits of localizing it. Neill, Morgan. "Raul Castro Pushes Change for Cubans." CNN. Cable News Network, 26 Apr. a Talks about the profits made by private farmers after they were given land for food growing. Robles, Frances. "Cubans Who Work More Will Get Higher Salaries." MiamiHerald. Miami Herald, 11 June 2008. Web. 01 Apr. 2012. Explains the changes from flat rate wages to wages that respond to work ethic and position. "Social Policy at the Crossroads." Oxfamamerica. Oxfam, 05 Mar. 2009. Web. 02 Apr. 2012. Gives the statistic of the amount of food Cuba imports. Sullivan, Mark. "Cuba: Issues for the 112th Congress." Congressional Reasearch Service. Federation of American Scientists, 24 Feb. 2012. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. Report that informs of the economic changes undergoing Cuba since Raul Castro’s presidency, financial statistics.