Developed Socialism (the economic basis), the totality of socialism’s relations of production at its mature stage. Following the period of transition from capitalism to socialism society experiences two stages in its advance to communism: socialism which is built on the whole, and developed, or advanced, socialism. The society of developed socialism reached in the USSR is to date the highest point of social progress. The developed socialism is a society where the economic base, social structure and political system have been created to correspond to socialist principles, and where socialism develops on its own, collectivist basis. The economy of developed socialism is founded on advanced productive forces. At the stage of the socialist rebuilding of the economy, the technical level of the production assets, primarily of the newly commissioned enterprises and new industries, reached in the USSR, practically the level attained in advanced capitalist countries; in the succeeding period, essentially new machinery and technique were introduced in hightechnology industries. At the same time, a powerful scientific potential was created and the role of science dramatically increased. Improved general education and skills, and the extensive network of higher and secondary schools moulded a force of millions of highly qualified workers, engineers, and scientists. A single powerful economic complex has been created to cover all aspects of social production, distribution, and exchange. Material production of this complex is founded on modern powerful multisectoral industry ( heavy industry, which includes metallurgy and power, engineering and instrument making, and the electrical, chemical, and petrochemical industries; agro-industrial sectors; and the light and food industries) and large- scale collectivised and highly mechanised agriculture. The deepening social division of labour has led to the further concentration of production and centralisation of production whose nature is increasingly social. The economies of the Union republics have become an integral part of the country’s economy. Developed socialism is a society of mature socialist 85 production relations. State (belonging to all the people), and collective farm- andcooperative forms of property are continuously converging; broad links are established between work collectives (see Collective, Work, Production) to ensure cooperation and mutual aid, socialist emulation, and new labour discipline. The main factor in cementing mature relations of ownership is the evolution and consolidation of the leading role of state property. The level of production socialisation is increasing in the collective farm-and- cooperative sector. The collective farms are largescale highly mechanised enterprises. A broader introduction of industrial means of production has contributed to expansion of economic ties between town and country and enhanced the leading role of industry. The extent of planned economic development management has grown, as have the role of long-term planning and the significance of balanced development. The forms of consumer goods distribution according to the amount and quality of labour are improving; the social consumption funds are making an ever growing contribution to satisfying the working people’s needs. Profound changes have occurred in the social structure. The leading role of the working class has grown. In social position, education standards, and way of life collective farmers have approached the working class. The political and ideological unity of the working class, peasants and intellectuals has consolidated. A historically new social and international community, the Soviet people, has emerged. In the political sphere, the stage of developed socialism has featured the evolution of the dictatorship of the proletariat into a state of the whole people, the all-round development of democracy, Marxist-Leninist ideology becoming the moulder of society’s spiritual life, and the growing leading and guiding role of the Communist Party. Guided by Marxism-Leninism, the CPSU determines the general prospects of social development, domestic and foreign policy, and leads the great creative activity of the Soviet people by guaranteeing the planned and scientifically sound character of their endeavours in building communism. For developed socialism to evolve into communism, a scientific and technological revolution is needed. In developed socialist society the economic laws of socialism have the broadest latitude for their operation, and the mechanism of their conscious application is being improved both in individual countries and in the world socialist economic system. The advantages and the potential of the socialist economy, with its public ownership of the means of production and planned development guaranteeing the well-being and comprehensive development of all members of society, manifest themselves in an increasingly stronger way. The USSR possesses tremendous modern production assets, powerful scientific and technological capability, millions of highly skilled workers and engineers, and a rich experience in planned economic management Higher material and cultural standards facilitate the creative activity of the working people. The economic integration of the socialist countries has contributed to boosting production (see Integration, Economic Socialist). A new period of developed socialism was marked by the 26th CPSU Congress, which endorsed the Guidelines for the Economic and Social Development of the USSR for 1981- 1985 and for the Period Ending in 1990. This decade is an important new stage in creating the material and technical base of communism, progress in social relations, and the moulding of the new man. In this period, fullest possible use will be made of the advantages and potential of the society of mature socialism, and material and spiritual wealth, and scientific and technological capability will significantly increase. Now that the USSR has reached new frontiers of socioeconomic progress, the CPSU and the Soviet people are able to deal with problems of ever increasing scale and complexity in building communism. The May (1982) Plenum of the CPSU Central Committee adopted the Food Programme for the Period Ending in 1990 that was elaborated in conformity with the resolutions of the 26th Party Congress.