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Politics Paper 1 > Socialism > Flashcards

Socialism Flashcards

1
Q

What is the underpinning idea of socialism?

A

collectivism

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2
Q

What is collectivism?

A

the idea that people work best when working as a group

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3
Q

What about human nature suggests that collectivism works?

A

socialists believe human nature suggests we are social animals and prefer to live in groups

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4
Q

What is the term that socialists use to explore collectivism?

A

fraternity - humans are bound together by common interests and inclinations

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5
Q

What does being a membership of a community/society allow according to socialists?

A

allows true freedom and fulfilment

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6
Q

What do socialists believe about the role of the state?

A
  • the need for state planning and intervention
  • strong and centralised role of the state?
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7
Q

Why do socialists believe a planned economy is necessary?

A

to ensure resources are fairly allocated

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8
Q

What type of society cannot be trusted according to socialists and why?

A

capitalist or free market
capitalism creates competition which is damaging to society as it causes divisions and leads to conflict

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9
Q

Difference in the role of the state between revolutionary socialists and moderate socialists?

A
  • rev socialists advocate for complete state control and collective ownership
  • moderate socialists favour a mixed economy accepting some forms of capitalism
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10
Q

Why type of equality do marxists support?

A

absolute equality

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11
Q

What does equality ensure?

A
  • ensures fairness
  • reinforces collectivism
  • satisfies basic human needs
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12
Q

Why do marxists reject equality of opportunity?

A

because it treats people differently based on their abilities

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13
Q

How does equality satisfy basic human needs according to socialists?

A

since all basic human needs are the same therefore there should be an equal distribution of wealth and resources

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14
Q

What does common ownership mean?

A
  • everyone has an ownership in all aspects of society
  • wealth should be owned collectively as we all work together to create it
  • against private property
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15
Q

Why are socialists against private property?

A

it generates social conflict between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’
causes materialism, jealousy and the false belief that money makes you happy

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16
Q

How do modern socialist parties, such as Labour, approach common ownership?

A

make less of a commitment to public/common ownership
Labour 1945-51 nationalised key strategic industries but left most of the rest of the economy in private hands

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17
Q

Describe Marxists theory on class

A
  • have’s (bourgeoisie)
  • have nots (proletariat)
  • capitalism oppresses proletariat
  • bourgeoisie exploit the proletariat by using them to profile themselves
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18
Q

According to marxists what is needed to eliminate class differences?

A

workers revolution
only thing that will overthrow the bourgeoisie, destroy capital and impose common ownership

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19
Q

How do social democrats approach the key principle of class?

A
  • less of a focus due to class dealignment
  • focus more on the differences between manual and non manual occupations
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20
Q

According to social democrats how can class differences be narrowed?

A

through targeted state intervention (e.g. progressive taxation)

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21
Q

What is workers control?

A

full democratic control over places of employment

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22
Q

What is the benefit of workers control?

A

if workers have control over the means of production and the decision making they will work together in the common interest as everybody will benefit

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23
Q

What do socialists see workers control as a step towards?

A

a utopian socialist society

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24
Q

Marxism on Workers Control

A

human nature promotes collective effort and pursuit of a group rather than individual interests

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25
Q

Social Democrats on Workers Control

A

system of workers control based on trade unions

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26
Q

What does common humanity suggest?

A

cooperation not competition
cooperation benefits everyone and boosts economic growth

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27
Q

How did revolutionary socialism come to be?

A

as a result of early development of industrialisation and capitalism (19th century) which brought poverty, exploitation and unemployment

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28
Q

Revolutionary Socialism

A

violent action was the only way to achieve socialist goals

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29
Q

What do revolutionary socialists reject working with?

A

capitalism as any attempts to work with it undermines socialist ideas

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30
Q

Revolutionary Socialists on Democracy

A

rejects it as it is a system dominated by elites where workers had little say

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31
Q

What do Marx and Engels believe is central to socialism?

A

social class

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32
Q

What society do Marx and Engels desire?

A

communist society

33
Q

Three aspects of Marxism

A
  1. historical materialism
  2. dialectical change
  3. class consciousness
34
Q

Historical Materialism

A

the notion that the economic system has always influenced every other aspect of society

35
Q

Dialectical Change

A

there has always been a struggle between the ‘haves and have nots’
this will only end with the establishment of a communist society

36
Q

Class Consciousness

A

before a revolution
proletariat must firstly be aware of their own identity and establish how their goals are to be pursued

37
Q

What strand of socialism does Beatrice Webb represent?

A

evolutionary socialism

38
Q

What is evolutionary socialism?

A

the rejection that class struggle is central to socialism
instead we can pursue socialist goals through democratic means

39
Q

Webb on Democracy

A
  • rejected direct democracy because the average voter is not well enough informed
  • accepted representative democracy where a skilled governing class could be relied upon to pursue socialist ideas
40
Q

What does Webb believe is central to socialism?

A

planning of the economy

41
Q

What is social democracy?

A
  • gradual transition from capitalism to socialism
  • against a sudden violent overthrow of the system
42
Q

Webb on the role of the state

A

needs to be vastly expanded in order to deliver socialism to the masses

43
Q

What regime did Webb endorse?

A

Naively endorsed Stalinist Russia - she felt at the time that its level of planning in the public interest and rather than being motivated by profit

44
Q

Which key thinker rejects Webb’s evolutionary socialist ideas?

A

Rosa Luxemburg

45
Q

What idea does Luxemburg reject and why?

A

evolutionary socialism
it leaves capitalism intact

46
Q

What does Luxemburg believe is needed to pursue socialist goals?

A

workers control
complete overthrowing of the capitalist system

47
Q

What does Luxemburg believe is essential to socialism?

A

class consciousness and struggle by the proletariat

48
Q

Luxemburg on Capitalism

A

capitalism is doomed
in the end it will run out of markets and territories to exploit
any attempts to work around or with it will simply prolong it

49
Q

Social Democracy on capitalism

A
  • seeks to reform rather than abolish capitalism
  • creation of wealth itself is not wrong just the way it is distributed
50
Q

Three aspects of Social Democracy

A
  1. mixed economy
  2. keynesian economics
  3. welfare state
51
Q

Social Democracy on the economy

A

we should put more money into the economy when it is struggling - keynesian economics

52
Q

What type of equality do social democrats favour?

A

equality of opportunity

53
Q

Which key thinker represents social democracy?

A

Anthony Crosland

54
Q

Crosland on Capitalism

A

it has changed since the days of Marx
has actually led to an improvement in living standards

55
Q

How does Crosland believe Capitalism has changed?

A
  • welfare state
  • nationalised industries
  • power of trade unions
56
Q

Crosland on Revolution

A

no longer an appetite for revolution

57
Q

What does Crosland now believe socialism should concentrate on?

A

managing capitalism to pursue:
- economic efficiency
- community based society
- individual rather than just talents and abilities
- social justice

58
Q

How does Crosland want to ensure equality of opportunity?

A
  • progressive taxation
  • welfare state
  • expand comprehensive school system and destroy grammar schools to increase access to higher education
59
Q

What type of economy does social democracy advocate for?

A

a mixed economy

60
Q

What idea does Luxemburg reject and why?

A

evolutionary socialism
it leaves capitalism intact

61
Q

What is ‘The Third Way’?

A

a middle ground and alternative route between socialism and free-market capitalism

62
Q

What branch of socialism does Giddens represent?

A

‘The Third Way’

63
Q

Which PM practiced the third way?

A

Labour party under Blair

64
Q

What are the 5 key features of ‘The Third Way’?

A
  1. importance of market over state
  2. value on community and moral responsibility
  3. consensus and harmony
  4. social inclusion
  5. competition or market state
65
Q

What feature of socialism does ‘The Third Way’ reject?

A

emphasis on social equality

66
Q

The Third Way on Equality

A

focuses on equality of opportunity through access to education and welfare

67
Q

The Third Way on Class

A

focus on consensus and social harmony rather than class conflict

68
Q

The Third Way on Economy

A

investment in education/transport/infrastructure

69
Q

The Third Way on Society

A
  • rejects atomism
  • emphasises community
70
Q

The Third Way on the role of the state

A
  • rejects state intervention in the economy
  • accepts the free market
71
Q

Why does the Third Way reject state intervention in the economy?

A

it discourages investment
it stifles entrepreneurial initiative

72
Q

What do critics on the left argue about the third way?

A

it departs so far from socialism in its embrace of the free market that it can hardly be regarded as socialism at all

73
Q

Giddens main argument

A
  • entrepreneurship and capitalism can be harnessed to create wealth for all
  • state should focus more on investing more in the infrastructure of society e.g. training, education, expert advice etc
74
Q

What did Giddens say about what past experiences have shown?

A

that top down state intervention was both inefficient and ineffective

75
Q

What do socialists believe society is characterised by?

A
  • class inequalities
  • economic divisions
  • significant disparities in property ownership
76
Q

How does the view of society differ across the branches of socialism?

A

Marxists - a capitalist society is dominated by class conflict and only a classless society can deliver a stable and unified society

SD - welfare and distribution schemes can narrow class inequalities that exist

Third Way - model of society stresses harmony, consensus and social inclusion

77
Q

How does the view of economy differ across the branches of socialism?

A

Marxists - replacing capitalism with a centrally planned economy based on common ownership

SD - mixed economy, accept a degree of free market capitalism, endorse keynesian interventionist techniques, support welfare policies to restribute wealth

Third Way - reject state intervention in the economy on the grounds that it discourages investment and stifles entrepreneurial initiative

78
Q

Marxists on the state

A
  • instrument of class rule
  • bourgeoisie use the state apparatus (political and legal system) to maintain their dominance over the proletariat
  • state will wither away under communism

Politics Paper 1 (8 decks)

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