Strands of Socialism

Question 1

Revolutionary socialism

Answer 1

holds that socialism can be brought about only by the overthrow of the existing political and societal structures. EG Blanquism/Marxism

Question 2

Why was Revolutionary socialism popular in the 19th century?

Answer 2

• Early industrialisation brought a new seen poverty, exploitation and unemployment
• Workers were largely excluded from political participation and had little ability to influence policies

Question 3

What were the National Liberation movements (1945 onwards) ?

Answer 3

In Africa,Asia and South America tried to adopt RS through the removal of colonial powers and the bringing about of rapid modernisation EG Chinese communist led by Mao,cuban insurgents under Castro

Question 4

What were the justification for revolution?

Answer 4

• The Bourgeois state is an instrument of class oppression
• Gradual Change will not lead to a soc. society as the ruling class values are too entrenched in society
• Ruling class won’t give up their power without a fight and this a total transformation is required
• Attempts to reform capitalism (based on inequality and exploitation) undermine the principles and objectives of socialists

Question 5

What has Revolutionary socialism resulted in?

Answer 5

Fundamentalist regimes ( USSR, PROC and cambodia under Khmer Rouge ) that claim to be based on socialist principles. Though these states replaced priv property with state ownership, not COMMON OWNERSHIP.
Without these steps no further stages of Marxism were able to progress and instead led to these regimes using 'communism' as an excuse to justify brutal suppression of opposition in their country

Question 6

Social democracy

Answer 6

Emerged after 1945 as Western socialist parties moved towards electoral politics, aiming to reform, not abolish, capitalism.

Question 7

What are the assumptions on social democracy?

Answer 7

• Capitalism is a dependable creator of wealth but distributes it unfairly
• State intervention in £ and Social affairs protects the public and remedies Cap. Weaknesses
• Peaceful constitutional methods should be brought to bring about social change
• Socialism is morally superior to capitalism and should focus on social justice

Question 8

Social Justice

Answer 8

A commitment to greater equality and a just distribution of wealth to achieve a more equitable distribution of life chances within society

Question 9

Evolution of Social Democracy

Answer 9

• In the late 19th century, some socialists concluded that Marxism was flawed. Bernstein’s revisionist study argued that Cap. was not developing along Marxist lines as it was resilient and survived under £ crises and did not promote large class conflict
• He concluded that it was not exploitative and could be reformed through peaceful electoral politics
• in the 20th Century Western socialist parties recognised the the productivity of the market economy and pursued it further

Question 10

Social Democracy in practise

Answer 10

• A mixed economy EG under the Attlee Labour government of 1945-51
• Keynesian economics as a means of regulating capitalist economy and maintaining full employment
• Using the welfare state, to redistribute wealth and tackle poverty

Question 11

The decline of social democracy

Answer 11

• Economic downturn in the 70s and 80s exposed the tension of the balancing act that SD has with trying to deliver egalitarianism and economic efficiency
• Unemployment and demand for welfare rose.
• The collapse of the Soviet communist block in the late 80s/ early 90s discredited forms of socialism that looked into the state to deliver economic and social reform

Question 12

The Third Way

Answer 12

a middle ground alternative to Marxism and SD that advocates the primacy of the market, community, and the consensus

Question 13

How was The Third Way first introduced?

Answer 13

In the UK by the Labour Party/New Labour under Blair in the 90s

Question 14

5 key features of the third way

Answer 14

• Stresses the primacy of the market over the state and rejects ‘top down’ state intervention
• Values community and moral responsibility
• Supports a social model based on consensus and harmony
• promotes social inclusion rather than equality
• advocates competition state

Question 15

criticisms of the Third Way

Answer 15

Although New Labour was electorally successful

• it lacks real socialist content
• Neo-revisionism was essentially a rebranding exercise to attract business owners and MC voters

Question 16

Benefits of the Third Way

Answer 16

• Influenced various left of centre parties such as the German SDP and the SA ANC
• Under NL Neo revisionism introduced important measures that promoted social justice and improved the position of those most disadvantaged EG Minimum wage