Politics and the Individual

Every nation can be placed somewhere: Social, Political, and Economic Spectrums Communism______________________ Capitalism Social: Collectivism ______________________ Individualism Political: Totalitarianism ____________________Democracy

Nations have (at least) three dimensions Economic: Degree of Communism vs. Capitalism How wealth is distributed by the government or controlled/owned by individuals Social: Degree of collectivism vs. individualism How much the group matters versus how much the individual matters Political: Degree of totalitarianism vs. democracy How much the group’s ideals are valued versus how much individual opinions and innovations are considered

Collectivism: Valuing the group Collective goals are more important than individual goals Individual rights are sacrificed for the good of the majority Communism is an example of this system, but it often becomes totalitarianism: Totalitarianism is governmental regulation of nearly every aspect of public and private behavior Often this emerges because individuals don’t want to sacrifice for the common good and have to be made to do so

Communism Communism is a socioeconomic structure that promotes establishment of a classless, stateless society based on common ownership of the means of production (goods and services that people need to exist) The Communist Manifesto, which was first published in 1848 by Karl Marx, and Principles of Communism, by Friedrich Engels, are the defining communist texts

According to The Communist Manifesto, Communism has eleven essential ideals: Abolition of Private Property Heavy Progressive Income Tax Atheism Abolition of Rights of Inheritance Confiscation of Property Rights Central Bank

According to The Communist Manifesto, Communism has eleven essential ideals: Government Ownership of Communication and Transportation Government Ownership of Factories and Agriculture. Government Control of Labor Corporate Farms and Regional Planning Government Control of Education