Socialist state
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Template:Socialism The term socialist state (or socialist republic, or workers' state) can carry one of several different (but related) meanings:
- Strictly speaking, any real or hypothetical state organized along the principles of socialism may be called a socialist state.
- According to Marxism, socialism is a stage of social and economic development that will replace capitalism, and will in turn be replaced by communism. Thus, in Marxist terms, a socialist state is a state that has abolished capitalism and is moving towards communism.
- Several past and present states have claimed to follow some form of Marxist ideology, usually Marxism-Leninism. Thus, in accordance with the definition given above, they referred to themselves as socialist states. The first example was the Soviet Union, which was proclaimed a "socialist state" in its 1936 Constitution and a subsequent 1977 one. Another well-known example is the People's Republic of China, which is a "socialist state" according to its 1982 Constitution. In the West, such states are better known as "Communist states" (though they never used this term to refer to themselves).
- A socialist state may also be a country that uses the term "socialist" in its official name, regardless of the actual political and economic system it has in practice. Examples include the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Because there are several different branches of socialism, a country's claim to the label of "socialist state" or "socialist republic" is almost always disputed. Indeed, there are many socialists who strongly oppose certain self-proclaimed socialist republics.
For more information see the main article on socialism. See also state socialism.
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