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Political Theory
Find questions about different political theories and government models here.
2,314 Questions
Utopian socialism is attained through moral persuasion of capitalists to transfer the means of production peacefully to ordinary people.
How is McCarthyism viewed today and why?
it is viewed in a negative way because of what people believe
Informal methods of amending the Constitution include?
Technology
Increasing demand on policy makers
Changing political practice
Judicial interpretation
What is the main difference between capitalism and communism?
Answer 1
Capitalists believe in a free market economy, while Communists believe in a command (government controlled) economy.
Answer 2
This type of question will have as many answers as there are people to give them because it deals with hard to understand political ideologies. To make this more complex is the fact that the definitions for these things have changed over the years (from their original introductions c.1900) and they mix certain forms of governmental structures, which can be mixed but cannot be compared as explained below.
With this in mind the answer given here is done with the intent of clarifying the question first, and then in giving answer to the question (Noting other political forms that are not suitable for this question, IE: Dictatorships, Oligarchies, etc. in the discussion page).
Form of Government:
The first issue to be addressed is that there are two forms of government in all political bodies, as a general explanation there is a "Form" and then a "Regime" of the government. Form of government would explain the basis of the government, and Regime would explain the Administration, or how the government is ran or a higher form of the base. These higher forms can be mixed where the lower form cannot.
Communism is a Base form of Government, meaning it can exist with or without any other form of government. Capitalism is a higher form of government that cannot exist on its own, meaning it must have a base form of government. If "Capitalism" was converted into a base form of government you would have an "Aristocracy" (an elite political body that is the government). Attempting to compare these two forms is therefore not really possible unless you compare Aristocracy to Communism.
Historical VS Modern definitions:
When Karl Marx wrote the Communist Manifesto he referred to a [quote] "Democracy being the perfect form of Communism." The US Government produced a manual at this same time giving this same definition (Manual on Citizenship Training c.1927-1932). Modern translations however tell that there is a difference between the two, but fail to illustrate a definitive difference. Because of this the answer, as much as it can, will be given with the original definitions of these forms of government when they were made, circa 1920's. Note: Plato spoke of these same things, but with less detail.
Communism is a democratically elected body politic selected from multiple participating parties into a representative body that upholds the will of the people without respect to rights, or any law guarding those rights. Best described as "Mobocracy" where 51% of the people decide the course of the other 49%. [loosely quoted from: The Communist Manifesto, US Manual on Citizenship Training, Thomas Jefferson, Plato]
Capitalism is a higher form of government where the base form of government cannot be ruled by law (Republic), it survives best in a Democracy or if made a base form of government it becomes an
Aristocracy (Rule by the Elite). The Corporation, or businessman, can through wealth and power control the direction of government by support of politicians favorable to the corporate goals or by media assassination of those who oppose its goals.
Direct conflicts in forms. There are a few issues between these two concepts that fall under direct conflict and were addressed by Marx, as:
- Classes in society. Communism defeats classes in society (Elitists, Corporate Elitists, Middle Class, White Trash, "inner-city youth", etc) by making the majority the ruling class therefore able to out vote the smaller classes of people. Capitalism promotes classes in society by promotion of material possessions and related lifestyles. This allows for the elimination of the lower classes by attrition; removing their ability to eat, find suitable shelter, or afford medical care, Shifting the populous in mass to side with greater accumulation of material possessions (even if this violates the law, rights of others).
- Socialist Tendencies. Communism (and Democracies) tend towards socialism. The redistribution of wealth between all classes to ensure the less advantaged are given equal access to food, housing, and medical care. Capitalism is diametrically opposed to this as the greatest sources of income are made from products or services that every person needs in order to survive.
After having a revolution, a communist country doesn't change from a capitalist country. You have the leaders in wealth and the majority in poverty (well at least they have a job, unlike the scientists in capitalist Russia!)
Answer 3
It is hard to compare since Communism is a government political system and Capitalism is an economic system.
Capitalism is a free market economy and is found in forms of government that range from a Republic (The United States) to Communism (China - though it is not true capitalism).
Socialism like Capitalism is a type of economy (to a certain extent). Socialism most commonly occurs in a Democracy (many European countries) that is on the road to Communism. In Socialism, the markets are controlled by the government in an attempt to 'balance' wealth. An economy can not remain in Socialism or it will fail (as it has in Europe). In order to regain stability it must either return to a Republic with a Capitalist system, or evolve into Communism.
Communism is the Government system needed to control a Socialist economy. However, as stated above, a Communist government is not required to use a Socialist economy. Communist governments that have adopted Capitalism (China) have seen great economic benefits for its country.
No, since he’s does not stand for the abolition of wage labour.
What makes a government democratic?
A democratic government is made by the willingness and ability of the governed to participate in the way in which their government is run. This may include the elections of leaders or the voting on particular issues through referendums.
What are the ideology of the political parties?
Depends on the Party. In America the Republican Party tends to follow the ideology of conservatism which is a combination of Individualism, American Traditionalism, and on a much smaller degree Statism (Patriot Act, large military, etc.) The Democratic Party follows a more liberal "progressive" center-left ideology that focuses on social equality whilst maintaining democracy. Other smaller parties have differing ideologies.
What are the 10 principles of democracy?
1. tf2
2. mw2
3. mw3
4. uberstrike
5. battlefield 3
6. idk this is what im trying to find out too.
John Locke's publication called his Second Treatise of Government allowed for extraordinary powers for a government's chief executive to handle military emergencies. He wrote that a legislative body would be too slow to react to a dangerous military threat. In such a situation a nation's top executive should have extraordinary powers to use force to save a nation from great harm.
Why was alcoholism such a big deal in 1890-1920?
Conservatives opposed alcoholism for moral reasons (they believed it to be corrupt and immoral). Progressives opposed it as a major cause of poverty and other social ills. Industrialisation brought both forces to the fore as there was an increasing drive to reform society.
Is the US government considered indirect or direct democracy?
No. The United States has a representative democracy and the President is actually chosen by electors from each state which traditionally abide by the wishes of the popular votes in their respective states but are not bound to do so. A direct democracy would elect the president directly from the votes of the majority of the individual voters throughout the nation as a whole, this is called the popular vote. Many people are actually not aware of this distinction. That is why it is possible that someone could win an election who has not actually won the majority of individual votes throughout the nation as a whole. The presidential election in the year 2000 is a case in point. Al Gore actually garnered more popular votes nation-wide than did George W. Bush, but Bush received more state electoral votes than did Gore which made him the official presidential winner. The United States is a capitalistic Oligarchy! That may not be what Americans call it; but that's the definition of government, that best fits the circumstance. All government is appartite, some of it rigorous as it was in South Africa, in all of it; The rich get richer, and the poor have children, to ensure a continuing work force, for the rich, or powerfull to leach upon. There is no freedom, under government. To indicate the governed are free, in any retorical; Is An Oxy-Moron!
In earlier times, <20th Century, fascism was more of an intellectual or philosophic discussion rather than a political persuasion.
In the early decades of the 20th century, a distinct faction was formed specifically to oppose communism, and they adopted the fascisti symbol - a bundle of sticks bound together to symbolize strength in unity. An old Roman device.
This was an avowedly political cause - not just philosophical. They believed actively in totalitarianism - the opposite of that espoused by communism.
What are the pros and cons of primary elections?
pro's of a primary are their quick, people can state their opinion by choosing a candidate in the primary. cons of a primary they are expensive and take time to organize.
What is your critique in the manifesto of the communist party by Marx?
First off, it was written by Marx and Engels collectively. Second off, it is too brief. it expresses support for many different policies such as the distribution of the population across the land. To the reader that is unfamilar with Marxism, alot of the points he tries to make seem pointless as he spends alot of the book talking about the evils of the bourgeois and how oppressed the proletariat is. He should have used more detail.
The Fascists centered on an Ethnic state, in which they are all united by their heritage and looks. The fascists were very pro-violence, anti-democracy, and anti-communism. Fascism brought a sound economy to Italy during the Depression, but at the cost of freedoms. Fascism is also what many believe contributed to the war to end all wars (but only start WW2)
Because communists want to control everything the working man does. He wants to tax you and take away your guns. But HE doesn't want to pay taxes.
What is party renewal in us politics?
Party renewal is the idea that partys are still importants and do play an imprtant part in american politics, even though there are some which believe that the US is suffering from party decline
What are the different forms of power sharing in modern democracy?
• Horizontal power sharing
This is when the different departments of a government share the power equally. The main three departments of any democratic government, that share the powers of a country are the executive department, the legislative department and the judiciary arm. These three arms of government have equal say in the running of the country and they generally work hand in hand, to make certain that each is running correctly, and fairly.
• Vertical power sharing
Vertical power sharing is when the power is shared between the different levels of government, but the higher levels of government will have more say than the lower levels. The President will take advice from those beneath him, but ultimately the final decision, on any subjects related to the government, is down to him. The lower level organizations work under the higher level organizations and are instructed what to do, to achieve the fair and correct running of the country
Coalitions allow the formation and stable running of politics by unifying political actors together for a common set of goals.
Did pericles create democracy?
The concept of democracy first appeared in ancient Greece. Since then, numerous societies have adopted the idea of citizens participating in government to varying degrees. Some examples of types of democracies include representative, parliamentary, constitutional, and presidential.
What are the pros and cons of representative democracy?
Pros:
The people have a voice.
Representatives have to listen to the people in order to be elected.
Cons:
The people aren't heard directly, but only through their representatives.
Representatives can be corrupted and bribed.
