A Comparative Analysis of the Effects of Capitalism on Inequality in Communist, Post-Communist, and Long-Term Liberal Economies

Abstract

- The topic of study is political economy. Specifically, it relates political systems to economic inequality. Previous research had been done but from a much more specific angle for either of the countries explored (the USA and China). Though this previous research had some very unique perspectives and helped in building this paper, there is not a lot of definitive work in comparing these systems from a larger but simultaneously detailed scope, thus providing the rationale for new research. This paper is primarily composed of a thematic and critical meta-analysis of extensive secondary research that seeks to find specific examples that represent and can be linked to the broader questions being asked, namely, what the effect of capitalism on inequality in various economic contexts is. The major findings would be that under this scope of inequality, capitalism appears to be the root cause of economic inequality, while communism has its own distinct negative effects. The significance of this study lies in its definiteness and conclusiveness in providing an argument for the large and much-debated topic of capitalism against communism.