The Green New Deal is often accused of being socialist, as well as being utopian. For those students who wanted a very structured paper prompt, they were asked to evaluate this claim, using the material that we had read in class over the course of the semester. Based on what we had learned about Marx’s vision of socialism, and how socialism was enacted and experienced in the Soviet Union, can we consider the Green New Deal to be socialist? What elements seem socialist and why? What elements do not, and why? Do you think that implementing these policy changes would enable people to fulfill Marx’s vision of a good society?
As sources for the Green New Deal, students used the following webpages:
The text of the Green New Deal legislation:
Bernie Sanders’ presidential platform statement on the Green New Deal: https://berniesanders.com/issues/green-new-deal/
Speech introducing the legislation: https://ocasio-cortez.house.gov/media/press-releases/ocasio-cortez-markey-reintroduce-green-new-deal-resolution-0
See the student’s answers here: