Much of modern political discourse can seem empty, vague, and superfluous. It can even be deliberately obfuscating and misleading so as to manufacture your consent. It is difficult to play the game of politics if we can’t even agree on the pieces and how they work. Words get thrown around without being understood and many people end up talking past each other when trying to communicate with their friends and family. Our hope is to encourage more grounded self-reflection and accurate discourse with some explanations of oft misunderstood political and economic terms.
Anarchism
Anarchism is a political theory that challenges hierarchies and advocates for radical community self-governance. Anarchy means “an” (without) “archy” (rulers) but does not mean without rules or governance.
Anarchism does:
- Advocate for the abolition of all hierarchical power structures (including capitalism, patriarchy, and the state among others).
- Argue that power concentration inherently leads to domination, oppression, and class conflict.
- Seek to replace these hierarchical power structures with horizontal structures of mutual aid and accountability.
- Serve as a sister ideology and theoretical framework to Marxism.
Anarchism is not:
- Every man for himself.
- Without rules, structure, organization, or systems of accountability.
- Violence for violence’s sake.
- Unwilling to use force or “authority” to achieve its ends.
- Pro-capitalist.
Examples of Anarchist experiments include:
- Ukraine during the Russian Civil War
- Catalonia during the Spanish Civil War
- The Zapatistas in Southern Mexico, arguably, though they wouldn’t call themselves anarchist.
To learn more:
- An Anarchist Programme, Errico Malatesta
- Life Without Law, Strangers In a Tangled Wilderness
- Means and Ends, Zoe Baker
Authoritarianism
Authoritarianism is the political ideology of following the wills and desires of an individual leader or small governing party. Characteristics of an authoritarian state include violent repression of dissent, an absence or severe lack of civil liberties for citizens, state propaganda attacking marginalized groups, and no apparent means of transfer for executive power.
Authoritarian regimes often demand constant shows of loyalty from the populace and enforce these requirements with violence inflicted by loyal sects of law enforcement that operate with no public oversight or repercussions.
Authoritarianism is:
- A philosophy of government focused on obedience to a central figure or small governing party.
- Often associated with threats of violent retribution for not obeying the designated authority, including imprisonment, impoverishment, and physical assault.
Authoritarianism is not:
- A system of government. Authoritarianism is a vital foundation of centralized systems of government like fascist dictatorships, monarchies, and puppet democracies.
- A societal expectation to accommodate other people’s needs. Authoritarian power and violence stems directly from authority. Being asked to respect an individual’s personal pronouns or wear a mask when sick are examples of these societal expectations, and while refusing may be met with personal consequences, it will not be met with violence by the state.
To learn more:
- Authoritarianism: How You Know It When You See It, the Horizons Project
Capitalism
What really is capitalism? Though we often conflate capitalism with commerce, markets, and trade, those things existed for millennia before we organized into capitalism.
Capitalism is defined by following characteristics:
- Private ownership of the means of production: Individuals or corporations own the resources and tools used to produce goods and services.
- Production for profit: The primary goal of economic activity is to generate profit for these private owners.
- Market allocation: Prices, production, and distribution of goods and services are largely determined by competition in markets, driven by supply and demand, with limited government intervention (though the degree of intervention varies greatly in different capitalist systems).
- Wage labor: Most people earn their living by selling their labor for wages to those who own the means of production.
To learn more:
Communism
Communism is a society that is stateless (no rulers or ruling apparatus), classless (no divides in wealth and class interests), and moneyless (needs and wants are allocated based on need and community choice rather than by markets and money). Achieving this kind of society is often seen as the golden goal of many Socialists and Leftists. The distant hope for a better world that communists strive to make real, via tangible and grounded efforts rather than purely utopian daydreaming.
In different contexts, communism can:
- Indicate an ideological desire to achieve communism.
- Refer to Marxist, Leninist, and Maoist socialist experiments in the USSR, China, Vietnam, Cuba, etc., with all their successes and failures.
- Typically refers to Marxist, usually Leninist ideologies, when speaking of different camps.
To learn more:
- What is Communism?, Zoe Baker
- Principles of Communism, Friedrich Engels
- The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels
Democracy
If you’ve read the Washington Post in recent years, you may have seen their new slogan “Democracy Dies in Darkness” all over their website and newspapers since Donald Trump first took office. This new slogan raises some questions though: what is democracy and did it ever truly exist in the United States?
In the simplest of terms, a democracy is a system in which the people play a decisive role in guiding society. In practice, this means that for the same laws, policies, and procedures you are subject to, you also have a direct voice in their creation, maintenance, or removal.
In the United States, true democracy doesn’t exist because the “democracy” practiced here doesn’t represent the vast majority of people. In fact, it only represents a minority of people: the capitalist class. The capitalist class holds all the power and decides how society should run, while the majority of society is forced to conform to the minority agenda.
For example, without the consent of entrenched political parties and the funders that direct their policy, entrance into the political class (i.e. becoming an elected official) is limited. Further, the channels used for the majority of this country’s political discourse are privately owned and reflect the interests of the owners and funders. This includes social media channels like Facebook, Twitter/X, and Tiktok; Legacy Mainstream Media, such as Fox or MSNBC; and “New Media”, like OWN and the Daily Wire.
Democracy for the working class is merely an illusion. Under our current system, there will always be conflict, contradiction, and instability from tension between the minority (the capitalist class) who wield all the power and the majority (the working class) who constantly struggle for more power and democratic participation. Only by dismantling capitalism, thereby severing the control of the few over the methods of political engagement, can this contradiction be resolved so society can move onto true democracy.
With that being said, smaller forms of democracy have existed in the United States. As an example, unions exercised democratic principles on a small scale. Historically though, these efforts have often been squashed by the larger so-called “democratic” system. Therefore, we are tasked to harness the history of our ancestors, dismantle capitalism, and bring forth true democracy.
Fascism
Fascism is notoriously slippery and difficult to define. However, in our opinion, Roger Griffins has made the best attempt to define it through what he calls “Palingenetic Ultranationalism”:
- Palingenetic: [Fascism] seeks rebirth or renewal of a nation and/or in-group.
- Ultranationalist: [Fascism] seeks the interest of the nation or group at the expense of all others.
Often harkening to a mythic and vague past, fascism seeks to restore the nation or in-group to a perceived former greatness. Though those convinced by fascists are right to be upset with the state of the world, they blame society’s ills on individual bad actors and the marginalized rather than on systems of capitalism, imperialism, and hierarchy.
But, if this is the case, why were the Nazis called “The National Socialist German Workers’ Party”? It has “Socialist” and “Workers’” in the name! Well, we hate to break it to you, but fascists lie… a lot.
Back then, socialism was in fashion and the Nazis were happy to use leftist sounding terminology and aesthetics to draw in interest and support. But, sure enough, “first they came for the Communists”, and any Leftist and union organizations were subjugated and crushed, with their numbers being among the first to be sent to the death camps.
To learn more:
- A Brief History of Fascist Lies, Federico Finchelstein
- Fascism Anyone?, Lawrence Britt
- Ur-Fascism by Umberto Eco
Liberalism
The Latin root to liberal is “liber” meaning free, thus, liberalism can be most simply defined as a political philosophy concerned with the freedom of the individual.
This freedom typically includes:
- Equality among all citizens.
- Individual liberty.
- Supporting private property.
- Secularism.
- Religious freedom.
- Individual rights.
- A limited constitutional government.
- Recognizing the importance of values such as political diversity, tolerance, autonomy, bodily autonomy, and consent.
This concept of individual freedom has evolved over time into three main branches:
Classical Liberalism
A form that prioritizes Laissez-Faire free market competition and civil liberties under the law. There is an enthusiasm for limiting government intervention in the economy while using laws to further civil protections and individual autonomy. The “socially liberal and fiscally conservative” minded citizens would feel most at home in this ideology. A critique often raised is that our individual autonomy and freedom is limited by economic realities.
Conservative Liberalism
This sect is also concerned with protecting the “freedom” of the market but they differ from other liberals by emphasizing an importance on “traditional” family values, typically from a Christian perspective. This emphasis seems to override liberalism’s original intention of personal liberty, freedom of religion, and secularism. In conflict with actually being free, your liberty/freedom is only permitted as long as it fits within a predetermined range of approved behaviors.
Social Liberalism
This is the concept that Americans typically label as “liberal”. Social liberalism aims to address social inequalities that can arise with free market exchange by regulating the market with stronger government control and expanding civil and political rights. This ideology is more concerned with the public good over private gain. Critiques of social liberalism include that only the negative effects of the market structure are addressed, instead of the roots of these inequalities within the market structure itself.
Liberalist movements:
- The British Glorious Revolution (1688)
- American Revolution (1776)
- The French Revolution (1789)
Libertarianism
At its core, libertarianism is a political philosophy (with roots in anarchism) that exalts the idea of personal liberty above all else, with this liberty extending to one’s property. Libertarians believe that no government or authority should have influence or control over their personal liberties: Themselves, their businesses, their homes, their families, or anything else considered their “property.”
Common libertarian viewpoints include opposition to government regulations, support of laissez-faire (“let it be” in French) capitalism free of state intervention or taxation, and personal ownership being a core component of all decision making. Rather than state-enforced laws, libertarian philosophy dictates that all individuals should live according to a principle of non-aggression.
The Non-Aggression Principle is the societal code that no individual can infringe on the rights of another (once again, personal liberty extending to one’s property). One may ask how disputes or violations of this societal agreement are resolved, and on that topic, libertarianism splits into different philosophies. Some insist that equal retribution should be inflicted, while some argue that restitution can be negotiated through dialogue.
Over the years, American libertarianism has changed from its enlightenment era roots of personal liberty and has taken on a new form molded by late stage capitalism. Modern libertarianism argues that the free market is society’s guiding hand, with complete privatization as the path to prosperity. For example, environmental regulations on a factory that produces dangerous pollution are a violation of the factory owner’s personal liberty. Similarly, requiring a building to have wheelchair accessible ramps would be a violation of the building owners rights. In a way, modern libertarianism has evolved beyond the rejection of authority and now submits to a new authority, the authority of capital.
Libertarianism is:
- A socioeconomic philosophy that prioritizes personal liberty and ownership of property while rejecting government authority.
- Bound by the Non-Aggression Principle, a societal pact to not have your personal freedoms infringed upon and not to infringe on the freedoms of others.
- A political extension of free market capitalism. Libertarianism often intersects with Randian Objectivism and mercantilism, with accumulation of wealth seen as a moral good.
Libertarianism is not:
- A belief in equity or equality. Libertarianism is a philosophy of personal liberty from authority but still recognizes authority. This authority derives largely from the ability to utilize capital. Those who cannot assert authority through capital effectively (due to a lack of access to capital) are simply making the choice to work for another to sustain themselves. That this may be at a rate less than a living wage is not held against the employer (who is expressing their liberty), but is held against the employee who is asserted to be choosing their own conditions.
To learn More:
- Authoritarians in Libertarian Clothing, Kevin Carson
- A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear: The Utopian Plot to Liberate an American Town (And Some Bears), Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling
Marxism
At its core, Marxism is a wide-ranging social, political, and economic philosophy developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. It employs historical materialism—a method for analyzing how economic systems shape society and steer human behavior along class interests.
Marxism does:
- Critique capitalism’s tendency to alienate workers from their labor and each other.
- Highlight the clash between the owning class (capitalists) and the working class (employees), arguing their interests are inherently opposed.
- Marx and Engels predicted that this tension would eventually lead to revolution and usher in a new stage of human development: socialism, or communism—terms they often used interchangeably.
- View capitalism’s flaws not as personal moral failures, but as baked in features.
Marxism is not:
- Advocating for complete and utter equality and bland sameness between persons, but instead for equal access to power, both political and economic.
- Necessarily atheistic.
- A belief that the government should own and control everything.
Populism
Populism is a political concept that argues that the current establishment is working for itself and against the interests of the people it governs.
Populism does:
- Define “the elite/the establishment” and “the people” uniquely in each iteration it exists, and often homogenizes these groups.
- Praise the “people” for their purity and representation of the nation, and critique the “elites” for conspiring against everyone else.
- Appeal to the lower classes of a population.
- Often come out of a period marked by a lack of job security, high inequality, or wage stagnation, and often results in heavy government spending.
Populism is not:
- Clearly defined.
- Ideologically comprehensive or consistent, and can be used by either socially “Right” or “Left” movements.
- Based in praxis or solutions to the problems it proposes.
- Necessarily democratic or inclusive.
- Protective towards minorities of a population, and can even turn against them, especially in a nationalist populism movement.
Examples of Populist movements include:
- Russia in the late 1800s
- McCarthy in the 1950s
- Peronism, led by Juan Peron in Argentina in the 1970s
- The Sanders and Trump campaigns in 2016
Republic
From the Latin “Res Publica” meaning “public thing”, this political ideology pushes the concept of power and authority being granted by the public to the state. This concept has been written about since ancient Rome and Greece. Our modern understanding however typically takes root in the political thinkers of the American and French revolutions. The revolutionaries in these movements were displeased with the corruption of their respective monarchies and sought liberty by challenging their power.
This simple concept of “public rule” has fascinating quandaries. One of the first points of contention that arises is how much power should the public have? Secondly, how does the public exert its power on the state?
Republicanism uses democratic methods to decide how to govern but it doesn’t state what that government should be. The public could decide to have people chosen to represent them through qualifying factors such as skill in a particular field or a constitutional monarch. Both of these solutions might seem a bit foreign to us here in the United States, however, even in our system, we have an entire government branch of unelected officials with the Supreme Court. Supreme Court Justices notably are appointed for life by the President and Congress, completely circumventing the democratic system.
In order to limit the public from abusing its majority rule power to subjugate other citizens rights, the electoral system serves as a buffer keeping us from direct democracy. The founding members of this country likened direct democracy to “mob rule”.
Republicanism does:
- Delegitimize power from the inherited elites/aristocracy.
- Legitimize the power of public rule.
- Promote liberty for all citizens.
Republicanism is not:
- Inherently democratic
- Anti-monarchy
- Pushing a moral agenda, besides liberty, for all citizens.
Example of Republican Movements/ Republics:
- Roman Republic (509–27 BCE)
- Republic of Florence (1115–1569)
- American Revolution (1775–1783)
- French Revolution (1789–1799)
Socialism
Depending on context, socialism can have different, but related, meanings. The simplest and most important being community or workers’ ownership and control of the means of production. In practice, this means gaining control of the factories, farms, and natural resources, once held by private individuals or corporations, to produce the things we need and want.
In different contexts, socialism can mean:
- An umbrella term for Leftist ideology and thought, including anarchism, Marxism, and more.
- A transitory stage between capitalism and communism as characterized by working-class rule instead of capitalist or owning class rule, as outlined in Leninist (a subsect of Marxism) terminology.
Historically, when speaking of Anarchists, Communists, and Socialists as three separate camps, Socialist typically refers to those who strove to implement socialist policies by electoralism and reform rather than by revolution. This distinction often includes those called Democratic Socialists or Social Democrats. While these groups are broadly considered socialist, many are content to regulate capitalism and mitigate its worst aspects without necessarily replacing it fully with worker-owned enterprise.
In Conclusion
These twelve terms make up only a small portion of the words mentioned in today’s political and economic discourse. While we’ve tried our best to define these terms, it’s important to note that not everyone will agree with our definitions. Furthermore, each term listed here is derived from philosophy, which is notably a complex academic discipline. However, we make this attempt to hopefully bridge gaps of knowledge and foster understanding among the working class. This article is part one of an ongoing series of articles to create a larger glossary of often misunderstood political terms. We look forward to continuing this discourse in further iterations.
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