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Democracy vs. Socialism — What's the Difference?

Democracy vs. Socialism — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Democracy and Socialism

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Democracy

Democracy (Greek: δημοκρατία, dēmokratiā, from dēmos 'people' and kratos 'rule') refers to a form of government in which the people either have the authority to choose their governing legislators, or the authority to decide on legislation. Who is considered part of the people and how authority is shared among or delegated by the people has changed over time and at different speeds in different countries, but more and more of the inhabitants of countries have generally been included.

Socialism

Socialism is a political, social, and economic philosophy encompassing a range of economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production. It includes the political theories and movements associated with such systems.

Democracy

Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives.

Socialism

Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy.

Democracy

A political or social unit that has such a government.
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Socialism

The stage in Marxist-Leninist theory intermediate between capitalism and communism, in which the means of production are collectively owned but a completely classless society has not yet been achieved.

Democracy

The common people, considered as the primary source of political power.

Socialism

Any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods.

Democracy

Majority rule.

Socialism

A system of social and economic equality in which there is no private property.

Democracy

The principles of social equality and respect for the individual within a community.

Socialism

A system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state.

Democracy

(uncountable) Rule by the people, especially as a form of government; either directly or through elected representatives (representative democracy).

Socialism

(Marxism-Leninism) The intermediate phase of social development between capitalism and communism in Marxist theory in which the state has control of the means of production.

Democracy

A government under the direct or representative rule of the people of its jurisdiction.

Socialism

Any of a group of later political philosophies such democratic socialism and social democracy which do not envisage the need for full state ownership of the means of production nor transition to full communism, and which are typically based on principles of community decision making, social equality and the avoidance of economic and social exclusion, with economic policy giving first preference to community goals over individual ones.

Democracy

(countable) A state with a democratic system of government.

Socialism

Any left-wing ideology, government regulations, or policies promoting a welfare state, nationalisation, etc.

Democracy

(uncountable) Belief in political freedom and equality; the "spirit of democracy".

Socialism

A theory or system of social reform which contemplates a complete reconstruction of society, with a more just and equitable distribution of property and labor. In popular usage, the term is often employed to indicate any lawless, revolutionary social scheme. See Communism, Fourierism, Saint-Simonianism, forms of socialism.
[Socialism] was first applied in England to Owen's theory of social reconstruction, and in France to those also of St. Simon and Fourier . . . The word, however, is used with a great variety of meaning, . . . even by economists and learned critics. The general tendency is to regard as socialistic any interference undertaken by society on behalf of the poor, . . . radical social reform which disturbs the present system of private property . . . The tendency of the present socialism is more and more to ally itself with the most advanced democracy.
We certainly want a true history of socialism, meaning by that a history of every systematic attempt to provide a new social existence for the mass of the workers.

Democracy

Government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is retained and directly exercised by the people.

Socialism

A political theory advocating state ownership of industry

Democracy

Government by popular representation; a form of government in which the supreme power is retained by the people, but is indirectly exercised through a system of representation and delegated authority periodically renewed; a constitutional representative government; a republic.

Socialism

An economic system based on state ownership of capital

Democracy

Collectively, the people, regarded as the source of government.

Democracy

The principles and policy of the Democratic party, so called.

Democracy

The political orientation of those who favor government by the people or by their elected representatives

Democracy

A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

Democracy

The doctrine that the numerical majority of an organized group can make decisions binding on the whole group

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