Social democracy is a government with socialist characteristics that uses democratic processes and emphasizes the common good. It falls on the centre-left of the political spectrum, supports labor, unions, free education, and gender equality. It was influenced by philosophers such as Thomas Hill Green and John Maynard Keynes. Social democratic countries focus on human rights issues, have strict protections for minority groups, and distribute wealth equally among the population. Many European countries have social democratic characteristics, and even non-social democratic countries have programs such as welfare and public education.
A social democracy is a government that uses a democratic process but has several characteristics that resemble those of a socialist society. Social Democrats are generally committed to acting for the common good. In a government that is a social democracy, the government plays an active role in regulating certain political and economic conditions.
The political ideology of a social democracy falls on the centre-left of the political spectrum. While Social Democrats believe in individual freedoms and democratically elected government, they also often emphasize the need for the protection of minority groups and programs that benefit the poor. Social Democrats generally support labor and unions, free education and gender equality.
The ideology of liberalism took hold when the industrial revolution took place in Europe and the United States. Initially, liberals advocated economic progress, believing that the growth of international markets would benefit large numbers of people. However, the potentially negative effects of capitalist societies and the growth of industry soon became apparent. After seeing the lack of protection for workers, the use of child labor and the growing gap between rich and poor, some scholars and politicians have attempted to address the consequences of unbridled capitalism.
Thomas Hill Green (1836-1882) was a professor of moral philosophy in England. According to Green, freedom was directly related to a person’s contributions to the common good. While he advocated for individual freedom, Green also believed that government should be actively and positively involved in increasing people’s freedoms. Green’s position was eventually used as a justification for labor laws, public education, and other aspects of the modern welfare state.
The economic philosophy of John Maynard Keynes (1883-1846) had a great impact on the social democratic movement. In The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, published in 1936, Keynes discussed the strengths and weaknesses of capitalism. He believed that an unregulated market ultimately negatively impacts society at large due to its inability to provide full employment or distribute wealth fairly.
Green and Keynes, along with other theorists and philosophers, created the basis for contemporary social democratic governments. Unlike socialism, which advocates the nationalization of businesses and other sectors, social democratic countries generally do not emphasize government takeover of industry. However, not all social democrats agree on capitalism; some believe capitalism should be done away with.
In modern society, social democratic countries and political parties tend to focus on human rights issues. Social democratic countries typically have strict protections for minority groups. They also often try to distribute wealth equally among the population. Social democracies typically provide government-funded health care, subsidized higher education, and aid for the elderly, among other welfare initiatives.
Many countries in Europe, such as Germany, Great Britain and Scandinavian countries, have some characteristics of social democracies. Most democratic countries have some laws or institutions that could be found in a social democracy. For example, the United States, which is generally not considered a social democracy, has programs such as welfare, Medicare, and Medicaid, as well as public educational institutions.
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