Capitalism vs. Communism Ideologies

Understanding ideologies is important to understanding the reasons a country takes certain actions in the global stage. This is especially important for understanding the Cold War and the development of hostility and culture that still affects modern day events.

After doing some research, students will compare and contrast the ideas and ideologies of democracy and capitalism with communism and command economies. This will allow students to explain, analyze, and synthesize what defined each superpower’s belief system through their society, economics, and government. Students will be able to connect how such differences in societal theory resulted in the Cold War being an ideological battle, defined by propaganda, espionage, and global control.

Extended Activity

Have students define and outline the major ideas of Adam Smith and Karl Marx. Students can compare and contrast both figures using a grid storyboard. This will allow students to identify the founding pioneers of capitalism and communism. It will provide historical context to where both nations looked in history to guide their development before and during WWII.

Student Instructions

Create a storyboard that compares and contrasts the economic, societal, and government ideologies of Communism and Capitalism.

1. Click "Start Assignment".
2. Label the title boxes with "Political Ideology", "Economic Ideology", "Societal Ideology", and "Aims and Goals".
3. In the top row, describe these ideologies and how they pertain to either capitalism or communism.
4. In the bottom row, do the same for the other system.
5. Create images for each cell using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.
6. Save and exit when you're done.