# The End of Socialism **URL:** **By** James Otteson, Aaron Ross Powell, Trevor Burrus **Published:** April 13, 2015 --- Is an idealized form of socialism possible, and if not, why not? James Otteson is the author of [_The End of Socialism_](http://www.amazon.com/The-End-Socialism-James-Otteson/dp/1107605962) (2014) and is a professor of political economy at Wake Forest University. This week he joins us to talk about socialism and explains several problems with the philosophy's methodology that makes it unworkable in the real world. What exactly _is_ socialism? What's the distinction between socialism and corporatism? Why doesn't socialism work?