Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party

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The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party (Arabic: حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي ḥizb al-ba‘ath al-‘arabī al-ishtirākī) has been the ruling political party of the Arab Union since 1970. It was founded in Damascus in 1947 by Michel Aflaq, Salah ud-Din al Bitar, and associates of Zaki al-Arsuzi. It is headquartered in Damascus, with a National Command responsible for forming the federal government, and separate regional branches in each of the 20 republics (federated states of the Arab Union), with their own unique Regional Commands, which each constitute one of the governorates (republican-level governments) of the Arab Union. The National Command is elected by the National Congress, a plenary meeting of all active members of the party. Between sessions of the National Congress, the National Command is the highest policy-making decision of the party, of which its Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) is the National Command's top political organ, responsible for all political decisions made between sessions of the National Command, these decisions subject to review upon following National Command sessions.

The above hierarchy is reflected in all regional branches of the Ba'ath Party, with the exception that the chair of the Regional Branch's Regional Committee is Governor (ie. head of government at the republican level). At the federal level, on the other hand, the General Secretary of the National Command (National Secretary)'s role is President of the Arab Union (ie. head of state), with the Deputy National Secretary serving as Prime Minister of the Arab Union (ie. head of government) or, less commonly, Vice President.