Nestler 1

Arthur Nestler
Mr. Lloyd
AP European History
24 October 2010

The concepts of modern “Liberal Democracy” and “Totalitarian Communism” have

many similarities and differences. The idea of communism and Liberal Democracy are very

similar. Where the two differ is in the practice of Communism. Totalitarian Communism is

virtually an oxymoron. A totalitarian state has a central leader that is the ultimate authority while

communism is supposed to be a classless society in which the entire population shares equal

power in the affairs of the state. Liberal Democracy is a form of representative democracy in

which a group of people represent the majority of the population by the means of an election.

These two types of government are extremely different in their practices, but are similar in their

ideology.

Liberal Democracy and Totalitarian Communism have many of the same ideas. Both

forms of government share the assets of their people. In communism, the wealth of the people is

supposed to be completely and evenly shared in order to make all citizens equal, while Liberal

Democracy shares some of the wealth between its people in order to help those in the most need.

This idea of economic equality is relatively present in both forms of government. Another

similarity between the ideology of Liberal Democracy and Totalitarian Communism is the

purpose of the government. The government, in both cases, is for the people of the state. This

idea is more prevalent in communism because everybody has a direct affect on the decisions of

the state. Both ideas on economics and politics are shared by the two governments. These ideas

Nestler 2
are more extreme in communism, making it further left than Liberal Democracy on the modern

political spectrum.

There are a vast number of differences in the practices of Liberal Democracy and

Totalitarian Communism. In Liberal Democracy, elected officials represent the people and make

decisions that are in the interests of the majority of the population. In a Totalitarian Communist

society, a single person that is not elected governs the people. This is a major difference because

the people do not take part in the government in a Totalitarian Communist society. Another

considerable difference is the “Marxist” materialism in communism and “Francis Fukuyama’s”

idealism in Liberal Democracy. Communism is focused on the material world such as

economics, production of goods, and workers. Liberal Democracy focuses on idealistic virtues

such as suffrage, and the power of the mind.

The similarities of Liberal Democracy and Totalitarian Communism are based mostly in

the ideology of the two. With the practice of the two forms of government, many differences can

be distinguished. The similarities are rooted in ideas such as the economic structure and the

purpose of the government - serving the people. The differences set Totalitarian Communism and

Liberal Democracy apart. The two differ in many different ways such as the means by which the

society is governed and the focus of the government. Liberal Democracy and Totalitarian

Communism are two remarkably distinct forms of government that are two of the most popular

governmental structures in the world.