Economic Systems Simulation Help!

This is a tough one, Freda Anderson . But maybe I can help you brainstorm... What is the key difference between socialism and communism that you'd like the students to understand? 

Just thining out loud here but maybe it's another round where there is still a communist elite that distributes the treats less than equally? 

This is a tough one, Freda Anderson . But maybe I can help you brainstorm... What is the key difference between socialism and communism that you'd like the students to understand? 

Just thining out loud here but maybe it's another round where there is still a communist elite that distributes the treats less than equally? 

I feel like the key difference is like with communism there is no private property whatsoever. With socialism you still have some private property, but the government controls means of production that are "necessary for basic living" and equally distributes what they determine as essentials and enough money for essentials, and also depending on how it's configured redistributes past a certain amount or taxes past a certain amount so that the gap between richest and poorest are more equal. I mean all of these things would have to be like... decided upon bc they are just theories but that's a key difference that I see.

A History Channel article I saw explained it like this: "Under communism, there is no such thing as private property. All property is communally owned, and each person receives a portion based on what they need. A strong central government—the state—controls all aspects of economic production, and provides citizens with their basic necessities, including food, housing, medical care and education.

By contrast, under socialism, individuals can still own property. But industrial production, or the chief means of generating wealth, is communally owned and managed by a democratically elected government.

Another key difference in socialism versus communism is the means of achieving them. In communism, a violent revolution in which the workers rise up against the middle and upper classes is seen as an inevitable part of achieving a pure communist state. Socialism is a less rigid, more flexible ideology. Its adherents seek change and reform, but often insist on making these changes through democratic processes within the existing social and political structure, not overthrowing that structure."

Ah! Now I see where you're going with it.

Sounds to me like another way to do this - though maybe not exactly what you're going for - is to show what a mixed economy looks like. I often feel that we sometimes show these economic systems as absolutes. It might be worth pointing out how even a capitalistic society like ours, has instiutions that are publically run (i.e. the USPS, our libraries and other institutions like this that students will be familiar with).