Managing the ideology

[Dogukan91]

how exactly do I do that?

I'm playing as Japan right now for instance and I want to make the country socialist...what should I do?

I'm guessing the main idea is increasing the conciousness-militancy of that certain pops. But how do they go socialist? So that I can leave them to conquer the capital and make a revolution.

Or can I get in it through democracy?

 

[unmerged(75409)]

Choose populism in "Establishment vs Populism" and then in the election events always choose the issues that match your socialist party's policies. That ought to give you a socialist election victory in no time.

You will remain a democracy (or con-mon) and will keep getting elections. Only the communists (or fascist/reactionary/anarcho-liberal) can change your form of government to a proletarian dictatorship.

 

[Kagernaut]

Even using this, its extremely difficult most of the time to get a socialist victory in an election. However, one way that really gives you a boost is to put taxes and tarrifs at 100% a week or less before the election day. That will turn many of your people socialist, perhaps all of them, and will make winning elections easier. Problem is you have to keep repeating this in order to keep getting the socies elected.

 

[unmerged(48056)]

If your Socialist Party is Pluralism than you might consider promoting POPs to Clergymen to keep consciousness lower.
IMO it's a little too easy to win as Socialist, you just need a lot of craftsmen and clerks, which are kind of unavoidable unless your roleplaying as a banana republic.