Chapter 9 - Communism and Postcommunism

Communism

an ideology that seeks to create human equality by eliminating private property and market forces

Superstructure

All non-economic institutions in a society (religion, culture, and national identity); these ideas and values derive from the base and serve to legitimize the current system of exploitation

Dialectical Materialism

the process of historical change that is not evolutionary but revolutionary;

Politburo

the top policy making and executive body of a communist party

Central Committee

the legislature-like body of a communist party

Central Planning

a communist economic system in which the state explicitly allocates resources by planning what should be produced and in what amounts, the final prices of goods, and where they should be sold

Base

the economic system of a society, made up of technology (the means of production) and class relations between the people (the relations of production)

Bourgeoisie

the property owning class

Proletariat

the working class

Vanguard of the Proletariat

Lenin's argument that an elite communist party would have to carry out revolution, because as a result of fake consciousness, historical conditions would not automatically lead to capitalism's demise

Nomenklatura

politically sensitive or influential jobs in the state, society, or economy that were staffed by people chosen or approved by the Communist party

Party-State

a political system in which power flows directly from the ruling political party (usually a communist party) to the state, bypassing government structures

Glasnost

openness of public debate; implemented in the Soviet Union in the late 1980s

Perestroika

restructuring; actual institutional reforms; implemented in the Soviet Union in the late 1980s

Shock Therapy

a process of rapid marketization

Examples of Communist States

China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, Vietnam

Karl Marx

Communist; believed there was inherent conflict the base and the superstructure that was exploiting the base (economic system vs. non-economic institutions); rejected liberal democracy because he believed it allowed certain people into the political process (wealthy)

Communism in theory vs. in practice

Theory - total equality

Practice - states gathered high levels of autonomy and capacity often leading to totalitarianism

False Consciousness

Term used by Marxists - the way in which material, ideological, and institutional processes in capitalist society mislead people of the proletariat

Mao Zedong

Chinese communist revolutionary - founding father of the People's Republic of China

Stalin

Soviet Union Communist Leader - one of the most murderous dictators in history

What happens in Communist Political Economy?

Free markets replaced with central planning

Difficult for leaders to adapt to supply and demand

Problems with over or underproduction

Workers do not have incentives to produce high quality goods

Social Impacts of Communism

Religion, ethnic identities and nationalism are suppressed by communist societies

Changing identities can lead to internal divisions and civil wars

Why have countries converted from Communism to Democracy?

Demand for reforms, greater political participation and opportunities, equality with freedom

Marketization

the exposure of an industry or service to market forces

Privatization

handing over control of public functions to private companies