Dictatorship of the proletariat

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In Marxist philosophy, the dictatorship of the proletariat is a condition in which the proletariat, or working class, holds control over state power.^{[1][2][failed verification]} The dictatorship of the proletariat is the transitional phase from a capitalist to a communist economy, whereby the post-revolutionary state seizes the means of production, mandates the implementation of direct elections on behalf of and within the confines of the ruling proletarian state party, and institutes elected delegates into representative workers' councils that nationalise ownership of the means of production from private to collective ownership. During this phase, the organizational structure of the party is to be largely determined by the need for it to govern firmly and wield state power to prevent counterrevolution, and to facilitate the transition to a lasting communist society.

Other terms commonly used to describe the dictatorship of the proletariat include the socialist state,^[3] proletarian state,^[4] democratic proletarian state,^[5] revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat,^[6] and democratic dictatorship of the proletariat.^[7] In Marxist philosophy, the term dictatorship of the bourgeoisie is the antonym to the dictatorship of the proletariat.^[8]