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Encyclopedia > Statism

Statism (or Etatism) is a term that is used to describe:

  1. Specific instances of state intervention in personal, social or economic matters.
  2. A form of government or economic system that involves significant state intervention in personal, social or economic matters.

There is no precise definition of how much state intervention represents statism. Thus, at one extreme, some anarchists consider that the mere existence of a state is enough to make a country statist, while at the other extreme it is argued that only the most rigid totalitarian systems are truly statist. Usually, however, the term "statism" is used with a negative or derogatory connotation, in reference to something that the speaker considers to be an example of too much state intervention. form of government is a term that refers to the set of political institutions by which a state is organized in order to exert its powers over a political community. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Anarchism is a political philosophy, or group of doctrines and attitudes, centered on rejection of any form of authoritarian relationship, hierarchical institution, centralist organisation, and compulsory government(cf. ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Totalitarianism is a term employed by political scientists, especially those in the field of comparative politics, to describe modern regimes in which the state regulates nearly every aspect of public and private behavior. ...


The term tends to be used most often with respect to economic policies. For instance, Merriam-Webster defines statism as a "concentration of economic controls and planning in the hands of a highly centralized government." Advocates of economic liberalism typically use the term "statism" to refer to any economy that does not conform to the standard of laissez-faire capitalism. "Statism" is also used to refer to specific policies in countries that would not be identified as statist overall (for example, the state monopoly on mail delivery in the United States). Merriam-Webster, originally known as the G. & C. Merriam Company of Springfield, Massachusetts, is a United States company that publishes reference books, especially dictionaries that are descendants of Noah Websters An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Laissez-faire is short for laissez faire, laissez passer, a French phrase meaning to let things alone, let them pass. First used by the eighteenth century Physiocrats as an injunction against government interference with trade, it is now used as a synonym for strict free market economics. ... Capitalism generally refers to an economic system in which the means of production are mostly privately[1] owned and operated for profit, and in which investments, distribution, income, production and pricing of goods and services are determined through the operation of a free market. ... A monopoly (from the Greek language monos, one + polein, to sell) is defined as a persistent market situation where there is only one provider of a product or service, in other words a firm that has no competitors in its industry. ... It has been suggested that first class mail be merged into this article or section. ...

Contents

Usage in relation to other concepts

Socialism and communism are often accused by their opponents of being "statist" (e.g. in Friedrich Hayek's The Road to Serfdom and Ludwig von Mises' Omnipotent Government). However, a few observations need to be made: Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community. ... Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization based on common ownership of the means of production. ... Friedrich August von Hayek, CH (May 8, 1899 in Vienna – March 23, 1992 in Freiburg) was an Austrian-born British economist and political philosopher known for his defense of liberal democracy and free-market capitalism against socialist and collectivist thought in the mid-20th century. ... The Road to Serfdom is a book written by the economist Friedrich A. Hayek and originally published by University of Chicago Press on September, 1944. ... Ludwig Heinrich Edler von Mises (September 29, 1881 – October 10, 1973) was a notable economist and a major influence on the modern libertarian movement. ... Omnipotent Government: The Rise of the Total State and Total War is a book by influential Austrian School economist Ludwig von Mises first published in 1944 by Yale University Press. ...

  • Most forms of socialism are opposed to state intervention in matters of personal freedom[citation needed](though some forms of socialism favor a strongly regulated or even entirely state-controlled economy; see state socialism). The definition of "personal freedom" is often contested between socialists and anti-socialists, with some opponents claiming that economic intervention inherently infringes upon it and some socialists claiming that economic intervention actually enhances personal freedom.
  • There are branches of socialism that reject state intervention altogether, such as libertarian socialism.
  • The final goal of communism is a classless, propertyless and stateless society. Communists see the state only as a necessary evil until the creation of that society is possible. See anarchist communism for the branch of communism that rejects government completely.

Opponents of statism often use the term as a synonym for collectivism[citation needed]. However, there is no necessary connection between the two. It is possible to have a commune or some other form of collectivist society that is entirely stateless (indeed, this is the kind of society advocated by most anarchists, and the final goal of the communists). Conversely, it is possible to have a strong central state which does not implement any policy that may be regarded as collectivist[citation needed]. State socialism, broadly speaking, is any variety of socialism which relies on ownership of the means of production by the state. ... Libertarian socialism includes a group of political philosophies that aim to create a society without political, economic or social hierarchies - a society in which all violent institutions would be dissolved, and in their place every person would have free, equal access to tools of information and production. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Anarchist communism is a form of anarchism that advocates the abolition of the State and capitalism in favor of a horizontal network of voluntary associations through which everyone will be free to satisfy his or her needs. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... A Commune is a kind of intentional community where most resources are shared and there is little or no personal property. ...


On another note, Fascist Italy openly espoused statism as its centerpiece, and it based its ideology around a positive conception of an absolute state to such a degree that the system of Italian Fascism was even accused of statolatry. Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler Fascism (in Italian, fascismo), capitalized, refers to the right-wing authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... Coined by Ludwig von Mises in his work Omnipotent Government, Statolatry is literally worship of the State analogous to idolatry as worship of idols. ...


Criticism and advocacy

Opponents of statism usually argue that state intervention restricts individual freedom, and that this is immoral. They also tend to reject statist economic models in favor of a more liberal economic policy because they believe decentralized economic activity at the level of individuals and corporations in a free market produces superior economic results. By way of contrast, supporters of statism argue that centralized economic planning, produces greater economic benefits for everyone than free market economics (see also planned economy). Both theoretical arguments and historical examples are used by both sides in the debate. Communist states, which are widely considered to be statist, are often the focus of such debate. Opponents of statism usually argue that Communist states have performed much worse than their free market contemporaries over the same time scale, that they failed to address the problem of poverty and that they created similar class divisions to those which exist in less statist countries. In response, most statists simply reject the economic model used by the Communist states and propose a different one.[citation needed] There are also those who defend the Communist states by arguing that their economic performance was superior to what could have been achieved by free markets in similar circumstances, and that comparisons with the industrialized West are unwarranted. Capitalism generally refers to an economic system in which the means of production are mostly privately[1] owned and operated for profit, and in which investments, distribution, income, production and pricing of goods and services are determined through the operation of a free market. ... A corporation (usually known in the United Kingdom and Ireland as a company) is a legal entity (distinct from a natural person) that often has similar rights in law to those of a Civil law systems may refer to corporations as moral persons; they may also go by the name... A free market is an idealized market, where all economic decisions and actions by individuals regarding transfer of money, goods, and services are voluntary, and are therefore devoid of coercion and theft (some definitions of coercion are inclusive of theft). Colloquially and loosely, a free market economy is an economy... This box:      A planned economy is an economic system in which a single agency makes all decisions about the production and allocation of goods and services. ... A map of countries who declared themselves to be socialist states under the Marxist-Leninist or Maoist definition (in other words, Communist states) at some point in their history. ...


With regard to individual freedom, some statists argue that statism provides more positive freedom than a market-oriented economy, by giving some individuals (especially the poor) options and choices that would not have been available to them under a strictly capitalist system. In contrast, many opponents of statism, notably Friedrich Hayek, argue that the loss of economic freedom leads to the loss of political freedom. Positive liberty, an idea that was first expressed and analyzed as a separate conception of liberty by John Stuart Mill but most notably described by Isaiah Berlin, refers to the ability to act to fulfill ones own potential, as opposed to negative liberty, which refers to freedom from the... Friedrich August von Hayek, CH (May 8, 1899 in Vienna – March 23, 1992 in Freiburg) was an Austrian-born British economist and political philosopher known for his defense of liberal democracy and free-market capitalism against socialist and collectivist thought in the mid-20th century. ...


There are also many who believe that a limited degree of statism is beneficial, but only as long as it does not become excessive. This view is held by most supporters of a mixed economy or various middle-ground or third way ideas, such as the American School. A mixed economy is an economy that has a mix of economic systems. ... Third way can refer to: The Third Way, an economic and political idea that positions itself between democratic socialism and laissez-faire capitalism, combining the ordoliberal social market with neo-liberalism. ... The American School also known as National System in politics, policy and philosophy represents three different yet related things. ...


See also

Anti-statism refers to all philosophies that in some degree reject or oppose the establishment of a state, or territorial national governments. ... Dirigisme (from the French) (in English also dirigism although per the OED both spellings are used) is an economic term designating an economy where the government exerts strong directive influence. ... The Economics of fascism can be studied by examining the economic policies of various countries under fascist control during the period between World War One and the end of World War II. Some scholars and analysts argue that there is an identifiable political economy of fascism that is distinct from... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Laissez-faire is short for laissez faire, laissez passer, a French phrase meaning to let things alone, let them pass. First used by the eighteenth century Physiocrats as an injunction against government interference with trade, it is now used as a synonym for strict free market economics. ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Totalitarianism is a term employed by political scientists, especially those in the field of comparative politics, to describe modern regimes in which the state regulates nearly every aspect of public and private behavior. ... For the school of international relations, see Neoliberalism (international relations). ... The Road to Serfdom is a book written by the economist Friedrich A. Hayek and originally published by University of Chicago Press on September, 1944. ... Omnipotent Government: The Rise of the Total State and Total War is a book by influential Austrian School economist Ludwig von Mises first published in 1944 by Yale University Press. ...

References

  • Mikhail Bakunin (1873), Statism and Anarchy
  • Nejatullah Siddiqi (1968), The Ideal of Statism. Islamic Public Economics.

For the character on the TV series Lost, see Mikhail Bakunin Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin (Russian — Михаил Александрович Бакунин, Michel Bakunin — on the grave in Bern), (May 18 (30 N.S.), 1814–June 19 (July 1 N.S.), 1876) was a well-known Russian revolutionary, and often considered one of the “fathers of modern...

External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
Statism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (594 words)
Statism (or Etatism) is a term used in a variety of disciplines (economics, sociology, education policy etc) to describe a system that involves a significant interventionist role for the state in economic or social affairs.
Opponents of statism often use the term as a synonym for collectivism.
On another note, Fascist Italy openly espoused statism as its centerpiece, and it based its ideology around a positive conception of an absolute state to such a degree that the system of Italian Fascism was even accused of statolatry.
  More results at FactBites »

 

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