In contrast to the system in the United States, the National Assembly, not the courts, interprets the Constitution. Every five years, a 150-member Central Committee meets to choose the 24 members of the Political Bureau, or Politburo. The Politburo influences state policy. Mass Organizations Several mass organizations, such as the Cuban Workers' Confederation, the National Association of Small Farmers, the Cuban Women's Federation, and the Union of Communist Youth, represent the interests of Cuban citizens. These committees were formed in the wake of the Bay of Pigs invasion in order to protect national security and spread loyalty to the revolution at the grassroots level.
Committees serve several purposes.
Critics claim that they also monitor the political attitudes of the committee's members.