Vietnam is a socialist one-party state, with the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) being the single ruling party. The country operates under a framework of a socialist-oriented market economy, which is a market economy with the state playing a dominant role intended to be a transitional phase in establishment of a socialist economy.

At the highest level of Vietnam’s political structure is the CPV. The highest decision-making body of the CPV is the Politburo, which typically includes top leaders from the Party, government, and military. The Party’s National Congress, which meets every five years, elects the Central Committee, which in turn elects the Politburo.

The government structure of Vietnam includes the President, who is the head of state, and the Prime Minister, who is the head of government. The National Assembly, which is the highest legislative body, is responsible for making laws. The members of the National Assembly are elected for five-year terms and meet twice a year.

In practice, the Communist Party maintains control over the government and the National Assembly, and key decisions are often made by the Politburo and the Central Committee of the CPV before being passed to the National Assembly for ratification.