Different strands of socialism

Question 1

3 strands of socialism

Answer 1

• Revolutionary socialism
• Social Democracy
• Third Way

Question 2

What do Revolutionary socialists believe about the implementation of socialism

Answer 2

Socialism can only be brought by overthrowing existing political and societal structures

Question 3

What is revolutionary socialists view on capitalism

Answer 3

Any attempt to ‘humanise’ capitalism would completely undermine principles and objectives of socialism
-Capitalism is based on inequality and exploitation

Question 4

What do Marxists believe about social class

Answer 4

Conflict is inevitable between the owners of productive wealth and those who have to sell their labour to survive (the proletariat).

Question 5

Social Democrats ideas on social class

Answer 5

State intervention to narrow (not remove) class distinctions. Welfare and redistribution schemes to reduce class inequalities

Question 6

What does Social democracy intend to do

Answer 6

Reconcile free-market capitalism with state intervention

Question 7

What are the 3 assumptions that Social democratic socialists have

Answer 7

• State intervention in the economy and society can protect the public and remedy capitalist weaknesses
• Peaceful and constitutional methods should be used to bring about social change
• The way capitalism distributes wealth prodeuces inequality and poverty

Question 8

What do democratic socialists believe about Marxists

Answer 8

-capitalism not a brutally exploitative system and could be reformed peacefully through electoral politics

Question 9

What do democratic socialists advocate for (3)

Answer 9

• state ownership of key industries
• legal safeguards
• welfare measures to protect workers

Question 10

What do democratic socialists argue

Answer 10

-Capitalism is not a brutally exploitative system and could be reformed peacefully through electoral politics

Question 11

What programme do Social Democrats endorse (3)

Answer 11

• Support for a mixed economy, both state and privately owned enterprises with only key strategic industries nationalised
• Keynesian economics
• welfare state

Question 12

Why do social democrats emphasise social justice rather than common ownership

Answer 12

-Stress the redistributive role of the welfare state funded by progressive taxation.

Question 13

What key features characterise Third-way thinking (5)

Answer 13

• Primacy of the market over the state
• Value of community and moral responsibility
• Social model based on consensus and harmony
• Social inclusion
• A competition or market state

Question 14

What does primacy of the market over the state mean?

Answer 14

• Rejects ‘top down’ state intervention
• Endorse a dynamic market economy and an enterprise culture to maximise wealth creation
• Downplay socialist policy of redistributing wealth through progressive taxation

Question 15

How does Third Way uphold the value of community and moral responsibility

Answer 15

–Attempts to resolve inequalities by linking communitarian and liberal ideas

• Personal autonomy operates within a communal context based on mutual dependence and benefit, balancing rights and responsibilities
• Initiatives such as welfare

Question 16

A social model based on consensus and harmony

Answer 16

Endorses both self-reliance and mutual dependence, and the market economy and fairness

Question 17

Social inclusion meaning

Answer 17

• Emphasise equality of opportunity and the benefits of a meritocratic social system
• Doesn’t oppose individual wealth if it helps to improve the overall prosperity of society
• See welfare as a ‘hand up, not a handout’

Question 18

Third way’s views on a competition or market state (2)

Answer 18

• Promote competition to develop the national workforce’s skills and knowledge base
• Focus on social investment such as education