General Theories

Question 1

Generally speaking, what is Socialism?

Answer 1

Supports:
- social equality
- cooperation
- collective ownership
Opposes:
- class-based society
- capitalism
History:
- emerged 1820s due to poor economic and social conditions of the working class. Stressed community, social equality, cooperation. distaste for the state

Question 2

What is Marxism? + a brief history.

Answer 2

Supports:
- Communism
- Revolution
- State abolishment
Opposed:
- Capitalism
- State
History:
- Marx believed struggles between social classes provided a series of economic modes of production - in capitalist mode between the capitalists and the proletariat - dialectical materialism
- Capitalism would cause economy to crash and the working class would seize the state

Question 3

What is Social Democracy? + a brief history.

Answer 3

Supports:
- Idea the working class can prosper under capitalism
- Welfare state/Trade-unions
- Parliamentary democracy
- Mixed economy
History:
- Fabian society involved initially, Evolutionary socialism, Socialism failed due to economic crash in the 1930s - social democrats abandoned replacing capitalism and believed a managed economy would allow all to flourish under capitalism

Question 4

What is The Third Way? + a brief history.

Answer 4

• Sometimes referred to as Neo-revisionism
  Supports:
• Combine free-market economics with an enabling welfare state
  History:
• A middle position, combining conservative neo-liberalism and and redistributive social democracy - drew on a variety of sources – New Right Conservatism, Social Liberalism, Communitarianism and Social Democracy. Criticised for being an incoherent mix, and failing to establish a genuinely new ideological approach.