Christian democracy
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{{Christian Democracy expanded}}
'''Christian democracy''' is a [[Ideology#Political ideologies|political ideology]] and [[political movement|movement]] that began in large measure as a response to the anti-[[theocracy]] and anti-[[Authoritarianism|authoritarian]] nature of the [[American Revolutionary War]], the [[French Revolution]] and [[Marxism]] on the one hand, and the anti-[[Labour movement|worker]] and anti-[[Socialism|socialist]] nature of [[Social Darwinism]] and [[laissez-faire]] [[capitalism]] on the other. It is distinct from [[Christianity]] as a [[religion]], and most [[Christian Democratic Party|Christian democratic political parties]] today do not have a religious criterion for membership or service.
Broadly speaking, Christian democracy is an [[ideology]] is a form of [[communitarianism]]. It is a [[political philosophy]] focusing on the health of the community in all areas of community existence. This community orientation is often considered [[Social conservatism|conservative]] (or right-leaning) in regard to moral and cultural issues and [[Progressivism|progressive]] (or left-leaning) in regard to [[social justice]], labor and socio-economic issues. More specifically, Christian democratic parties generally claim a strong social conscience, in the sense of great respect for the [[Human dignity|dignity of the human person]] from conception to natural death (that is, a [[pro-life]] stance), emphasizing the alleviation of poverty, and maintenance of a basic level of societal protection (and a limited [[welfare state]] if necessary) keeping the weak from abandonment and destitution, and the incentivising of (and if necessary the restraint of) market forces for the [[common good]] (see [[social market economy]]). It may also be seen as [[liberalism|liberal]] as it upholds [[human rights]] and individual initiative (read personal responsibility). It may be seen as [[federalism|federalistic]] and traditional in that it emphasizes [[sphere sovereignty]] and [[subsidiarity]], and maintaining local and regional cultural distinctives, as well as upholding universal traditions (for example, traditional marriage). It may be seen as [[Green Christianity|green]] in that it advocates positive [[Stewardship (theology)|stewardship of the creation]], especially through using [[renewable energy]], and avoiding activities that destroy the environment. Christian democrats today hold a variety of views, although they agree in general about the goals of public policy. Some parties and politicians have taken opposing positions on controversial issues such as [[abortion]] and [[divorce]].
Christian democracy is a significant force in the political mainstream of [[Politics of Europe|Europe]] and [[Latin America]], but is less common on other continents. Christian democratic parties in Latin America are generally more inclined to support left-leaning economic views, while their European counterparts tend to be closer to the political [[Centrism|center]], or [[center-right]], on economic issues.
==Political viewpoints==
As with every category of political thought, in practice, the policies and priorities of Christian democratic parties can vary considerably over time and between countries.
Christian democrats are usually [[social conservatism|socially conservative]], and, as such, many Christian democrats are opposed to [[abortion]] and [[same-sex marriage]], although some Christian democratic parties have accepted the legalization of both, within certain limits. Christian democratic parties are often likely to assert the [[Christianity|Christian]] heritage of their country, and to explicitly affirm Christian ethics, rather than adopting a more liberal and secular stance that all religions are to be considered equivalent.
Christian democracy sees the economy as being at the service of humanity; however, most Christian democratic parties do not call [[capitalism]] itself into question. The duty of the state to care for its citizens (or, for some Christian democrats, the duty of the state to facilitate the most conducive public conditions for a ''society'' to care for its members within various non-political communities) is of real importance for Christian democrats. Some Christian democrats oppose [[Christian socialism]], while others may at times seem to hold political opinions close to it. In recent decades, some major Christian democratic parties in [[Europe]] have shifted more towards a [[right-wing politics|right-leaning]] policy of [[economic liberalism]], based on reducing the role of the state in the economy and increasing the role of non-governmental communities in identifying and supplying various societal needs.
Geoffrey K. Roberts and Patricia Hogwood describe the basis of Christian democracy by writing "In terms of ideology, Christian democracy has incorporated many of the views held by liberals, conservatives and socialists within a wider framework of moral and Christian principles."<ref>Roberts and Hogwood, ''European Politics Today'', Manchester University Press, 1997</ref> They describe the basis of Christian democracy in terms of comparisons to and contrasts with [[liberalism]], [[socialism]] and [[conservatism]], a useful approach to understanding Christian democracy.
In such terms of comparisons and contrasts, a "typical" Christian democratic viewpoint might be described as follows:
*In common with liberalism, an emphasis on human rights and individual initiative.
*In contrast to liberalism, a rejection of [[laicity]], and an emphasis on the fact that the individual is part of a community and has duties towards it.
*In common with conservatism, conservative moral values (that is, on issues such as marriage, divorce, abortion etc.), a view of the evolutionary development of society, an emphasis on law and order, and a rejection of [[communism]].
*In contrast to conservatism, open to change (for example, in the structure of society) and not necessarily supportive of the social status quo.
*In common with socialism, a strong emphasis on social solidarity (that is, the welfare state, prioritizing alleviation of poverty, higher taxes on the wealthy, etc.) and a willingness to restrain market forces.
*In contrast to socialism, supports [[capitalism]] (with restrictions) and a [[market economy]] and does not adhere to the [[class struggle]] doctrine.
== History of Christian democracy ==
Christian democracy as a political movement was born at the end of the 19th century, largely as a result of the [[Pope|papal]] encyclical ''[[Rerum Novarum]]'' of [[Pope Leo XIII]], in which the [[Holy See|Vatican]] recognized workers' misery and agreed that something should be done about it, in reaction to the rise of the [[socialism|socialist]] and [[trade union]] movements. The position of the [[Roman Catholic Church]] on this matter was further clarified in a subsequent encyclical, [[Quadragesimo Anno]], by [[Pope Pius XI]] in 1931. Christian democracy has evolved considerably since then, and it is no longer a particularly Catholic ideology. In Germany, for example, the Christian Democratic Party emerged as a grouping dominated by Rhenish and Westphalian Catholics, but also encompassed the more conservative elements of the [[Protestantism|Protestant]] population. Following [[World War II]], Christian democracy was seen as a neutral and unifying voice of compassionate conservatism, and distinguished itself from the [[far right]]. It gave a voice to 'conservatives of the heart', particularly in [[Germany]], who had detested [[Adolf Hitler]]'s regime yet did not agree with the right on many issues.
In [[Protestantism|Protestant]] countries, Christian democratic parties were founded by more conservative Protestants in reaction to the political power of [[liberalism|liberal]] tendencies within the Protestant churches. In the [[Netherlands]], for instance, the [[Anti Revolutionary Party]] was founded in 1879 by conservative Protestants. It institutionalized early 19th century opposition against the ideas from the French Revolution on popular sovereignty. It held the position that government derived its authority from God and not from the people. This Burkean position is sometimes also called Christian Historian. It was a response to the liberal ideas that predominated in political life. The [[Christian Democrats (Sweden)|Christian Democrats of Sweden]], rooted in the [[Pentecostal]] religious tradition, has a similar history.
While Christian democracy is of Roman Catholic origin, it has been adopted by many [[Protestantism|Protestant]] and [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]] Christians as well. Some Christian democratic parties, particularly in Europe, no longer emphasize religion and have become much more [[secular]] in recent years. Also within Europe, two essentially Islamic parties, the [[Democratic League of Kosovo]] and Turkey's ruling [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|Justice and Development Party]] (usually known by the [[Turkish language|Turkish]] acronym AKP, for ''Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi'') have moved towards the tradition. The Democratic League of Kosovo is now a full member of the Centrist Democrat International ''(see [[#Christian democracy around the world|below]])''.
Christian democracy can trace its philosophical roots back to [[Thomas Aquinas]] and his thoughts about [[Aristotle|Aristotelian]] [[ontology]] and the [[Christianity|Christian]] tradition. According to him, human rights are defined as the things that humans need to function properly. For example, food is a human right because without food humans cannot function properly. Modern authors important to the formation of Christian democratic ideology include [[Emmanuel Mounier]], [[Étienne Gilson]], and [[Jacques Maritain]].
== Christian democracy around the world == <!--Linked from above text.-->
The international organization of Christian democratic parties, the [[Christian Democrat International]] (CDI), is the second largest international political organization in the world (second only to the [[Socialist International]]). European Christian democratic parties have their own regional organization called the [[European People's Party]], which with other allied, non-party political organizations forms [[European People's Party–European Democrats]] (EPP-ED), the largest group in the [[European Parliament]]. However, not all Christian democratic parties in Europe are members of it. Some, such as the [[Union for French Democracy]], have joined the centrist group called the [[European Democratic Party]] (EDP), which takes a yet stronger [[Europhile]] stance. Similarly, Italy's [[Daisy—Democracy is Freedom|Margherita]] ("Daisy") party - a member of Prime Minister [[Romano Prodi]]'s center-left coalition [[l'Unione]] - is a founding constituent of the EDP, while the [[Alleanza Popolare-UDEUR]] (also a member of l'Unione) is in a [[caucus]] with the EPP-ED.
[[Image:Propaganda Dc.jpg|360px|right]]
=== Christian democracy in Europe ===
{{Expand-section|date=June 2008}}<!--If Malta gets a summary, so should the rest, or no such summaries at all.-->
Christian democracy has been especially important in the politics of [[Politics of Italy|Italy]] (inspired by [[Luigi Sturzo]]; ''see [[Christian Democracy (Italy)]]''), [[Politics of Norway|Norway]] ''(see [[Christian Democratic Party of Norway]])'', and [[Politics of Germany|Germany]] ''(see [[Christian Democratic Union (Germany)]] and [[Christian Social Union in Bavaria]])''. Major Christian democratic influence can also be seen in the politics of [[Austria]] ''(see [[Austrian People's Party]])'', [[Belgium]] ''(see [[Christene Volkspartij]], [[CD&V]] and [[Humanist Democratic Centre]])'', [[Finland]], [[France]], [[Ireland]] ''(see [[Fine Gael]])'', [[Luxembourg]], [[Malta]], the [[Netherlands]] ''(see [[Christian Democratic Appeal]])'', [[Poland]] ''(see [[Polish Peasant Party]])'', [[Ukraine]] ''(see [[Christian Democratic Union (Ukraine)]])'' [[Slovenia]], [[Spain]] ''(see [[Partido Popular]])'', and [[Sweden]] ''(see [[Christian Democrats (Sweden)]])''. Christian democracy is not very strong in the [[United Kingdom]] where the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] dominates conservative politics and does not advocate Christian democratic platforms.
The [[Nationalist Party (Malta)|Nationalist Party of Malta]] is a Christian democratic party and has won seven out of ten general elections since [[Malta]]'s independence in 1964. Currently governing, it has won its third consecutive general election in 2008. It advocates staunch Christian values and Malta is remains a strongly Catholic country in which abortion and divorce are illegal.
=== Christian democracy in Latin America ===
{{Expand-section|date=June 2008}}<!--"Among others" doesn't cut it.-->
Christian democracy has been especially important in [[Politics of Chile|Chile]] ''(see [[Christian Democrat Party of Chile]])'', among others, and most recently in [[Politics of Mexico|Mexico]] with the ascendancy of [[President of Mexico|President]] [[Vicente Fox]] ''(see [[National Action Party (Mexico)]])''.
=== Christian democracy in Asia ===
{{Expand-section|date=June 2008}}<!--One country is not enough here. But keep it short! Link to other articles, don't create sub-sub-sections here.-->
==== The Philippines ====
{{Split|Christian democracy (Philippines)}}<!--This is not the place to go into Filipino or any other details.-->
In the [[Philippines]], the influence of Christian democracy as well as the Roman Catholic and Protestant clergy is very evident, especially in the ''People Power'' uprisings it has produced. Filipino Christian democracy is distinct in its ecumenical inclusion of Muslim leaders in its political alliance ''(see [[Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats]])''.<--This is a good split point.--> The largely Roman Catholic country has elected two Christian democratic presidents ([[Fidel V. Ramos]], a Protestant, and [[Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo]], a Catholic, both from the ruling Lakas-CMD party). Filipino Christian democrats have always focused on economic growth and development, stronger ties with the [[United States]], creation of jobs, and strong cooperation between the executive and legislative branches of government. Christian democrats in the country have been known for their advocacy of a shift from the present [[presidential system]] to a parliamentary form of government through constitutional amendments and through establishing peace talks with [[Islam|Muslim]] separatists and [[communism|communist]] rebels.
===Christian democracy in Australia===
{{Split|Christian democracy (Australia)}}<!--This is not the place to go into Australian or any other details.-->
In [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], the Catholic [[Australian Labor Party]] (ALP) parliamentarians who aligned themselves with [[B. A. Santamaria]] were expelled from the party (against that party's rules). They formed a new party, soon to be known as the [[Democratic Labor Party]] (DLP). Later in 1957, a similar split occurred in [[Queensland]], with the resulting group subsequently joining the DLP. The party also had sitting members from [[Tasmania]] and [[NSW]] at various times, though it was much stronger in the former mentioned states.
The party was in agreement with the ruling conservative [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]] and [[National Party of Australia|Country]] parties on many issues, which resulted in their [[Preferential voting|preferencing]] of these parties over the ALP. However, it was more morally conservative, militantly anti-communist and socially compassionate than the Liberals. The DLP was defeated by the federal election of 1974 that saw its primary vote cut by nearly two thirds, and the entry of an ALP government. The DLP never regained its previous support in subsequent elections and formally disbanded in 1978, but a small group within the party refused to accept this decision and created a small, reformed successor party.
Though his party was effectively gone, Santamaria and his National Civic Council took a strong diametrically opposed stance to dominant [[neoliberal]]/[[New Right]] tendencies within both the ALP and Liberal parties throughout the eighties and early nineties.
A new Christian party that found its first strength in 1981 was the [[Christian Democratic Party (Australia)|Christian Democratic Party]] (initially known as the "Call to Australia" party). It gained 9.1% of the vote in the [[New South Wales]] (NSW) state election of 1981, but its vote rapidly declined thereafter. This Protestant party had some very similar social policies to the DLP. Its support base has generally been restricted to NSW and [[Western Australia]], where it usually gains between 2-4% of votes, with its support being minuscule in other states. It has had two members of the NSW state parliament for most of its life.
Another Australian Christian democratic party of note is the [[Family First Party]]. It has had one or two members in the SA parliament since 2002, and in 2004 also managed to elect a Victorian senator. Its electoral support is small, with the largest constituencies being [[South Australia]] (4-6%), and [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] (around 4%). Family First generally receives lower support in national elections than in state elections.
In 2006, the new DLP experienced a small resurgence. The successor party struggled through decades of Victorian elections before finally gaining a parliamentary seat when the Victorian upper house was redesigned. Nevertheless, its electoral support is still very small in Victoria (around 2%), and lower still in the rest of the country. Its policies are much the same as the old party, but without the focus on Communism.
== Notable Christian democrats ==
* [[Konrad Adenauer]], first chancellor of [[West Germany]] after [[World War II]], and architect of the [[social market economy]].
* [[Giulio Andreotti]], long-time Prime Minister of [[Italy]].
* [[Patricio Aylwin]], [[Chile]]an politician who served as president when Chile returned to democracy after the [[dictatorship]] of [[Augusto Pinochet]].
* [[José María Aznar]], former [[Spain|Spanish]] prime-minister.
* [[Rafael Caldera]], two-time [[Venezuela]]n president, and author.
* [[Felipe Calderon]], president of [[Mexico]].
* [[Alcide De Gasperi]], Italian prime minister and pro-[[European Union|European]] leader.
* [[José Napoleón Duarte]], first democratically-elected president of [[El Salvador]].
* [[Eddie Fenech Adami]], former leader of the [[Nationalist Party (Malta)|Nationalist Party]] in [[Malta]] (''Partit Nazzjonalista''); current president (as of 2008) and former prime minister.
* [[Vicente Fox]], former president of [[Mexico]]; current co-president of [[Christian Democrat International]].
* [[Eduardo Frei Montalva]], [[Chile]]an politician and former president.
* [[Helmut Kohl]], chancellor of [[West Germany]] and later the unified [[Germany]].
* [[Abraham Kuyper]], founder of the [[Netherlands]]' [[Anti Revolutionary Party]] (the first Christian democratic party), as well as the [[Neo-Calvinist]] [[Protestant]] movement, and a [[prime minister of the Netherlands]].
* [[Giorgio La Pira]], Italian politician, from the [[left wing]] of [[Democrazia Cristiana]].
* [[Ruud Lubbers]], a prime minister of the Netherlands and [[United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees]]
* [[Jacques Maritain]], french philosopher father of the [[personalism]];
* [[Kjell Magne Bondevik]], former prime minister of [[Norway]].
* [[Angela Merkel]], became, in 2005, the first female chancellor of Germany.
* [[Aldo Moro]], prime minister of Italy, killed by the [[Brigate Rosse]].
* [[Paulo Portas]], former [[Portugal|Portuguese]] defense minister.
* [[Romano Prodi]], Italian prime minister and European Commission's President
* [[Fidel V. Ramos]], first Protestant president of the [[Roman Catholic|Catholic]]-dominated [[Philippines]], and founder and chair ''emeritus'' of the political party [[Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats]].
* [[B. A. Santamaria]], [[Australia]]n Catholic anti-[[Communism|communist]] and founder of the [[Democratic Labor Party]].
* [[Robert Schuman]], [[France|French]] politician who has served both as head of government and foreign minister, leader of [[Popular Republican Movement]]; one of the founders of the [[European Union]].
* [[Wolfgang Schüssel]], former [[Austria]]n chancellor.
* [[Franz Josef Strauß]], minister-president of [[Bavaria]], Germany.
==Similar but unaffiliated parties and politicians==
Though they do not identify with Christian democracy directly, being [[Judaism|Judaic]], Israel's [[Shas]] ([[Orthodoxy|orthodox]] [[Sephardic]] Orthodox party) and [[United Torah Judaism]] (orthodox [[Ashkenazi]] party) are politically similar to Christian democratic parties, due to their combination of conservative social and religious policies with an emphasis on increased social spending. They also tend to be centrist and relatively flexible in terms of their positions on national security and the peace process.
[[Henry Olsen]] of the [[American Enterprise Institute]] has named Americans [[Mike Huckabee|Governor Mike Huckabee]], [[Rick Santorum|Senator Rick Santorum]], and political advisor [[Michael Gerson]] (all members of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]]) as exemplars of the Christian democratic philosophy in the [[United States]].<ref name="Olsen 2008">[http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110011088 "The GOP's Time for Choosing], Henry Olsen, ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', January 6, 2008</ref>
===New Zealand===
{{Split|Christian democracy (New Zealand)}}<!--This is not the place to go into NZ, or any other, details in such verbosity.-->
Until 1993, [[New Zealand]]'s [[first-past-the-post]] [[electoral system]], like that of the United States, imposed strong centralizing and [[bipartisan]] pressures on its political configurations, which disadvantaged minor parties. For this reason, Catholics have remained enmeshed within the [[New Zealand Labour Party]]. As in Australia, conservative Catholics opposed Labour and National New Right policies during the 1980s and 1990s. However, the New Zealand Labour Party never split as the Australian Labor Party did in the 1950s.
However, by the 1980s, New Zealand Catholic voting patterns were diversifying. Class seemed to trump confessional adherence, as older Catholic sectarians died off, and became less able to enforce preferred economic and social policies through unified bloc pressure. Occupational and class divisions may have led to left/right bifurcation. Rural Catholics might therefore vote National due to occupational preferences as farmers, while urban working-class Catholics might have voted Labour, Alliance or Green, due to each party's commitment to stronger social policy expenditure, or commitment to peace movement and anti-war stances. In 1993 New Zealand introduced the [[Mixed Member Proportional]] system of proportional representation, which created greater openings for small parties, and since 1996 all governments have involved coalitions.
As a result, while conservative Catholic [[Future New Zealand]] List MP [[Gordon Copeland]] is currently aligned with Helen Clark's New Zealand Labour Party-led government over confidence and supply,{{Clarifyme|date=June 2008}}<!--What is "over confidence and supply" supposed to mean? Use clear English please.--> he is still a die-hard social conservative. Within the [[New Zealand National Party]], [[Bill English]] has often voiced anxieties about the New Right direction of his party since the late 1990s, consistent with what one would expect from a European Christian democrat.
By contrast, [[Jim Anderton]] broke away from the Labour Party and was party leader of the New Labour Party and Alliance until left/pragmatist strains broke it apart in 2001–02. Since then, his Progressive Party has adopted social conservative stances against [[prostitution in New Zealand]], [[euthanasia]], and [[Legal and medical status of canabis|decriminalisation of cannabis (marijuana)]], while strongly supporting increased expenditure on [[public health]], [[social welfare]] and [[public education]]; all these policies are consistent with a Christian democrat framework.
== See also ==
*[[Christian politics (index)]] – Wikipedia articles related to this subject
*[[List of Christian democratic parties]] around the world
*[[Christianity and politics]]
===International Christian democratic organizations===
*[[Centrist Democrat International|Centrist Democratic International]] (CDI) – formerly Christian Democratic International
**[[Christian Democratic Organization of America]] (ODCA) – a CDI regional organization for the Americas
**[[European People's Party]] (EPP) – a CDI regional organization, and the largest regional party in the [[European Parliament]]
*[[European Christian Political Movement]] (ECPM) – a European regional party (non-CDI)
*[[European Democratic Party]] (EDP) – a European regional party (non-CDI)
===Related Concepts===
*[[Catholic social teaching]]
*[[Communitarianism]]
*[[Compassionate conservatism]]
*[[Christian left]]
*[[Christian right]]
*[[Neo-Calvinism]]
*[[Radical center (politics)]]
*[[Social conservatism]]
*[[Social market economy]]
*[[Third Way (centrism)]]
==References==
{{Refimprove|date=June 2008}}
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04708a.htm ''New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia'' article on Christian democracy]
*[http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=22115363 ''Christian Democracy in Western Europe: 1820-1953'' by Michael Fogarty]
*[http://www.davidwilletts.org.uk/ccoarticle.jsp?type=speech§ionID=2&objectID=81937 "Conservativism and Christian Democracy", an essay by UK Conservative MP David Willetts]
*[http://www.cdu-usa.org/ An effort to promote a Christian democratic party in the United States (CDU, established in 2006)]
*[http://www.uschristiandemocrats.org/ Another effort to start a Christian democratic party (USCD) in the US]
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