state

• State Brings Equality (Agree)

  • Revolutionaries:
  • Proletariat dictatorship → state controls economy → wealth redistribution.
  • Social Democrats (e.g., Webb):
  • Welfare state → relative equality (e.g., Clause 4 nationalization).
  • Third Way:
  • State invests in education → equality of opportunity (not outcome).

  Key quote: Webb: "State should provide amenities for welfare equality."
• State Neutrality (Disagree)

  • Revolutionaries (e.g., Luxembourg):
  • State is not neutral—biased toward bourgeoisie.
  • Only solution: revolution → proletariat dictatorship.
  • Social Democrats (e.g., Webb):
  • State can be impartial (democracy → working-class power).
  • "Inevitability of gradualism": Franchise extension → socialist reforms.

  Key divide: Revolutionaries distrust the state; Social Democrats reform it.
• State Size (Disagree)

  • Social Democrats (e.g., Crosland):
  • Large state → welfare, nationalization (e.g., NHS, comprehensive education).
  • Third Way (e.g., Giddens):
  • Deregulation → boost business/innovation.
  • Reject "cradle to grave" welfare (creates dependency).
  • "Hand-up, not hand-out": Invest in social inclusion.

  Key quote: Giddens: "Large states cause dependency and fraud."
• Introduction

  • Emerging as a response to the inequalities of industrial capitalism in the 19th centrury, socialism is a political idealogy centred on collective ownership,social equality and economic justice
  • With the insights of key thinkers like Karl Marx, beatrice webb and Anthony gidden This is particularly evident in debates around the economy where differing views highlight the diversity within socialist thought.
  • Arguing on topics such as state size, state neutrality , state bringing equality