Exam 7: Current and Former Communist Regimes
Lenin and Stalin in the Soviet Union, Mao in China, and Castro in Cuba are just a few examples of the "cult of personality" that appears in communist societies. Why do these societies seem to produce this "cult of personality"? Do we see the same in industrialized democracies? Why or why not?
The "cult of personality" in communist societies can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, these leaders often rose to power during times of great social and political upheaval, and their strong personalities and charisma allowed them to gain a significant following. Additionally, the centralized nature of communist governments meant that these leaders had a great deal of control over the media and propaganda, allowing them to cultivate an image of themselves as larger-than-life figures.
Furthermore, the ideology of communism often emphasizes the importance of a strong, central leader who can guide the country towards a utopian society. This emphasis on a single, powerful leader naturally lends itself to the development of a cult of personality.
In industrialized democracies, we do not typically see the same level of cult of personality surrounding political leaders. This is largely due to the nature of democratic governance, which emphasizes the importance of institutions and the rule of law over the power of any single individual. Additionally, the free press and independent media in democracies often serve as a check on the development of a cult of personality, as they are able to provide more balanced and critical coverage of political leaders.
Overall, the cult of personality in communist societies is a result of the unique historical, political, and ideological factors at play in those societies, and is not typically seen to the same extent in industrialized democracies.
The reform launched by Mikhail Gorbachev to allow more openness in the political system in the Soviet Union was known as __________.
glasnost'
After Stalin's death, the Soviet Union moved away from focusing on the cult of personality as part of the process of
B
According to Marx, immediately after the anticipated workers' revolution, there would be a transition phase as capitalism was destroyed and resources were redistributed equally. What was Marx's name for this transition period?
Marx borrowed which idea from Georg Hegel, who believed that societies shift from one stage to another?
After World War II, the majority of countries that became communist did so as a result of
Socialism can be traced back to which seventeenth-century English movement?
In transitioning from communist rule, the Eastern European and former Soviet States had to
The organization that Lenin set up to control worldwide socialist revolutions was known as the __________.
The majority of governmental systems in countries that used to have Marxist-Leninist regimes are best described as:
In the Soviet Union, almost every child in the country joined what Communist Party-dominated organization, similar to the American Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts?
Given how few Communist states remain, why study Communism in an introduction to comparative politics course?
Rather than the equality of opportunity stressed by liberals, Marxists tend to emphasize equality of __________ instead.
The 1980s attempt to restructure the Soviet economy was known as ___________.
In addition to Mongolia, which country had the only other communist government prior to the end of World War II?
Which individual emerged as the leader of Russia immediately following the collapse of the Soviet Union?
The communist parties in communist states were run according to the principle of __________ that gave all power to a small, elite group.
Marx and most Marxists called the owners of property and wealth the __________.
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