1. M-C-M describes how capitalists preserve and grow their riches. The initial M represents the money that a capitalist begins with. The C indicates the items they buy, such as buildings, machines, raw materials, and labor power. The M represents the original money plus the profit. Capitalists get this extra revenue from employees’ labor. People generate sufficient value to cover their pay for a portion of the workday. This is referred to as essential work. However, they continue to work and generate more value after that. This additional work is known as excess labor, and the value it produces is known as surplus value.