The role of the government differs depending on the level of society, which may be pre-capitalist, capitalist, and post-capitalist. In capitalist states, the government’s purpose is to protect the power of wealthy people by maintaining the division between the working class and the ruling class (Smith and Marshal). Marx and Engels believed the state would dissolve when the working class evolved and took power into its hands (Smith and Marshal). According to Marx, the division of classes was supposed to end after the socialist revolution, which would mean that there was no need to maintain the division between classes since they would disappear (Smith and Marshal). While Marx’s ideas were unrealistic, his contribution to the theory of the state is considerable.
In capitalist countries, the government uses various mechanisms to protect the division between classes, including economy, ideology, official politics, the police, and the army. In economics, the state coins the currency and controls its distribution using banks and other financial institutions. The government can destroy communities using evictions or make the arrangements that thousands of workers are put on the dole (Smith and Marshal). The primary mechanism of the government’s control over the economy is the nationalization of credit institutions, such as the Bank of England.
The government also controls the minds of citizens using media and the press, which are administered by the representative of the ruling class or their close supporters (Smith and Marshal). In other words, the state ensures its power by limiting the possibilities of opposition to express its criticism. The ruling class makes the proletariat believe that control over mass media is crucial to stabilize society. Marx, however, thought that control was needed to protect the power of money and deprive the working class of relevant information (Smith and Marshal). The mechanisms described above were used to preserve the capitalist ideology.
The government uses repressive institutions, such as the police, the army, and the legal system. Even though the government positions itself as a neutral regulator of society and its laws, the reality may differ considerably. Marx did not oppose the enforcement of rules; instead, he criticized the repressive system being class-biased(Smith and Marshal). In other words, in capitalist, society, people, or often penalized for being poor, while judges and law enforcers may be bribed to promote the interests of the rich.
Capitalist states are also known to control official politics minimizing the role of ordinary people in decision-making. The ruling power of the ordinary citizens is limited to votes, which can be easily influenced using the media and repressive apparatus. The democratic system, however, provides an illusion that society controls the government, which makes people feel more powerful and less cautious of possible manipulations (Smith and Marshal). In summary, the state uses all the available tools to maintain the power of the capital.
In a post-capitalist society, the government was supposed to be replaced with local governing bodies run by the working class. The social revolution meant that there would not be any class division; therefore, the state as an institution would not be needed to maintain the segregation. In such states, the productivity and economic effectiveness were supposed to grow exponentially since there would be no money needed to support the overgrown government apparatus. In conclusion, Marx viewed the government as a temporary need, which would dissolve as the proletariat society evolved into communism.
Works Cited
Smith, Ken and William Marshall. “What Is Marxism?”Marxism.org, Web.