Wirtschaftsbasis

Wirtschaftsbasis is a German term that denotes the economic foundation of a society. It refers to the set of conditions that enable the production and distribution of goods and services, including the means of production (such as factories, machines, land) and the social relations that govern their use (such as property relations and labor relations). In this sense, the Wirtschaftsbasis encompasses both productive forces and production relations that together determine the material basis of economic life.

In Marxist theory, the term is closely associated with the concept of the economic base (Basis) as opposed to the superstructure (Überbau). The Wirtschaftsbasis comprises the productive forces and the relations of production, and it is viewed as shaping politics, law, culture, and ideology. Changes in the economic base are thought to drive transformations in the superstructure, and thus the overall social order.

Outside of strictly Marxist discourse, the term can be used more generally to refer to the underlying drivers of an economy—capital and labor endowments, natural resources, infrastructure, and institutions that enable production and exchange. It may be contrasted with the administrative or policy layer of the economy, which relates to governance, regulation, and public services.

See also: Basis and Überbau, Produktionsmittel, Produktionsverhältnisse, Produktivkräfte.