Communism
Definition
Communism is a political theory derived from Karl Marx advocating class war leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs.
Analogy
Picture a potluck dinner where everyone brings a dish. Regardless of who brought what, everyone gets to eat from every dish. That's the basic idea behind communism - everyone contributes what they can and takes what they need.
Related terms
Marxism: The political and economic theories of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, later developed by their followers to form the basis for the theory and practice of communism.
Planned Economy: An economic system in which decisions regarding production and investment are embodied in a plan formulated by a central authority, usually by a government agency.
Collective Ownership: The ownership of means of production by all members of a group for mutual benefit.
"Communism" appears in:
Subjects (2)
Study guides (2)
Practice Questions (20+)
- Which of the following led to communism gaining ground in Russia?
- Communism was the extremist ideology behind mass atrocities in which place and time?
- Which of the following helped communism gain ground in China?
- Which of these people founded communism?
- Which of the following best describes the movements that developed within states in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and advocated for communism or socialism?
- Which thought leader is most known for popularizing communism?
- Who pioneered the concept of communism, which rose as a response to industrial capitalism?
- What characteristic distinguishes Karl Marx’s theory of Communism from Adam Smith’s theory of Capitalism?
- How did the Industrial Revolution influence the ideas of socialism and communism in the 19th and 20th centuries?
- How did the ideological struggle between capitalism and communism during the Cold War influence global alliances?
- What was a key cultural trend in the United States to counter communism during the Cold War?
- Which doctrine is associated with the containment of communism during the cold war by USA?
- Which country first implemented communism as state policy after Karl Marx's writings?
- Which of the following was not a factor in the spread of communism in Vietnam?
- What event triggered the spread of communism in Eastern Europe after World War II?
- What was a major difference between the implementation of communism in Russia and China after 1900?
- How did USSR's methods of spreading communism differ from China's during the Cold War era?
- Which historical event had a significant impact on the global spread of communism after 1900?
- What historical context primarily spurred the spread of communism in China post-1949?
- How did World War II contribute to the expansion of communism beyond Russia's boundaries?
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