Socialism - Differences And Tensions

Question 1

Revolutionary socialism

Answer 1

• Idea that socialism will be achieved through revolution and the overthrow of existing political structures

Question 2

Revolutionary socialism - ideas

Answer 2

• based on belief that the state uses intuitions to defend the capitalist interests of the ruling class against the interests of the working classes (parliament/mass media)
• believe full transformation of society is the only way socialism can be achieved
• may involve violence

Question 3

Revolutionary - against humanising capitalism

Answer 3

• argue that trying to ‘humanise capitalism’ (as social democracy does) means inequality and exploitation of the working class will still exists and undermines the main goal of socialism

Question 4

Revolutionary socialism - advantages

Answer 4

• aims to bring about radical change to a society and can lead to the rapid development of a country

Question 5

Revolutionary socialism - disadvantages

Answer 5

• end of Cold War + collapse of socialist regimes demonstrated the limits
• eg collapse of communism in the Soviet Union

Question 6

Examples of revlutionary socialism

Answer 6

• the Chinese communist under Chairman Mao believed that the peasantry would lead to the revolution and developed the idea of a ‘permanent revolution’

Question 7

Social democracy

Answer 7

• an ideology supporting the idea that socialism can be brought about through reporting capitalism rather than removing it

Question 8

Social democracy - ideas

Answer 8

• argue for social justice - fairer spread of wealth in society
• believe that the capitalist system is reliable a creating wealth but distributes it unequally
• peaceful methods of change, and state intervention can resolve the inequality caused by capitalism through economic & social policies

Question 10

Social democracy - revisionist & evolutionary

Answer 10

• type of revisionist socialism meaning it doesn’t oppose capitalism and believes it’s compatible with capitalism
• believe in evolutionary socialism which argues for achieving socialism gradual through existing legal and political systems

Question 11

Social democracy - Anthony Crossland

Answer 11

• key thinker in support of social democracy
• wrote ‘the future of socialism’, which argued that capitalism didn’t oppress the working class, as the new class governing he workforce cared about relationships with employees & reputation of their business
• social justice could be brought about by the welfare state retribution wealth funded by progressive taxation

Question 12

Social democracy - polices

Answer 12

• have had polices supporting a mixed economy of state & privately owned businesses & aim to redistribute wealth through welfare policies to reduced inequality
• keysian economic policy - spending more money to increase demand during a recession and using tax & interest rates to manage demand during times of economic growth to prevent a recession

Question 13

Advantages of social democracy

Answer 13

• social democracy works during periods of economic growth and high employment as peoples living standards will be greater tax income which can be used by the government to develop welfare programmes

Question 14

Disadvantages of social democracy

Answer 14

• does not work well during periods of economic decline
• economic downturn means greater unemployment & more demand for welfare services & at the same time less tax revenue to fund welfare support as fewer people working & businesses earning less
• lost electoral support because of shift to post-industrial economy which was based on providing services

Question 15

Third way

Answer 15

• alternative approach to socialism and free-market capitalism

Question 16

Third way - key features

Answer 16

• market over the state & rejects top-down state intervention
• in favour of increases in competitiveness and productivity - result from globalisation
• new Labour - private sector provided public services through private finance initiatives scheme’s and pubic-private partnerships
• believes In importance of community and moral responsibility

Question 17

Third way - competition state

Answer 17

• skills and knowledge of the national workforce are developed through social investment, mainly in education
• aim is to improve peoples job prospects and increase economic growth
• new labour, Tony Blair “education,education,education”

Question 18

Third way - social inclusion

Answer 18

• third way argues for social inclusions meaning people must than the necessary skillsm rights & opportunties to participate in society
• argues for importance of equal opportunities and a social system which rewards individuals based on performance
• welfare system, Tony bale “hand up, not a hand out”

Question 20

Advantages of the third way

Answer 20

• promotes social justice and can improve the lives of people in society who are most disadvantage
• promotes a more pragmatic approach to social justice - what matters is what works, rather than sticking to principles even if they don’t create equality
• more attractive to a larger range of voters - middle class voters don’t feel excluded and gain some benefit from social justice reforms, such as social investment in education

Question 21

The third way - new labour

Answer 21

• introduced polices that promoted a left-wing, third way ideology
• eg - raised income tax for high earners to fund minim wage and educational maintenance allowance

Question 22

Disadvantages of the Third way

Answer 22

• argue that the third way thinking lack real socialist ideas as it doesn’t commit as much to equality and redistribution wealth in society - Tony Blair committed to privatisation, deregulation and marketisation of welfare state which many people argue foes against socialist principles