Democratic socialists support the principles of democratic collective ownership of the basic means of production and the priniciple of democratic management. Therefore, democratic socialists support not only public ownership, but cooperative ownership of economic functions. Because Socialists value the principle of equality, persons truly socialist in spirit value democracy as a vital political principle . However, a truly communal society would be very democratic , as were some early societies in the Americas. Differences between Socialism and Capitalism Capitalism describes a state of society which accepts and encourages private ownership of the means of production.
Capitalism exalts the selfish individual.
The United States is considered by many political and economic leaders to be a capitalist society with a free market. However, the U. S. political and economic system is in reality a system of private markets protected by the government against competition. Further, to keep the faltering American capitalism functioning, the various governments step in to provide public funds and support for functions performed by a private enterprise. The United States underwrites the risks for banks and other financial institutions. Local and state governments provide assistance for real estate developers through construction and maintenance of roads and public infrastructure.