2007-09-01 13:21:19 · 7 answers · asked by Claudio F 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Other - Politics & Government
Yes, but only sort of.... and with limits.
Communism is an economic model -- it talks only about who owns property, and specifically that all property is owned by the community (the govt).
The Constitution doesn't talk a lot about property ownership -- the most directly relevant clause would be the Takings clause in the 5th Amendment, which allows the govt to take property with "just compensation" -- which doesn't necessarily mean money.
So, while it's not explicit either way, the Constitution doesn't directly prohibit the govt from taking all property ownership and compensating people in some other way. But that interpretation has never been applied by the courts, and is unlikely to work if Congress were to attempt it.
2007-09-01 13:26:09 · answer #1 · answered by coragryph 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Membership in communist parties is, but actual communism is not. Every communist party to date has violated several constitutional provisions. The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, while communists never have; it guarantees a free press, which is an impossibility if the government owns all the presses. There is also the takings clause in the 5th amendment already mentioned. Finally, and most importantly, Communism would be a flagrant violation of the 10th amendment which states that the federal government has only the power explicitly allocated to it. Communism requires the exercise of many many powers not allocated to the government in the Constitution.
2007-09-01 13:51:30 · answer #2 · answered by Thomas M 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, for one the Constitution guarantees property rights in the Fourth and Fifth Amendments and communism is collectivist
2007-09-01 13:25:19 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, the 'right to property' of the 5th Amendment definitely cuts against it.
2007-09-01 13:24:43 · answer #4 · answered by DAR 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sure, Elementary Education is Free
2007-09-01 13:28:54 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.overview.html
Read it and find out for yourself.
2007-09-01 13:25:05 · answer #6 · answered by Hoosier Daddy 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It must be...that's what Democrats are, communists.
2007-09-01 13:35:22 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 4⤋