Socialists, communists, and democrats, oh my!
Please note: There will be no newsletter next week. We will be busy with our live kNOw More! event at the Cabot Theater next Wednesday (details below) and with finalizing plans for the first annual Leading Ladies Art as Activism Film Contest. Look for our next newsletter on September 15.
Dear Leading Ladies,
What’s the difference between socialism and communism? We hear the terms conflated frequently in political discourse. What is a socialist democracy? Is the United States truly a democracy or a republic? Can it be both?
While these terms are steeped in history, particularly of the 20th century, they are being revived in the 21st century, as politics at home and abroad become increasingly polarized, and people deride opponents with charged and divisive language.
We decided this was a good time to brush off our civics texts – virtually – and take a look at what these terms really mean.
Socialism vs. Communism
Socialism and communism, both developed in response to exploitation of the working class during the Industrial Revolution, are often used interchangeably, yet they have pronounced differences. The key similarities are that the economy is planned by the central government and that production is structured to meet everyone’s needs. The major differences are that in communism, economic resources are controlled by the state and distributed according to need; in socialism, individuals own personal property and receive compensation according to their contributions. While both are ideologically opposed to capitalism and support the people owning the factors of production, only under socialism is there a democratically elected government under which the citizens share equally in economic resources. Also, there are no class distinctions in communism, whereas they are reduced in socialism; and religious freedom does not exist in communism but does under socialism. For a clear and concise chart outlining the differences, click here. (Robert Longley at ThoughtCo.com)
How both socialism and communism are actually put into practice is a different matter. Never has either been fully actualized. Today’s communist countries of China, Cuba, North Korea, Laos, and Vietnam have not totally eliminated personal property or class systems. Likewise, the socialist countries of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark have capitalist sectors and policies that can more aptly be described as socially democratic. And then, many European and Latin American democracies have adopted socialist programs such as free college tuition, universal health care, and subsidized child care.
What about Bernie’s Socialism?
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders calls himself a democratic socialist. He aligns himself with Franklin D. Roosevelt’s philosophy that the government should take responsibility for the health, well-being, and security of American citizens, according to Barnard College political science professor Sheri Berman. Although Republicans often describe him as an anti-democratic socialist, or even a communist, Sanders supports capitalism and free enterprise. What he endorses are the kinds of socialist democratic policies, not only found in some Scandinavian countries but also in other democracies, that provide health care, education, and other services for all. (story on NPR here.)
So is the US a democracy, a republic, or what?
It is incontrovertible that the US is not a direct democracy. In other words, most laws are not enacted by the direct vote of the citizens. Instead, we are a representative democracy, where laws are voted on by the officials we elect. At a local or state level, citizens are more likely to vote on specific laws and initiatives.
Some experts believe that the US can be called both a republic and a democracy, including Eugene Volokh, the Gary T. Schwartz professor of law at the UCLA Law School. Since the US has a constitution that allows courts to “restrain in some measure the democratic will,” Volokh maintains that the US is, in fact, a constitutional republic as well as a representative and constitutional democracy. “Indeed, the United States might be labeled a constitutional federal representative democracy,” Volock concludes. “But where one word is used, with all the oversimplification that this necessarily entails, ‘democracy’ and ‘republic’ both work.”
So can we be a representative democracy with some socialist programs?
President Franklin D. Roosevelt seemed to think so, though he was loath to use the word “socialism.” The New Deal – with its ancillary employment programs, Medicare, Medicaid, welfare, and food stamps – had socialist roots and components. Some purists might even argue that our public education system is even a little socialist.
Why do Republicans prefer to call the US government a republic rather than a democracy?
According to the conservative Heritage Foundation, the word republic most aptly describes the form of government envisioned by our founders — one where the will of the people, majority rule, and egalitarianism are neither the goals nor the ideals. In their eyes, people who support the concept of the US as a democracy would do “anything to liberate more fully the direct will of the people,” such as eliminating the Electoral College and the filibuster, expanding the number of Supreme Court justices, and promoting ranked-choice and electronic voting. “The political institutions peculiar to republicanism derive from the insight that there is more to the health and well-being of a political community than the wishes of the majority of its citizens.”
So, what’s in a name?
It seems to us that name-calling among those with ideological differences is no more than schoolyard politics. To level emotionally charged barbs at one another makes everyone defensive and vulnerable. At the same time, knowing more about the values and principles associated with various social and political systems allows us to better understand the political debate today. And, as always, being educated gives us the words and understanding to spread the knowledge.
Hope you are planning to join us
Wednesday, September 8 at 4 p.m. at the Cabot Theater to view “Hungry to Learn,” a great doc about the food insecurity crisis on college campuses. Screening will be followed by a conversation with two administrators from UMass Lowell and Bunker Hill Community College who work with students in need. FREE. Register here. Leading Ladies requires that masks be worn for this event and that all attendees be vaccinated. Seating will be socially distanced.
Wear your masks; keep your distance; we’ll get to the end of this!
Therese
Judy
Mary
Beth
ladies@leadingladiesvote.org
leadingladiesvote.org