Question

Using the following information plan for a media product about the similarities and differences of socialism and communism and make sure to include the following: Complete Claim/Argument/Thesis, Includes a Concise Statement that Summarizes Major Evidence/Key Ideas, and Include Citations which are already given below:

List of primary or secondary sources/citations:
1. Illustrate to Educate. (2020). Socialism Vs Communism | What is the difference between Socialism and Communism?
This video is a secondary source

2. Pruitt, S. (2019, October 22). How Are Socialism and Communism Different? Historycom; A&E Television Networks.
This video is a secondary source.

3. World, N. (2017). Communism vs. Socialism: What’s The Difference? | NowThis World.
‌This is a secondary source.

Description of Research Findings:
Socialism vs Communism, Illustrate to Educate
This source which is a secondary source talks about how Socialism is based on the assumption that all people naturally want to cooperate but cannot because of the competitive nature of capitalism. Additionally, the government in Socialism employs centralized planning to allocate resources based on the needs of the person and society as a whole.

How Are Socialism and Communism Different? Historycom
This secondary source article explains how Socialism and communism are essentially economic philosophies that advocate public instead of private ownership, mostly in the terms of production, distribution, and exchange of goods. Both communism and socialism emphasize the objective of fixing the problems they see were made by a free-market capitalist system. This includes the exploitation of workers and the important difference between the rich and the poor. Moreover, workers faced poor conditions, low wages, and long hours, while a small group of people held most of the wealth and power.

Communism vs. Socialism: What's The Difference, NowThis
This source is secondary. In this video what we can take away is that in Socialism, a democratic state controls the means of production rather than having private companies hold ownership. Instead of competing with each other as in a capitalist society, Socialism has workers give as much as they can to the greater good, and then they all share equally in that good. Moreover, once the state controls all means of production, the next step is collective total ownership. Not just of production, but all aspects of society and economy, including private property. The intention of abolishing private property is a classless, moneyless, and stateless society where everyone works towards the same collective goal of being healthy, happy, and free.


Four Paragraph Summary of Research Findings:
Communism and socialism, while both serving as responses to the concerns of worker exploitation and economic class disparity, go over both profound similarities and notable differences. Both systems aim to eliminate inequalities created by capitalism and look for a more equitable society as stated in the source “Illustrate to Educate. (2020). Socialism Vs Communism | What is the difference between Socialism and Communism?”. They emphasize collective ownership of resources, with goods and services produced through institutions controlled by the government or collective organizations. Both ideologies seek to reduce economic class divisions. In addition to this, both ideologies also promote shared wealth and opportunities among all members.

However, communism and socialism differ in their approaches and ultimate visions. An important distinction is in property rights. Communism abolishes private property, with all assets owned collectively and administered by the government based on need. In contrast, socialism allows for private ownership, balancing individual rights with public control of key industries to ensure equal access and resources distribution. This difference influences their views on economic contribution, with communism focusing on need-based compensation and socialism rewarding individual effort and innovation.
Another major difference is the means of achieving their goals. Communism often involves revolutionary tactics, advocating for a violent uprising of the working class against the bourgeoisie to establish a classless society. Socialism, however, supports a gradual transition through democratic reforms, emphasizing changes within the existing political structure. This reflects broader philosophical differences about the state's role, civil society, and individual agency in shaping economic systems. The goal is to create a classless society where the state eventually disappears, and everyone shares everything equally. They think only a complete change can bring true fairness.
In conclusion, while communism and socialism share foundational ideals against economic exploitation and class disparities, their operational frameworks and governance philosophies differ greatly. Communism's abolition of private and public control, achieved through democratic means. These differences highlight the distinct social and economic structures each ideology proposes. At last, the choice between these systems depends on one's beliefs about the role of the state, the importance of individual freedoms, and the best methods for reducing inequality. Both systems aim to address economic disparities, but they offer different visions of how to achieve a fair and just society.

Answers

GPT-4o mini
**Media Product Plan: Exploring Socialism and Communism**

**Claim/Argument/Thesis:**
While socialism and communism fundamentally strive to address the inequities fostered by capitalism, they diverge significantly in their approaches to ownership, governance, and societal organization, reflecting different philosophies about the role of the state and the individual in achieving economic equity.

**Concise Summary of Major Evidence/Key Ideas:**
Both socialism and communism seek to rectify the socio-economic disparities resulting from capitalism, promoting collective ownership and shared wealth among citizens. However, socialism allows for a mixture of private and public ownership with a democratic framework, positing that individual contributions can coexist with communal benefits. In contrast, communism advocates for complete abolition of private property and a revolutionary overthrow of capitalism, envisioning a classless society where all resources are collectively owned and distributed according to need. The contrasting methods of attaining these goals—socialism's democratic reforms versus communism's revolutionary impetus—further illustrate their fundamental philosophical differences regarding governance and economic freedom.

**Citations:**
1. Illustrate to Educate. (2020). Socialism Vs Communism | What is the difference between Socialism and Communism?

2. Pruitt, S. (2019, October 22). How Are Socialism and Communism Different? History.com; A&E Television Networks.

3. World, N. (2017). Communism vs. Socialism: What’s The Difference? | NowThis World.

**Four-Paragraph Summary of Research Findings:**
Communism and socialism, while both serving as responses to the concerns of worker exploitation and economic class disparity, exhibit profound similarities and notable differences. Both systems aim to eliminate inequalities created by capitalism and look for a more equitable society as noted in the source “Illustrate to Educate. (2020). Socialism Vs Communism | What is the difference between Socialism and Communism?” They emphasize collective ownership of resources, with goods and services produced through institutions controlled by the government or collective organizations. Both ideologies seek to reduce economic class divisions and promote shared wealth and opportunities among all members.

However, communism and socialism differ significantly in their approaches and ultimate visions. An important distinction lies in property rights; communism abolishes private property, with all assets owned collectively and administered by the government based on need. In contrast, socialism permits private ownership, balancing individual rights with public control of key industries to ensure equal access and resource distribution. This difference influences their views on economic contribution: communism focuses on need-based compensation, while socialism rewards individual effort and innovation.

Another major difference is their strategies for achieving their goals. Communism often involves revolutionary tactics, advocating for a violent uprising of the working class against the bourgeoisie to establish a classless society. Socialism, however, favors a gradual transition through democratic reforms and emphasizes changes within the existing political structure. This reflects broader philosophical differences about the state's role, civil society, and individual agency in shaping economic systems, with communism positing that only a complete upheaval can yield true equity.

In conclusion, while communism and socialism share foundational ideals against economic exploitation and class disparities, their operational frameworks and governance philosophies differ greatly. Communism's aim of total communal ownership, underlined by revolutionary change, contrasts starkly with socialism's hybrid model that facilitates private and public control achieved through democratic means. These differences underscore the distinct social and economic structures proposed by each ideology, which ultimately hinges on one's beliefs about the role of the state, the significance of individual freedoms, and the most effective methods for reducing inequality. Both systems aspire towards a more equitable society, yet they envisage different pathways to attain this goal.