Which term refers to the owners of the means of production in society?

• A. Bourgeoisie
• B. Proletariat
• C. Capitalism
• D. Economy

Answer: (A)

In Marxist analysis, ownership of the means of production designates a specific social class. Those who own factories, land, and the capital that drives production are known as the bourgeoisie. They hold economic power and steer how production occurs, which shapes social relations and class dynamics in a capitalist system. The opposite class, the proletariat, consists of people who do not own productive assets and must sell their labor to survive. The term capitalism refers to the economic system organized around private ownership of productive assets and the pursuit of profit, not to a social class. The economy is the broader system of production, distribution, and exchange in a society. So the term that best fits owners of the means of production is the bourgeoisie.