China's constitution declares that the country is ruled "under the leadership" of the Communist Party of China (CPC).[176] The electoral system is pyramidal. Local People's Congresses are directly elected, and higher levels of People's Congresses up to the National People's Congress (NPC) are indirectly elected by the People's Congress of the level immediately below.[177] The political system is decentralized, and provincial and sub-provincial leaders have a significant amount of autonomy.[178] Other political parties, referred to as democratic parties, have representatives in the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).[179] China supports the Leninist principle of "democratic centralism",[180] but critics describe the elected National People's Congress as a "rubber stamp" body.
