Political doctrine/philosophy.

Question 1

Socialism

Answer 1

Socialism is a system where:

Workers control property and wealth distribution.
This control can happen directly, through things like workers’ councils, or indirectly, through the government acting on behalf of the people.
The goal is to create equality, where everyone has the same opportunities and resources.

Question 2

capitalism

Answer 2

Private Ownership: In capitalism, private individuals or businesses control property and make decisions based on their own interests. The “invisible hand” (market forces) automatically balances supply and demand, which benefits society.

Government’s Role: The government’s job is to maintain peace, justice, and reasonable taxes. It provides the rules and laws for how markets should work.

Three Levels of Capitalism:

Markets: Where businesses compete.
Laws: The rules that govern market behavior.
Political Authority: The government that oversees the system.

“Two Hands” of Capitalism: Capitalism needs both the “invisible hand” (market forces) and the “visible hand” (government policies) to develop and grow effectively. The government plays a key role in shaping and guiding the economy.

Question 3

Anarchism

Answer 3

Is derived from the Greek ‘anarchos’ (meaning without a ruler)

was seen to be against capitalism

Holds a belief that government is both unnecessary and harmful in
the sense that it imposes laws on individuals.
 Anarchists argue that the State lacks moral legitimacy and so there
should be no one who must be obliged to obey the State.
 They infer that the State also has no right to command individuals
to obey any law

Question 4

Communism

Answer 4

o Promotes classless, stateless society
o Based on common ownership of production means
o Emphasizes working class replacing ruling class
establish a
peaceful, free society, without classes or government.

Question 5

Conservatism

Answer 5

Favors tradition, opposes radical change

Question 6

Libertarianism

Answer 6

Libertarianism: Key Ideas

Freedom: Libertarianism strongly supports individual freedoms, such as free speech, freedom of assembly, the right to own property, practice religion, and economic freedom (like owning a business or controlling your money).

Personal Responsibility: It emphasizes that people should be responsible for themselves and help others through private charity, not through government welfare programs (they oppose government grants).

Rights: Libertarians believe that life, liberty, and property are the most important rights. If any of these are taken away, the others are at risk.

Tyranny of the Majority: They argue that when the majority makes decisions that harm individual rights, it’s a form of “tyranny” that threatens freedom.

Tyranny of the Minority: Libertarians also think that in modern democracy, special interest groups can control the government, creating a “tyranny of the minority” that works against the majority of people.

Separation of Powers: They support a system where the government is divided into three branches—Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary—so no one branch becomes too powerful.