Collectivism is a political and economic system in which the government or the people as a group own the land, factories, and other means of production. Collectivism originated during the early 1800’s as a revolt against capitalism, the most popular economic system of the time. Capitalism called for individual ownership of property and little government intervention in business. Collectivists claimed these ideas led to poverty, unemployment, and other hardships for workers. Such writers as Robert Owen of the United Kingdom and Charles Fourier of France called for a new economic system based on cooperation and collective ownership. Their ideas led to the establishment of cooperative communities in the United States, including Brook Farm, Massachusetts, and New Harmony, Indiana.
Several forms of collectivism developed during the late 1800’s. They included syndicalism, which called for workers to own and manage industries, and cooperatives, which are businesses owned by the people who use their services. Major modern forms of collectivism include communism and socialism.
