Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage a
socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community for the purposes of increasing social and economic equality and cooperation. This control may be either direct—exercised through popular collectives such as
workers' councils—or indirect—exercised on behalf of the people by the state. As an
economic system, socialism is often characterized by socialized (
state or community) ownership of the
means of production.
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