Essay Plan: State

Question 1

Revolutionary socialists

Answer 1

Socialism through revolution - based on conviction that state is a ‘bourgeois’ instrument - defends capitalist interests
- Replace the state with revolutionary institutions - state withers away once communism has established a classless equal society

However:
- In practice most or all state socialist regimes have used a centralised state to organise most or all production and distribution, and control their populations

Question 2

Marx

Question 3

Democratic socialism

Answer 3

Still emphasise the importance in the expansion of the state in achieving socialism.

Question 4

Beatrice Webb

Answer 4

Fabian Society

The ‘inevitability of gradualness’ - establishing socialism peacefully by passing democratic reforms through existing parliamentary institution
- EXPANSION of the state will deliver socialism

Believed that the expansion of the state was critical.
- Saw the gradual growth of state power as evidence that collectivism would bring a new socialist age (E.g. - local authorities were increasingly providing utilities and amenities such as gas, public transport and parks)

Question 5

Social democracy

Answer 5

Attempts to reconcile free-market capitalism with state intervention based on 3 assumptions:

1) Capitalist system dependable creator of wealth - but the way it distributes wealth produces inequality and poverty
2) State intervention can protect public and remedy weaknesses of capitalism
3) Peaceful and constitutional methods should be used to bring about social change

Question 6

Eduard Bernstein

Answer 6

Evolutionary Socialism (1899) - concluded that capitalism wasn't a brutally exploitative system and could be reformed peacefully through electoral politics 
- Advocated state ownership of key industries and legal safeguards and welfare measures to protect the workers

Question 7

Anthony Crosland

Answer 7

The Future of Socialism (1956) - maintained that a new skilled governing class of salaried managers, technocrats and officials had now taken over the control of industry from the old capitalist class.
- Pursuit of profit - one objective - among other concerns, such as the maintain of good employer-worker relations and protection of businesses' reputations

Capitalism no longer a system of harsh class oppression, and extensive state direction and control was not irrelevant.
- Emphasises need for social justice - redistributive role of welfare state funded by progressive taxation

Welfare state - governments pursuing Keynesian economics can maintain high employment, ensure low inflation, promote continuous growth.

Question 8

Third Way

Answer 8

New Labour

Accepts primacy of market over the state - rejects ‘top down’ state intervention
- Endorses a dynamic market economy and an enterprise culture to maximise welfare creation - under new Labour - private sector became involved in provision of public services through Private Finance Initiative (PFI) schemes and Public-Private Partnerships (PPP)

Promotes a competition (market) state to develop the national workforce’s skills and knowledge bade - emphasises importance of education for improving a person’s job prospects and boosting growth.

Question 9

Anthony Giddens

Answer 9

The Third Way: The Renewal of Social Democracy (1998) - new approach that drew on strengths of social democratic and Neo-liberal free-market traditions

• Rejection of state intervention and acceptance of free market in economy
• Role of state in social investment and infrastructure and education, not economic and social engineering
• Rejected the economic and social engineering that underpinned the extensive state-welfare and wealth-redistribution programmes of previous social-democratic govts - creates dependency culture.

Question 10

Conclusion

Answer 10

Revisionist, evolutionary socialism advocates some state intervention and emphasises importance of the welfare state - to achieve social justice