7.1c Communism

Question 1

Communism:

Answer 1

Communism believes that wealth in society should be commonly owned by all individuals.

A communist economic system has a planned economy and public ownership of industries.

In a planned economy, the state owns and controls all means of production such as land, capital and labour.

Question 2

Communism: Karl Marx and Communism

Answer 2

Karl Marx’s ideas are important within communism.

Karl Marx believed capitalism would be brought to an end by the exploited working class revolting and overthrowing the owners of capital in society.

For Marx, the revolution by the working class would cause capitalism to end.

For Karl Marx, communism exists when there are no social classes of people in society, and all individuals cooperate and live peacefully.

Question 3

Communism: Examples

Answer 3

The communist belief that business owners exploit the working class in society exists in organisations today.

Topshop’s employees have protested in the past over their pay which they complained was less than the ‘Living Wage’ of £9.40 in London and £8.25 for the rest of the UK.

TNS Knitwear, a clothes supplier to the store Primark, was found by a BBC investigation in 2009 to pay its workers £3.50 an hour in its factories, and employ illegal workers in poor conditions in Manchester.