Communism is a political and economic ideal and philosophy that was embraced by several Earth nations in the 20th and 21st centuries. Nations that embraced it included the Soviet Union and China. Slang terms for a person who followed this ideal, better known as a communist, included "pinko", "red" and "commie." It was the clash between communism and capitalism that sparked the Earth Cold War.
In 1953, Douglas Pabst insinuated that Herbert Rossoff was a proponent of communism. (DS9: "Far Beyond the Stars")
- It should be noted that the economic system used by the Federation has been interpreted as communism, however, it may also be a left-leaning socialism; in either case it is used in conjunction with a democratic political system. According to Marxist theory in the state of communism money cease to exits and people take as much as they need from the common good, which is similar to the Federation's policies.