Why was the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) called that when they were communists?
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“Soviet” is the russian name for a council.
There is a form of democracy where you have a tier system of councils.
Each council as a distinct scope of governance down to a very small level.
Counsels send a representative to the higher level. The representative has an imperative mandate, meaning he can be recalled at any time should the council conclude their interests aren’t properly represented by that person.
Its quite an elaborate form of democratic decision making, but ofc you can debate its pros and cons.
A soviet republic is a tree structure of these councils.
The USSR wasn’t the only one btw, there was once a [Soviet Republic of Saxony](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Republic_of_Saxony?wprov=sfla1) in Germany.
Now multiple of those united under their common ideology of socialism (and a new top tier soviet) and were thus called the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Communism doesn’t really have anything to do with it, maybe you might be able to have a Union of Soviet Capitalist Republics.
Please correct me wherever I am wrong (anybody who sees it) this is just my understanding as someone who never received any education on this matter.
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