Keith Mack
Communism is a political and economic doctrine that advocates for communal ownership and control of the means of production and natural resources, as opposed to private property and a profit-based economy. While it is most widely associated with Karl Marx, who outlined his vision in The Communist Manifesto (1848), the idea has evolved and branched out into various forms. In the United States, communism has historically been viewed with suspicion, particularly during the Second Red Scare (1946-1954), which led to the Communist Control Act of 1954. This Act outlawed the Communist Party of the United States and criminalized membership or support for the party. However, the Act has been largely ineffective and was declared unconstitutional by an Arizona federal court in 1973. Today, while communism is the official form of government in countries like China, North Korea, Laos, Cuba, and Vietnam, it is important to note that these countries are considered to be in a transitional phase between capitalism and the establishment of true communism.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Outlaws the Communist Party of the United States | Communist Party of the United States |
| Criminalizes membership in or support for the Communist Party | Membership or support for the Communist Party |
| Deems Communist Party members as subject to the provisions and penalties of the Internal Security Act of 1950 | $10,000 fine or imprisonment for up to 5 years or both |
| Removes the Communist Party's rights, privileges, and immunities of a legal body | Rights, privileges, and immunities |
| Defines "Communist-action organizations" | Communist-action organizations |
| Evidence to be considered by a jury in determining participation in Communist activities | Juries determine participation in Communist activities |
| Abolish private property | Communal ownership of goods and production |
| Remove class divisions | Society without class divisions |
| Transform relations between the sexes into a private matter | Private matter between individuals |
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What You'll Learn
Criminalising membership in the Communist Party
The Communist Control Act of 1954 was an American law that outlawed the Communist Party of the United States and made membership or support for the party a criminal offence. The Act was signed by President Dwight Eisenhower on 24 August 1954, during the Second Red Scare, with the intention of protecting the American government from the threat posed by international communists.
The Act characterised the Communist Party as an "agency of a hostile foreign power", a "clear, present, and continuing danger to the security of the United States", and a "conspiracy dedicated to the violent overthrow of our entire form of government". It stipulated that party members would face sanctions of up to a $10,000 fine or imprisonment for five years if they failed to register with the U.S. Attorney General.
The Act also defined the evidence to be considered by a jury in determining participation in the activities, planning, actions, objectives, or purposes of Communist organisations. However, the Yale Law Journal noted that the act was "never used as a major weapon in the legislative arsenal against Communism" due to its vague and ambiguous provisions. In 1961, the US Supreme Court ruled that the act did not bar the party from participating in New York's unemployment insurance system. In 1973, a federal district court in Arizona also decided that most of the act was unconstitutional.
In recent times, Ukraine's Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal upheld a ban on the Communist Party of Ukraine in 2022, following a decision to outlaw the party in 2015 based on laws criminalising communist ideology, actions, and symbols. This decision was influenced by the anti-communist stance of the EU, of which several member states have outlawed communist parties.
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Abolishing private property
Communism is often associated with the abolition of private property. This idea is rooted in the writings of Karl Marx, who critiqued the concept of private property and proposed that communism involves the positive annulment of private property.
Marx distinguished between private property and personal property. Private property, in the communist sense, refers to the means of production or productive resources, such as land, factories, and raw materials, that are owned privately by a few individuals to exploit the labour of the majority. On the other hand, personal property refers to personal possessions like one's house, car, or clothes. Communists advocate for the abolition of private property, while personal property would be respected and not communally owned.
Marx argued that the existence of private property leads to the estrangement of man and the alienation of humans. He suggested that in a society devoid of private property, individuals would form complex connections beyond mere objectification. Additionally, Marx's concept of crude communism highlights the connection between private property and bodily ownership, particularly the control over women. In this context, marriage is seen as a form of "exclusive private property," and the abolition of this concept leads to women being viewed as communal property.
The abolition of private property, as advocated by communists, does not imply the complete elimination of all forms of property ownership. Instead, it specifically targets bourgeois private property, which is considered the most advanced and comprehensive form of a system based on class antagonisms and the exploitation of the majority by a select few.
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Establishing communal ownership
In practice, communal ownership can be achieved through various means. One approach is public ownership, where a public body, government, or political entity represents society and directs the production process. This is distinct from common ownership, where the right of disposal lies with the workers themselves, allowing them to collectively manage and regulate the production apparatus.
Christian communists often point to biblical texts, such as Acts 2 and Acts 4, as evidence that early Christians lived in a communist society, sharing possessions and practicing common ownership. Other religious groups, such as the Hutterites and Bruderhof Communities, have also embraced common ownership for centuries.
In addition, communal ownership can be observed in voluntary associations, non-profit organizations, and public bodies. However, it is important to distinguish between collective ownership and common property, or "the commons." Collective ownership refers to property owned jointly by agreement among a set of colleagues, like producer cooperatives, while common property refers to assets that are completely open for access, such as public parks.
Neoclassical economic theory analyzes common ownership through contract theory, emphasizing the role of residual control rights held by the owner. In contrast, antitrust economics focuses on the impact of common ownership on competition, suggesting that overlapping ownership between competing firms can reduce incentives for competition and stimulate a rethinking of antitrust enforcement.
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Outlawing Communist Party support
The Communist Control Act of 1954 was an American law signed by President Dwight Eisenhower that aimed to protect the United States from the perceived threat of international communism. The Act made it illegal to be a member of the Communist Party of the United States and criminalized any support for or membership in the party or affiliated "Communist-action organizations".
The Act defined evidence to be considered by a jury in determining participation in the activities, planning, actions, objectives, or purposes of such organizations. It also stipulated that all party members would be sanctioned with a fine of up to $10,000, imprisonment for up to five years, or both, if they failed to register with the U.S. Attorney General. Additionally, the Communist Party would be deprived of "the rights, privileges, and immunities" of a legal body.
The Communist Control Act was created during the Second Red Scare (1946-1954), a period marked by fears of communist infiltration and subversion. Many opposed communism due to its explicit goal of undermining liberal democracy and replacing it with a system based on communal ownership and control of the means of production. The Act was one of many bills drafted to protect the American government from this perceived threat, though it was noted that the act was ""never used as a major weapon in the legislative arsenal against Communism".
While the Act did not explicitly criminalize the act of being a communist, it subjected communists to the provisions and penalties of the Internal Security Act of 1950, which had defined two types of "communist organizations". The Communist Control Act was originally proposed as an amendment to this Act, with a focus on tackling the root of pro-communist sentiment in the United States. It is important to note that the Communist Control Act did not create a criminal offense for simply holding communist beliefs or ideologies.
In conclusion, the Communist Control Act of 1954 represented a significant effort by the American government to outlaw and suppress support for the Communist Party within the United States, reflecting the political climate of the time and the widespread fear of communism's potential threat to American democracy.
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Removing Communists from leadership
Communism is a political and economic doctrine that advocates for the communal ownership of goods and the abolition of private property. While it gained prominence due to the work of Karl Marx, the first Christians are said to have practised a simple form of communism. In modern times, communism is the official form of government in China, North Korea, Laos, Cuba, and Vietnam.
In the United States, the Communist Control Act of 1954 outlawed the Communist Party of the United States and criminalized membership or support for the party. The act also defined the evidence to be considered by a jury in determining participation in communist activities. The bill was drafted during the Second Red Scare, a period when there was a perceived threat from international communists. The act was intended to protect America from communism and tackle the root of pro-communist sentiment in the country.
The Communist Control Act of 1954 made membership in the Communist Party a criminal act, with members facing sanctions of up to a $10,000 fine or imprisonment for up to five years if they failed to register with the U.S. Attorney General. Additionally, the act stipulated that the Communist Party would be deprived of "the rights, privileges, and immunities" of a legal body. However, the act was never a major weapon in the legislative fight against communism, with only two minor cases in New York and New Jersey. In 1961, the Supreme Court ruled that the act did not prevent the Communist Party from participating in New York's unemployment insurance system.
While the act was initially proposed as an amendment to the Internal Security Act of 1950, it was later introduced as a separate piece of legislation. The Internal Security Act of 1950 had already defined two types of "communist organizations" and sought to prevent the spread of communism in labor unions. Republican Senator Hugh A. Butler later proposed a bill to remove Communists from leadership positions in labor unions by designating "communist-infiltrated organizations" as a third class of communist organization.
Despite the Communist Control Act, communism itself is not illegal in the United States. The act did not create a criminal offense for being a communist. Instead, it subjected communists to the provisions and penalties of the Internal Security Act of 1950, which were later repealed. Additionally, the provisions concerning communist-action were also repealed in 1993.
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Frequently asked questions
No, communism is not illegal in the United States. However, the Communist Control Act of 1954, signed by President Dwight Eisenhower, outlaws the Communist Party of the United States and criminalizes membership in or support for the party. The act was designed to protect America from communism and was one of many bills drafted during the Second Red Scare to combat the spread of communism. In 1973, a federal district court in Arizona deemed most of the act unconstitutional.
The Communist Control Act of 1954 is an American law that made it illegal to be a member of the Communist Party in the United States. The act also stipulated that party members who failed to register with the U.S. Attorney General would be subject to a fine of up to $10,000, imprisonment for up to five years, or both. The act was proposed as an amendment to the Internal Security Act of 1950, which had sought to address the spread of communism in labor unions.
Communism is a political and economic doctrine that advocates for the communal ownership of goods and the abolition of private property. It aims to replace a profit-based economy with public ownership and communal control of the means of production, such as mines, mills, and factories, and natural resources. Communism is most widely associated with Karl Marx, who outlined the system in "The Communist Manifesto" (1848) with Friedrich Engels.
