history 25.4

Why do you think that Marx's "dictatorship of the proletariat" did not happen?

because the economy would eventually crumble if it did. I say this because if everyone had the same class, there wouldn't be anyone making goods or working to meet the public's demand. This might even lead to people fighting over what they have, because there wouldn't be anyone left to supply the with more.

Utilitarianism

followed Jeremy Bentham's theory that people should judge ideas, institutions, and actions on the basis of their utility or usefulness. Also pushed for reforms in the legal and prison system. pushed for reforms in the legal and prison systems and in education.

What kind of society did early socialists want?

the government planned the economy instead of letting free market capitalism do the job. They wanted a society that could offset the ill effects of industrialization.

What characteristics do capitalism and socialism share?

Capitalism and Socialism are both economic systems that had their own beliefs in regards as to what should be done about who owns property and who owns the means of production. Capitalists believed that individuals and businesses should own property and the means of production. Socialists believed that the community or the state should own property and the means of production.

Why did the labor reform movement spread to other layers of life?

The labor reform movement spread to other areas of life because they wanted to prepare children to become good citizens. This lead to free public schooling throughout the 1800s. This also led to better prison conditions, allowing prisoners to lead a positive and useful new life after they would be released from prison.

What were the main problems faced by the unions during the 1800s and how did they overcome them?

The main problem faced by the unions was that the British government had denied workers the right to form unions, and the Combinations Act of 1799 and 1800 outlawed unions and strikes. The factory workers overcame this by forming unions anyway, and eventually the Act was repealed by the parliament.

What were Adam Smith's three natural laws of economics?

These laws included the law of self-interest (people work for their own good), the law of competition (competition forces people to make a better product), and the law of supply and demand (enough goods would be produced at the lowest possible price to meet demand in a market economy).

Communism

is a form of complete socialism in which the means of production would be owned by the people. Private property would cease to exist. Goods and services would be shared equally. Published in 1848, The Communist Manifesto had few results but revolts shook europe from 1848-49. It stated the belief that economic forces dominated society.

Capitalism

is an economic system in which the factors of production are privately owned and money is invested in business ventures to make a profit. The ideas of this system helped bring about the Industrial Revolution.

Strike

is the act of refusing to work. Unions engaged in negotiations between workers and their employers. If factory owners refused to meet their demands, union members could strike.

Laissez faire

is the economic policy of letting owners of industry and business set working conditions without interference. This policy favored a free market that was unregulated by the government. In French, means "let do," which is like a shortened phrase derived from "let people do as they please."

Why did workers join the union together?

they wanted to press for reforms on their working conditions, and better wages. If the inforcements were not met, then they would strike. Highly skilled workers had higher bargaining power because it was harder to replace workers that had such special skills.

Karl Marx

was a german socialist who introduced Marxism. He and Friedrich Engels outlined their ideas in The Communist Manifesto. In the manifesto, they argued that societies have always been divided into warring classes; "haves" bourgeoisie (employers), "have nots" proletariat (workers)

Socialism

was a new economic system brought up by French reformers Charles Fourier, saint-simon, and others who sought to offset the ill effects of industrialisation. In this system, the factors of production are owned by the public and operate for the welfare of all. They believed that the government should plan the economy rather than depend on free-market capitalism, government control would end poverty and promote equality, and that public ownership would help workers.

Adam Smith

was a professor at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. He defended the idea of free economy in his book The Wealth of Nations (1776) and believed economic liberty guaranteed economic progress. He came up with the three natural laws of economics, which includes the law of self-interest, the law of competition, and the law of supply and demand.

Unions

were voluntary labor associations. As working conditions grew worse and worse throughout the 1800s, workers became more involved in politics and began fighting for reforms in unions.