What is statism?

Answer

Statism represents one end of the political spectrum, with anarchy at the opposite extreme. The more a political ideology opposes centralized power, the closer it aligns with anarchism. Philosophies that advocate for increased government control lean towards statism. Statism asserts that government should have authority over economic and social matters. Extreme forms of statism are challenging to reconcile with a biblical perspective; the Scriptures recognize the importance of government but do not view it as the ultimate solution to all issues.

The Bible clearly condemns the extreme of anarchy; it acknowledges the benefits of law and order and the need for certain levels of governmental supervision (Romans 13:1-7;Genesis 2:16-17;1 Timothy 2:2). Equally significant is the Bible’s caution against excessive statism, although it is less direct. The Scriptures caution against placing excessive power in human hands (1 Samuel 8:10-19;Proverbs 29:2) and emphasize that government alone cannot solve every problem (John 18:6;Acts 5:29).

Political concepts such as statism intersect with other ideologies without being identical to them. Nationalism and socialism are two common examples. While these ideologies share similarities with statism, they also have distinct differences. Supporting strong government control without excessive patriotism is considered statist rather than nationalist. On the other hand, extreme loyalty to a nation while opposing aggressive government control is nationalist but not statist. It is possible for an individual to embody both traits: displaying fanatical allegiance to a nation while granting absolute authority to its government.

The same applies to socialism. ThThis term implies communal control of production resources. A person who believes the government should heavily regulate or control those resources is promoting a form of statism in practice. Meanwhile, advocates for community-controlled resources independent of government control would be considered “socialist,” but not “statist.” Socialism is more challenging to differentiate from statism than nationalism, but socialism and statism are not precisely the same thing.

Certain political terms are more commonly seen as criticisms than as voluntary labels. Statism is frequently used as a critique, suggesting inappropriate control in the hands of the government. Few people embrace the term to describe their own philosophy. Similarly, anarchy is usually used as an insult, although there are some who willingly accept that they are anarchists. As opposite ends of a spectrum, neither statism nor anarchy is fully compatible with a biblical approach. In the broad range between those two extremes, there is ample space for civil discussion “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.”, (Romans 14:1).