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International
Relations-PSC 201
VU
LESSON
35
LIBERALISM
AND SOCIAL DEMOCRACY
(CONTINUED)
Social
Democracy
Social
democracy is a political ideology
emerging in the late 19th
and early 20th centuries
from supporters
of
Marxism who believed that the
transition to a socialist society could
be achieved through
democratic
evolutionary
rather than revolutionary
means.
During
the early and mid-20th century,
social democrats were in
favor of stronger labor
laws,
nationalization
of major industries, and a strong welfare
state. Over the course of the
20th century, most
social
democrats gradually distanced
themselves from Marxism and
class struggle.
At
present, social democrats
don't see a conflict between a
capitalist market economy
and a socialist
society,
so
they support reforming capitalism to
make it more equitable through creation
of a welfare state.
In
the past, social democrats
were often described as
reformist
socialists (since
they advocated the
implementation
of socialism through gradual
reforms). They were
contrasted with revolutionary
socialists,
who
advocated
socialism through a workers'
revolution.
Today,
democratic socialists carry on the
reformist
socialism legacy
and desire a fully socialist
system through
electoral
means. But most social
democrats want capitalism to be more
equitable, not
abolished.
Social
democratic parties are
amongst the largest in most European
countries, and in
European-influenced
parts
of the world (with the notable exception of the
US). Social democrats are
politically centre of
left.
Liberalism
vs. Social
Democracy
The
fundamental difference between liberalism and
social democracy, besides the difference
in origins, is in
their
views regarding the role of the
state in the economy.
Social
democracy seeks to achieve a
certain extent of equality of outcomes,
and upholds egalitarianism as
the
source of its moral
values.
Social
democrats support a large public
sector and nationalization of
utilities like gas and
electricity to avoid
private
monopolies, achieve social justice,
and raise living standards
for all. Liberalism, instead prefers
much
less
state intervention.
In
the 1990s, many social
democratic parties adopted neoliberal
economic policies like
extensive
privatizations
and open markets, much to the
dismay of their own
voters.
This
has led these parties to
become de
facto neoliberal,
and often resulted in a
drastic loss of their
popular
support.
For example, critics of the German
Social Democratic Party and the
British Labour Party
accuse
them
of pursuing neoliberal policies.
Relevant
Vocabulary
Abolish
to
declare illegal
Adopted
applied
Intervention
-
interference
De
facto in
effect
Suggested
Readings
Students
are advised to read the
following to develop a better understanding of the
various principals
highlighted
in this hand-out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_democracy