ABSTRACT
The momentum of political and economic reforms in Cuba is charted by the two stages of rectification and a changing constellation of international and domestic conditions. Socialist democracy is Cuba's alternative to liberal democracy, even though for some the values underpinning a liberal democratic model of modern political life have assumed universal status. A perspective on Cuba and the socialist state that focuses on the relationship of bureaucracy and participation can in fact engage the multiple dilemmas of thinking about democracy. The centre stage, political control, is set by calling political control "accountability," a concept that facilitates an understanding of power in capitalist society and alternatives—including, of course, Cuba. As a careful look at the state, bureaucracy, and the Cuban schools explains, it is ordinary people who reveal the possibilities of democracy in a complex world. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
