Marxist theory prioritizes 'substantive' or 'economic' democracy over the 'formal' or 'bourgeois' political freedoms found in liberal systems. Marxists argue that liberal political freedoms are often illusory under capitalism because they lack an economic foundation. Therefore, emphasizing traditional liberal political freedom is generally viewed as inconsistent with the core tenets of Marxian democratic theory.

Marxist theory is rooted in historical materialism, which posits that the material conditions of a society's mode of production fundamentally determine its social, political, and intellectual life. Marx argued that the economic base—the relations and forces of production—shapes the superstructure of society, including law, religion, and politics. Therefore, material conditions are the primary catalyst for historical change and class struggle.

The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) was the sole governing party of the Soviet Union. It maintained absolute control over all aspects of the state, including the government, the military, and the economy. Through a system of democratic centralism, the party ensured that its policies were implemented across all levels of society, effectively preventing the emergence of any organized political opposition.

Marx primarily focused on the internal contradictions of advanced capitalist societies. While his theories on imperialism were later expanded by thinkers like Lenin, Marx himself did not develop a comprehensive theory of underdevelopment in the Global South, as his primary analytical framework was centered on the industrial development of Western Europe.

Marxists argue that in the earliest stages of human development, known as primitive communism, society was classless. Because there was no private property or significant surplus, there were no social divisions or class antagonisms. The state only emerged later as a mechanism to manage the conflicts arising from the development of private property and class stratification.

Marxism posits that history is driven by class struggle. A revolution occurs when the productive forces of society come into conflict with existing relations of production. The outcome is the overthrow of the ruling class by the oppressed class, resulting in a fundamental shift in class dominance. This transition is seen as the necessary mechanism for moving from one stage of historical development to the next.

Marx's dialectical materialism posits that economic conditions are the primary drivers of historical change. He argued that productive labor is the fundamental human activity and that social cooperation enhances productivity. While Marx famously critiqued religion as the 'opium of the people,' he did not reduce all social complexities solely to religious influence, focusing instead on material class relations.

The Marxian perspective on democracy emphasizes that legal frameworks and constitutions often serve to protect the interests of the ruling class and maintain existing economic hierarchies. It argues that for democracy to be meaningful, it must address the underlying economic structures that create inequality. By focusing on the material basis of society, this theory critiques how legal systems can be used to perpetuate class dominance under the guise of formal equality.

Marxist theory explains wealth accumulation through the concept of 'surplus value'. The capitalist pays the worker a wage based on the value of their labor power, but the worker produces goods with an exchange value greater than that wage. The difference, or surplus value, is appropriated by the capitalist as profit. This exploitation of labor is the fundamental mechanism by which capital is accumulated in a capitalist system.

This statement reflects Marx's theory of historical materialism. Marx argued that the 'base' of society—the mode of production—determines the 'superstructure,' which includes legal, political, and cultural institutions. Ideologies are not independent but are reflections of the underlying economic relations and class interests of the era.