The most fundamental distinguishing difference between socialism and capitalism lies primarily in:
A.
The total population size of the country in question
B.
The official language spoken by the majority of citizens
C.
The ownership of the means of production, with collective or state ownership characterising socialism, as opposed to predominantly private ownership under capitalism
D.
The specific currency used for everyday transactions
C. The ownership of the means of production, with collective or state ownership characterising socialism, as opposed to predominantly private ownership under capitalism
14.
Under capitalism, the allocation of resources (what to produce, how much, and for whom) is primarily determined by:
A.
Random allocation determined by a public lottery
B.
Decisions made exclusively by international organisations such as the United Nations
C.
A single central government planning committee, with no role for prices at all
D.
The free interplay of market forces, namely supply and demand, operating through price signals
A. Centralised economic planning carried out by the state or other collective bodies, rather than relying mainly on market price signals
16.
In classical Marxist theory, 'communism' is generally understood as:
A.
An early, transitional phase that exists only briefly before capitalism is established
B.
A purely religious movement with no economic dimension at all
C.
A system identical in every respect to capitalism, simply using a different name
D.
The final, classless, and stateless stage of social development, in which the state has 'withered away' and goods are distributed purely according to need
D. The final, classless, and stateless stage of social development, in which the state has 'withered away' and goods are distributed purely according to need
17.
In classical Marxist theory, 'socialism' is generally understood as:
A.
An economic system identical to feudalism, with no meaningful differences
B.
The very first economic system to ever exist in human history
C.
A permanent and final end-state, with no further social development expected to follow it
D.
A necessary transitional stage between capitalism and communism, during which the state still exists and controls the economy, with distribution based on individual contribution or work
D. A necessary transitional stage between capitalism and communism, during which the state still exists and controls the economy, with distribution based on individual contribution or work
18.
Both socialism and communism share which common underlying feature that distinguishes them from capitalism?
A.
An emphasis on maximising individual private profit above all other considerations
B.
An emphasis on collective or social (rather than predominantly private) ownership of the means of production
C.
A complete rejection of any form of government or political organisation whatsoever
D.
An exclusive reliance on barter, with no use of money at all
