National Institutions, Spatial Differentiation and Race: Variation in Cuba's Political Regime

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.13169/intejcubastud.13.1.0086
• Pages: 86-104
• Published date: 01 July 2021
• Date: 01 July 2021
• Author: Jorge I. Domínguez
• Subject Matter: Cuba,National Assembly,Council of State,spatial differentiation,race,elite selection,political regime

InternatIonal Journal of Cuban StudIeS 13.1 Summer 2021

ACADEMIC ARTICLE

NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, SPATIAL

DIFFERENTIATION AND RACE: VARIATION

IN CUBA’S POLITICAL REGIME

Jorge I. Domínguez

Jorge I. Domínguez was formerly a professor (1972–2018) at Harvard University. He has

published numerous books and papers on Cuban politics and society. Website https://

jorgeidominguez.com

Abstract

Does territorial variation matter for institutional inclusion, how do officials discuss it

and, given racial heterogeneity, how do interacting spatial and racial variations affect

institutional design? This article examines the spatial anchoring of Cuba’s Council of State

members in 2003, 2008, 2013 and 2018. There has been little official public discussion

regarding Council member territorial districts. Fidel Castro’s presidency scored low

on spatial inclusion, displaying marked territorial disparities in Council membership.

Such disparities narrowed under Raúl Castro and Miguel Díaz-Canel, improving spatial

inclusion. Selectors have also decoupled racial and territorial factors in choosing Council

members. Relative to each province’s Afrodescendant population share, there have

been more Afrodescendant Council members than demographically to be expected

in Afrodescendant-minority provinces. Through 2013 Council Afrodescendants were

fewer than demographically to be expected in the three Afrodescendant-majority

provinces. Only in 2018 did Afrodescendant population shares and Council membership

shares match in Afrodescendant-majority provinces.

Keywords: Cuba, National Assembly, Council of State, spatial differentiation, race,

elite selection, political regime

How do states take territorial variation into account in the design of institutions

that purport to be broadly inclusive of its citizenry? How salient are spatial

NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, SPATIAL DIFFERENTIATION AND RACE 87

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differences in official discourse regarding such institutional inclusion? In racially

heterogeneous populations, how do interactions between spatial and racial vari-

ations affect institutional design choices?

Cuba’s design of its constitutional institutions poses these questions well. Its

elections to the National Assembly (parliament) are uncompetitive: the number

of candidates for election equals the number of legislative posts to be filled.

Therefore, Communist Party of Cuba leaders (Partido Comunista de Cuba,

PCC) have emphasised dimensions of institutional inclusion other than accom-

modating political critics. The Assembly’s design incorporates territoriality; its

membership is proportionate to shares of the nation’s population, organised in

districts and provinces. The Council of State is the Assembly’s executive commit-

tee; only Assembly Deputies may belong to the Council. In addition, Cuba dis-

plays racial heterogeneity across its provinces, but Afrodescendants are a

majority of the population in the three easternmost provinces and almost half of

the people in the City of Havana.

This article examines the spatial anchoring of members of Cuba’s Council of

State in 2003 (Fidel Castro’s, henceforth F. Castro, last Council), 2008 and 2013

(Raúl Castro’s, henceforth R. Castro, Councils), and 2018 (Miguel Díaz-Canel’s

first Council). A new Council membership was selected on each of those years

following a noncompetitive National Assembly election. There was a lack of

official public discussion regarding the territorial origins of Council members

and their marked territorial disparities. Spatial inclusion was especially problem-

atic during Fidel Castro’s last Council presidency. Such territorial disparities

narrowed under the Raúl Castro and Miguel Díaz-Canel Council presidencies,

thereby improving spatial inclusion, notwithstanding a persistent lack of public

discussion regarding this criterion for inclusion. Selectors of Council members

have also decoupled racial and territorial factors in the configuration of Council

membership across the three presidencies. Relative to each province’s

Afrodescendant population share, there have been more Afrodescendant Council

members than demographically to be expected in Afrodescendant-minority

provinces. Through 2013, Council Afrodescendants were fewer than demo-

graphically to be expected in the three Afrodescendant-majority provinces. Only

in 2018 did Afrodescendant population shares and Council membership shares

match in Afrodescendant-majority provinces.

Comparative Context

How do other states accommodate territorial and ethnic heterogeneity? In the

rationalist tradition, Riker (1964) argued that federalism is one solution to the

organisation of territorial politics, especially in large countries with democratic