Communism Vs Democracy: 15 Key Differences with Table

Apr 21, 2022 · 3 min read ·

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What is the difference between communism and democracy?

Communism and democracy are political systems with different ideological principles. These two systems are responsible for structuring the economic and political fabric of societies.

The main difference between communism and democracy is that communism is a system where the government decides everything for the citizens whereas democracy is a system where citizens have equal say in decisions that impact people in general.

communism vs democracy

Comparison Table (Communism vs Democracy)

Basic Terms	Communism	Democracy
Meaning	It is a system of social organization based on the holding of all properties in common	It is a system that involves the rule of the majority. People elect representative for their government
Philosophy	Free access to the articles of consumption through advancement in technology	A community of people holds power over how they are governed
Political System	It is a society that is stateless, classless, and governed directly by people	Society has a democratic system of governance
Key Elements	Common ownership, centralized government, planned economy, and dictatorship	Free election, majority rule, and suffrage
Social structures	All class distinctions are eliminated	A class distinction can be pronounced but varies according to different states
Private Property	Abolished	Permitted
Religion	Abolished	Freedom of religion is permitted
Way of change	The state is the agent of change	Voting
Variations	Left Anarchism, Council Communism, European Communism, Juche Communism, Marxism, National Communism	Direct democracy, parliamentary democracy, representative democracy, presidential democracy.
Modern examples	China, North Korea, Cuba, Laos, and Russia	US, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan
View of War	It is good for the economy to spearhead economy	It depends on the opinion of the majority
Key Pioneers	Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Peter Kropotkin, Rosa Luxemburg, Vladimir Lenin, Emma Goldman, Leon Trotsky, Joseph Stalin	Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Noah Webster, Solon, Cleisthenes, Karl Marx
Discrimination	All members of the state are considered equal	Allow tyranny of the majority over the minority
Free Choice	State rulers make economic and political decisions	Individuals make decisions on their own
History	Major Communist parties include the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1912-91), the Communist Party of China (1921-ON), the Workers’ Party of Korea (1949-ON), and the Communist Party of Cuba (1965-ON).	Originated and evolved in ancient Athens during the 5th century. Numerous important reforms were made by the leader Solon and then Cleisthenes. Greek democracy was ended in 322BC by Macedon.

What Is Communism?

Communism is both a political and social ideology that dictates how government and social organizations are established.

Also, the system does not all private ownership of property. All properties are owned by the public but the government is the one that decides.

Access to services is universal and the state will provide what people need in terms of health care or educational services.

What Is Democracy?

Democracy is a government system where everything is decided by the citizens. The Majority vote tends to decide everything.

Individuals have the opportunity to own properties but the government produces assets. Access to services will vary based on what the majority rule government dictates.

Main Difference between Communism and Democracy

Communism abolishes all religions whereas democracy gives people the freedom to worship.

Communism does not encourage citizens to own property while democracy allows citizens to own properties

Communisms view war as good to spearhead economic growth whereas democracy the view depends on the opinion of the majority

Democracy modern of change is brought about through voting whereas communism change is determined by the state

Modern examples of communism are China, North Korea, Cuba, Laos, and Russia while democracy is the US, Canada, Western Europe, and Australia.

Comparison Video

Summary

The core difference between democracy and communism is that democracy is where people hold power over how they are governed while communism encourages free access to articles of consumption is made through modern technology.

More Sources and References

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