Communist state is a term used by Western historians, political scientists, and media to refer to
states that are governed by a
single party adhering to some variation of
Marxist–Leninism as its guiding ideology. However, contrary to Western usage, these states do not describe themselves as "communist" nor do they claim to have achieved communism; they refer to themselves as
Socialist states or
Workers' states that are in the process of constructing
socialism.