Ideologies, Political Party, Tiers of State

- Yojana Lamsal

Chapter 1: Political Ideologies

Ideology refers to a set of interrelated ideas dealing with politics, society, and the economy. Political ideologies are very important in politics, and they are considered the heart and soul of political parties (Andrew Heywood, 6th edition). They deal with the nature and origin of the state, the relationship between the state and society, forms of government, and the basis of state authority on which political parties’ actions are grounded. There are different types of ideologies. They are:

  1. Liberalism
  2. Capitalism
  3. Socialism
  4. Communism

Liberalism
Liberalism came into being in the 17th century in the West but was popularized in the 19th century. John Locke was the founder of liberalism. The core principle of liberalism is the ‘liberty’ of an individual. It advocates against the restraints imposed by an authoritarian state. The characteristics of liberalism are:

  1. It is associated with the ideas of freedom and choice.
  2. It believes in equality and individual rights.
  3. It recognizes the importance of related values such as bodily integrity and consent.
  4. It says that there are no restrictions on the kinds of jobs that people can hold because it adheres to the free market and disregards previous economic paradigms.

Capitalism
Human civilization has been built on the idea of property rights, which provide individuals with the ability to own and control land, capital, and goods. Through these rights, they can trade and sell them according to their will. The capitalist system, which is characterized by the mass production of goods to satisfy the needs of the majority, is built on this foundation of property rights. Under capitalism, everyone has an absolute claim to their own property and labor. However, it is important to note that capitalism does not guarantee an equal distribution of property. In capitalist societies, products and services are provided by individuals who employ workers and are allowed to keep the profits generated from the production made by the employed workers. This system incentivizes individuals to develop ways of generating wealth for themselves. This competitive nature of capitalism promotes higher levels of creativity and productivity. As a result, competition between rival businesses occurs naturally, which demands innovation and economic growth.Characteristics of capitalism are:

  1. Capitalism is an economic system that focuses on a free market to determine the most efficient allocation of resources, and prices are set based on supply and demand.
  2. The government doesn’t have active involvement.
  3. Private property, freedom of choice, profit motivation, and competition are all fundamental elements of capitalism that allow for the free and efficient functioning of the capitalist instruments in the market.
  4. Capitalism is a system that creates wealth, but it ends up dividing the haves and the have-nots.

Socialism
Socialism emerged at the beginning of the 19th century with the aim of achieving social equality through the establishment of social ownership and control of the means of production, distribution, and exchange. Socialists believe in the concept of equality of outcome, as they believe it promotes fairness, justice, and cooperation. Laos, Cuba, and Vietnam are some of the nation's practicing social democracy in the present state. The characteristics of Socialism are:

  1. It is a system in which the government manages resources for producing and distributing products and services related to the basic needs of the public to promote social welfare.
  2. In a socialist economy, social equality is encouraged by the equitable distribution of resources such as education and healthcare.
  3. It includes state-owned enterprises, centralized economic planning, a classless society, and equal opportunity for all individuals.
  4. Socialists claim that socialism creates equality and provides security because a worker’s value comes from the amount of time, he or she works rather than what he or she produces, whereas capitalism exploits workers for the benefit of the wealthy (Nagin, R. 2016).
  5. Under socialism, wealth is distributed according to the principle: "From each according to their abilities, to each according to their work." That is, people are compensated according to their contribution to society, their skills, and the quality and quantity of their work. (People and Planet Before Profits, 2016)

Democratic Socialism
Democratic socialism believes that "power, wealth, and opportunity are in the hands of the many, not the few". It is a democratic approach to achieving socialism. Democratic socialism is the political philosophy of a classless society in which everyone shares the means and benefits of production. Democratic socialism seeks to advance its objectives through democratic means while maintaining peace. Democratic socialists prefer a gradualist approach that is accomplished through working inside a democratic government rather than an immediate shift to socialism. Popular political parties today that have been significantly affected by democratic socialism include the Social Democratic Party of Germany and the Labour Party of Great Britain. Characteristics of Democratic Socialism are:

  1. A democratically elected government manages a large amount of public property, such as the most important businesses, services, and transportation networks.
  2. There is a restriction on the development of private land.
  3. The economy is regulated by the government.
  4. There is provision for extensive pension and welfare programs through state funding.
  5. Efficiency is measured in addition to strictly financial factors, considering social costs and service delivery.

Communism
Communism is a social structure that aims to establish a classless society by advocating for the abolition of social classes and the common ownership of property. This structure seeks to provide an alternative to the issues associated with capitalist market economies. Communism was founded by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, who believed that social divisions could cause conflicts that can be prevented by creating a system of state ownership where the state owns the means of production.

Karl Marx said that society is divided into classes. Most people are in the working class known as the proletariat. They work for the ruling class, called the bourgeoisie. Bourgeoisies' own factories and mines and are lawmakers as well. The bourgeoisie becomes wealthy from the profits generated by the labor of the proletariat, resulting in a decline in the economic status of the proletariat. According to Marx, a class struggle exists between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, which leads the working class to come together for the revolution by removing the ruling class. Then the workers take control of the government and run the country where they work for the welfare of all workers, whereby the land and property are shared with everybody, and equal rights are exercised. The resulting communist society would operate on the principle of production and sharing, where individuals produce and share what they can and take only what is needed for themselves. This is a communist society, as explained by Marx. Characteristics of Communism are:

  1. There is a classless society where there is no difference between rich and poor.
  2. Common ownership is the best way to achieve goals.
  3. It is for the achievement of social equality.

Democracy
A democracy is a type of political system or a system of decision-making within an institution or organization in which all members have an equal share of power. The word democracy is derived from two Greek words, ‘demos,’ meaning ‘people’, and ‘kratos’, meaning ‘rule’. Thus, democracy is the rule of the people. Abraham Lincoln defines democracy as "the rule of the people, by the people, and for the people."

While there is no universally accepted definition of 'democracy', equality and freedom have both been identified as important characteristics of democracy. Democracy is an egalitarian form of government in which all the citizens of a nation together determine public policy, the laws, and the actions of their state, requiring that all citizens (meeting certain qualifications) have an equal opportunity to express their opinion. Systems of democracy stand in contrast to other forms of government, including monarchy and oligarchy. Characteristics of democracy are:

  1. Everyone is subject to the law. No one is above the law. (Rule of law)
  2. Sovereign power is vested in the people, and people can choose their representatives.
  3. The judiciary must be independent.
  4. People must have access to civil freedoms like freedom of speech and expression.
  5. There should be free and fair elections at regular intervals.