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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

Outside of strictly Marxist discourse, the term can be used more generally to refer to the underlying

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

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.
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.