Statism describes any social or political system in which state intervention plays a major role. It is also used to describe any central government that implements economic planning, or policy.

This term is often used polemically and provocatively, by opponents of state intervention, to argue that the legitimate powers of another element of society have been illegitimately absorbed by the state. Often, the charge of "statism" is an allegation that the private interests of the single individual are being curtailed in favor of the public interests of the many. Opponents of statism argue that such an action restricts individual freedom, while supporters of statism argue that it ultimately benefits the individual himself, since the public good involves the personal good of the maximum number of individuals.

It should be noted that "statism" is a very general and ambiguous term, which lumps together a great number of opposing ideologies. One example: "statism" is used by libertarian capitalists to describe any social or political system that implements any degree of economic planning or regulation. In this extreme context, "statism" may also refer to any governing body that does not embrace the ideal of Laissez-faire.

"Statism" is often lumped together with "socialism" or "communism", and the three concepts confused, whereas:

• there are several branches of Socialism which reject the State;
• for many communists, especially Trotskyists, the State is only a necessary evil that must wither away or be eventually eliminated in order to establish a communist society.

Some modern political philosophies hold that individual rights are in no way natural or absolute, but that they are social constructs; in other words, rights and freedoms are not assigned by nature or some other higher authority, but by human society itself. For example, we have the right to life not because there is anything natural about it (after all, nature does not condemn murder), but because the majority of the human population has agreed that it is in their common interest to respect this right. Therefore, individual rights cannot be separated from the public good, since the public good is the reason why individual rights exist in the first place. If one accepts that a state is necessary to protect individual rights, then one also accepts that a state is necessary to carry out other actions for the public good. This is the foundation of the majority of "statist" philosophies.

On the other hand, it could be considered that while the concept of "rights" is created by society, freedom is not. This rests on the perception that man is free in nature, outside of the state. If so, perhaps, the purpose of the state may not be to create freedom through creating "rights", but to put limitations, and privileges, on individuals for the purpose of the protection of freedoms.

Individualists believe the most basic right is the right to be left alone. This right only requires a mutual understanding among individuals, something that occurs spontaneously and does not need to be codified in law. Statists argue that an agreement not codified in law can be easily disregarded or violated.

Another concept that should be noted is that of the social contract, first put forward by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. This line of thought holds that the state arises as the result of an implicit contract between free human beings. The state is set up by human beings who decide that they wish to establish an organisation with the power to guarantee their safety and welfare. They invest the state with power, and in return the state pledges to work for the common good. The authority of the state is as wide or as narrow as the people wish it to be. By living under a certain government and reaping the benefits of being a member of that society, you implicitly accept a social contract with your government (in much the same way as you implicitly accept the End User Licence Agreement with a software manufacturer by using a piece of software). If you do not wish to accept the social contract with your government, you are free to sign a contract with another government (by moving to a different country).

In contrast to this view, another concept should be noted. Some idealists suggest Statisms are bodies that force cooperation, and are organizations composed of an involuntary membership. While the idea of a contract may be feasible, one would have to consider whether the idea of a social contract consists of both an offer and acceptance on an individual level. Some philosophers consider such a theory flawed for that very reason.

See also: Totalitarianism

Contrast: Anarchism