Democracy and socialism, whats the difference?

Question

I seriously dont know anymore. Democracy strives for equality, but so does socialism...so whats the difference?


Does de Tocqueville say something on it? I vague remember, and if he does, could u explain what his quote in your opinnion?


Thanks, : ]

Im not really asking for an economic perspective, but more of a ideological one. However, if the economic perspective is critical to make the ideological one work, then you can put it(I already know about Marx).

Answer 1

There is a big difference because it is like comparing apples to oranges. Socialism is a type of economic system. Democracy is a type of government.

Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that visualize a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community for the purposes of increasing social and economic equality and cooperation. This control may be either direct—exercised through popular collectives such as workers' councils—or indirect—exercised on behalf of the people by the state. As an economic system, socialism is often characterized by socialized (state or community) ownership of the means of production.

Answer 2

One is a political system and one is an economic system.

Democracy is a political system. It is based on everyone having an equal voice in the government by means of everyone having a vote. Pure democracy would involve everyone having a direct vote on every issue. Most "democracies" today are representative democracies in which the voters express their will by electing representatives who then have authority to decide the issues of government. Beyond elections, economic and social equality are not part of democratic theory. To the extent that democracies strive towards economic and social equality, it is because that is the preferred policy of the voters.

Socialism is an economic theory. It believes that the fairest and most efficient economy is one in which the government controls the means of production and the distribution of income. Because socialism is an economic theory, it is not too particular about the system of government. Some variations accept democratic institutions. Others (Marxism for example) believe in the need for a dictatorship.

In short, a democracy can have a socialist economy or it can have a capitalist economy (and many have a mixed economy with features of both). A socialist economy can exist in both a democracy and in a dictatorship.

Answer 3

Democracy strives to preserve individual rights while socialism takes them away for the so called common good. Under democracy individuals are most important. Individuals have the opportunity to succeed or fail on their own merit. Socialism takes away the incentive to work and be productive. Everything is owned or controlled by the government. Socialism has never worked. It has been tried with slight twists for many decades. None have ever made it work. The concept of socialism is a utopian society. In theory it sounds good, but doesn't work. It supposedly puts everyone on the same level. There is no incentive for individuals to produce under socialism. Society erodes along with morals under socialism. Democracy rewards productivity and innovation. Socialism punishes or discourages productivity and innovation. Under socialism those at the top are given more rights and perks while the rest suffer. Democracy has it's problems, but from an economic and personal rights standpoint, is the best system the world has known.

Answer 4

Democracy is simply a purgatory between different forms of government. The people must eventually decide whether they desire Libertarianism, Communism, or Fascism. Eventually, all Democracies will morph into one of the 3 (however, they usually morph in Communism or Fascism because voters are generally idiots and would rather be control the lives of others than be free; in America, the Democrats are the party that desires to progress toward Communism and the Republicans are the party that wants to progress toward Fascism).

Hans-Hermann Hoppe, an economics professor at UNLV and author of "Democracy: the God that Failed," has written some very good critiques of Democracy (see http://www.lewrockwell.com/hoppe/hoppe-arch.html ).

Answer 5

Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.
-- Alexis de Tocqueville

Answer 6

democracy is when the people chose what happens, this can be indirectly or directly.
socialism is a left wing ideology it is the belief that there should be some social values such as free health care education and welfare.

Answer 7

One must be careful to make one's intended meaning
known when using the terms "socialism" and "capitalism"
(as well as related terms) because they have undergone
polemic re-definition over the decades that causes a great
deal of confusion.

In the traditional sense, "capitalism" means the ownership
and control of the means of production by a class of
"capitalists" (in the traditional sense, the owners of capital,
or means of production used by workers other than the
capitalists/owners themselves) and an economic and political
system that favors this.

In the traditional sense, "socialism" means the ownership
and control of the means of production by the workers
themselves, whether as individuals, cooperatives, collectives,
communal groups, or through the state, and an economic and
political system that favors this. One should note that this
does not necessarily mean by the people as a whole, nor does
it necessarily mean state ownership, nor does it necessarily
imply a non-market form of organization; historically,
anarcho-individualism (e.g., in the free-market form
advocated by Benjamin Tucker) has been an important
form of socialism.

In the later re-definition, "socialism" means the ownership
and control of the means of production by the people as a
whole, generally by means of the state, or simply the
ownership and control of the means of production by the state,
or more broadly any form of central planning by the state.

In the later re-definition, "capitalism" means the private
(non-government) ownership of the means of production,
and more generally the absence of central planning by the
state.

Matters have become especially confused because these
terms have been used in ways that include both the traditional
sense and the later re-definition of the terms. Thus, Marxist-
Leninists will define "socialism" in the traditional sense, but
at the same time refer to examples of "socialism" in the later
re-definition, in order to gain support for totalitarian Bolshevik
regimes that actually destroy any examples of "socialism" in
the traditional sense; likewise, their "capitalist" opponents will
do the same, in order to support the belief that There Is No
Alternative (TINA) to "capitalism" other than a tyrannic
despotism. (In this connection, one should note that according
to Marx and Engels, the "dictatorship of the proletariat" is a
transitional stage between capitalism and socialism/
communism, which will not exist until the state has withered
away to nothing.)

In the same way, advocates of "capitalism" will define the
term with the later re-definition, but actually refer to concrete
examples that instead fit the original sense, even citing as
positive examples dictatorships such as Pinochet's in Chile.
And just as with "socialism", some opponents of
"capitalism" will do likewise in order to discredit it in the
sense of the later re-definition. At present, state-corporate
globalization, in which there is rule by states, corporations,
international financial institutions (IFIs), and the like, is
the typical form of "capitalism" actually advocated by
most avowed capitalists, rather than a truly free market.

This effectively means that there are (at the least) three
common usages of the terms "socialism" and "capitalism",
and so it behoves one to make clear in what sense one is
using these and related terms, and to what empirical examples
one refers.

One should also note the term "state-capitalism", used
by socialists (in the traditional sense) to refer to state
ownership and control of the means of production in
varying degrees ranging from capitalist dictatorships
such as Pinochet's through to Marxist-Leninist
dictatorships such as the Bolshevik regimes. This
extends the traditional sense of "capitalism", as the
state (at least partially) replaces the traditional "private"
capitalist class to varying degrees.

News & Views for Anarchists & Activists:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smygo/

Answer 8

Democracy is equal rights for the people and so does socialism.

Answer 9

The difference is obvious when it comes to the people who listens behind the law of reasons. Who is who among who to judge who among who is who.