Ideology
State SocialismLeft
Advocates a socialist economy in which government owns and directs major industries and planning, generally keeping existing political institutions and pursuing gradual rather than violent change.
Core ideas
- State ownership of the means of production.
- A planned economy controlled by the state.
- Often a temporary measure in the transition toward socialism or communism.
- Change through existing institutions rather than abolishing them.
Where it sits on the 12 axes
On the Economy axis it leans strongly toward Collectivize (80). On Government it leans toward Security (70), and on Diplomacy toward Nationalism (30, so 70% Nationalism). Society is at the midpoint (50). That is the profile of a state-centred, nation-based economy, and it is close to De Leonism and Democratic Socialism in the library. The match uses these four scores only.
The bar shows the position on each of the four axes an ideology is matched on; the middle mark is the centre.
Sample result
History
The idea was first theorised by Ferdinand Lassalle, a German socialist. Some early social democrats around the turn of the 20th century, such as the Fabians, held that British society was already mostly socialist through government-run enterprises. Socialists other than anarchists and libertarian socialists were long confident that state socialism was the most effective form of socialism. It declined from the 1970s with stagflation, the rise of neoliberalism and, later, the fall of the Eastern Bloc states.
Associated thinkers
- Ferdinand Lassalle
Common misunderstandings
- It is not state capitalism: there the state runs firms for profit in a market economy, while this ideology aims at public ownership for the workers.
- It is not the same as communism: the state is the vehicle, and communism is a possible end point where the state ends.
Related ideologies
Is State Socialism your closest ideology?
Take the test and see which of the ideologies your answers sit closest to.
Questions
What is state socialism?
A political and economic ideology within the socialist movement that advocates state ownership of the means of production, either as a temporary step toward socialism or as a lasting feature of it. It supports a planned economy.
Is state socialism left or right?
Left. It seeks public ownership of the economy. It also places strong power in the state, so on the Security–Freedom axis it sits well toward Security.
State socialism vs democratic socialism?
State socialism centres on state ownership and planning, and need not be democratic. Democratic socialism requires democracy and may use markets, cooperatives or planning, and stresses workers' self-management alongside public ownership.
How does the 12 Axes test decide I am a state socialist?
The test compares your Collectivize–Privatize, Security–Freedom, Internationalism–Nationalism and Progressive–Traditional scores with each ideology's four values. The ideology with the smallest total distance is your closest match. The other eight axes are not used.