Overview
Democratic socialists claim to reject the authoritarian nature of socialism. But is democratic socialism all that different? Does democratic socialism promote equality and fairness? Are Scandinavian countries socialist? This segment looks at some claims, misconceptions, and “myths” about socialism.

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Lesson Insights

Grade level and subjects
• Recommended for grades 6-12
• Subjects: Economics
• Works in Classroom, Hybrid, and Homeschool settings

What students will learn
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
• define socialism and democratic socialism;
• identify examples of failed democratic socialist governments;
• explain why countries often considered socialist are not actually socialist; and
• compare and contrast socialism and fascism.

Key concepts and terms covered
Capitalism, Democratic Socialism, Dictatorship, Fascism, and Socialism.

Sample discussion questions
• In the video, Van Jones said that democratic socialists believe both the government and the economy should be run by the people by way of the ballot box. How can the people run the economy?
• How are political freedom and economic freedom connected? What are the benefits of each?
• Sweden resembled socialism in the 1970s and 1980s but changed. How and why did it change?
• An attendee at the socialism conference said that resources should be allocated to those who need them. Who would decide who needs what and who gets what? What would be fair about that?
• Many people say the U.S. is not demonstrating socialist tendencies because socialism is defined by the government owning/controlling the means of production. Others, however, say one need only look at the “indirect control” the U.S. government has on production, mainly via heavy regulations, to see the “new socialism.” What are some examples of recent actions by the government that illustrate attempts to control the production and/or distribution of goods or services?

What’s in the free teacher’s guide
This printable 10-page Teacher's Guide includes a lesson description, learning objectives, key vocabulary, a fill-in viewing guide with answer key, discussion and analysis questions, and classroom activities.

Standards alignment
Aligned to state standards — use the SITC Standards Tool to match this video to the standards in your state.