(A) Capitalist forms of capital possession are characterized by socialization.
The basic contradiction inherent in capitalism is the contradiction between socialization of production and private possession of means of production, that is, the contradiction between productive forces and relations of production. However, many changes have taken place in the relations of production of contemporary capitalism, especially in the form of ownership, which is constantly changing from simple capitalist private ownership to social ownership. First, the state-owned economy has developed rapidly. After World War II, in order to alleviate the sharp contradictions at home and abroad, the bourgeoisie abandoned the capitalist private ownership, and the waves of nationalization of the means of production in major capitalist countries broke out one after another. The state-owned economy gradually gained a dominant position in the sectors harmful to the national economy, which made capitalism have the characteristics of mixed economy. Second, a large number of cooperative economies have emerged and become an important part of the ownership of the means of production, thus making the form of capital possession show the characteristics of socialization. Third, the joint-stock economy has made new progress. After World War II, the joint-stock economy has become the main economic organization form of capitalism, showing the following characteristics: decentralization of equity and socialization of capital; Corporate shareholding increases and individual shareholding decreases, that is, shareholding corporatization; The shareholding system is universal and widely practiced in various economic sectors; The rise of employee stock ownership means that employees buy all or part of the shares of an enterprise.
(B) The contemporary capitalist economy is characterized by orderly operation.
After World War II, the economic operation of major capitalist countries no longer showed anarchy, but showed orderly characteristics. First, strengthen the adjustment of the plan to the national economy. Capitalist countries learn from the experience of socialist countries such as the Soviet Union in using plans to regulate the national economy, so that the national economy can develop in an orderly and healthy way. Second, the government intervenes and regulates the national economy. There are three main ways: managing the national economy according to law; Administrative intervention in the national economy; Implement macro-fiscal and monetary policies. These measures have achieved remarkable results in economic development, prolonged the economic cycle, reduced crisis fluctuations and made the economy develop steadily and harmoniously. Third, the social market economy has achieved remarkable results. Social market economy seeks the combination of economic efficiency and social balance, and individual interests are consistent with the overall interests of the national economy. Germany is a typical social market economy. Its contents mainly include: emphasizing economic freedom and ensuring the combination of individual rationality and social obligations of market participants; Free market competition system; Bank's regulation of economy; The liberal policy of foreign economy; Coordinate labor relations and attach importance to social security; Give full play to the role of the state in the market economy. Its main effects are: social stability and healthy and orderly economic development.
(3) The distribution form of contemporary capitalism has the characteristics of giving consideration to fairness.
1. Under the condition that the law of surplus value is still dominant, the distribution form of capitalism tends to give consideration to fairness. For example, tax adjustment of personal income and property should be implemented to achieve the goal of win-win for both employers and employees; The implementation of two distribution, the first distribution to meet the principle of efficiency, the second distribution to take care of low-income people.
2. Under the condition that poverty still exists, there is a trend of average distribution. For example, the formulation and implementation of the social security system for employees' wage income mainly include: the minimum wage law; Profit sharing system, that is, the system of sharing profits between employers and employees, France stipulates that enterprises with more than 100 employees must implement profit sharing system; Labor protection and labor welfare system, etc. These measures make the annual surplus value rate of contemporary capitalism decline, while the proportion of workers' wages increases.
3. Under the condition that exploitation still exists, there is a trend of universal social welfare. Developed capitalist countries generally implement welfare system in social life, from poverty relief to citizens' social rights, and generally formulate and implement a series of welfare systems from cradle to grave (that is, from birth to death). Its characteristics are: various types of social welfare, wide coverage, mainly to improve the living standards of low-and middle-income people; Social welfare is institutionalized and legalized; Various welfare subsidies, such as family subsidies, medical subsidies, housing subsidies, etc. For the benefit of the public. These measures have narrowed the gap in living standards to some extent.
(D) The class structure of contemporary capitalism has become complicated.
First, the opposition between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie still exists, but class dialogue and cooperation have become a common phenomenon. Such as: collective consultation, * * * the same decision, etc. Second, the proletariat and the bourgeoisie are still the two major classes in contemporary capitalist society, but the class structure is multi-layered and the roles of social members are complicated. The change of the bourgeoisie is that although the traditional capitalists, that is, family capitalists, still exist, they are no longer a single component of the bourgeoisie, or even an absolutely dominant component, and the emergence of a large number of manager capitalists has made them an important component of the bourgeoisie. The changes of the proletariat are as follows: first, the scientific and cultural quality of the proletariat has been greatly improved; Secondly, the proportion of white-collar workers has greatly increased; Third, the proportion of workers in the tertiary industry has greatly increased. Outside the proletariat and the bourgeoisie, a new middle class has emerged: First, a certain number of "symbolic analysis service personnel" have appeared, that is, people engaged in problem solving, problem identification and strategic brokerage activities. In the United States, such personnel account for 20% of the total number of workers; Secondly, small and medium-sized managers appeared. Contemporary capitalism is not only multi-layered in class structure, but also highly variable: first, the concepts of the haves and the have-nots are used to distinguish not only the amount of assets they have, but also the knowledge they have; Second, the rich and the poor are increasingly uncertain; Third, the boundary between the rich and the poor is becoming increasingly blurred and unpredictable. Third, although the proletariat is still being exploited, there is a tendency for the proletariat to become middle-class. In contemporary capitalist society, the living standard of the proletariat, that is, the working class, is constantly improving, and the proletariat has a tendency to be middle-class. This is mainly manifested in the increasing number of working class and middle class, and the proportion of white-collar workers exceeds that of blue-collar; The living conditions of the working class have improved significantly, workers' wages have increased substantially, social welfare and social insurance have been gradually improved, consumption expenditure and consumption composition have undergone major changes, working hours have been shortened, labor intensity has been reduced, and the situation of the poor class has improved significantly. The meaning of contemporary poverty is completely different from that of the past.