Social Democracy

Explanation

Social democracy accepts capitalism but seeks to mitigate its inequalities through government intervention: progressive taxation, universal healthcare, public education, labor protections, and social safety nets. Social democratic parties have governed or co-governed across Europe — the SPD in Germany, Labour in the UK, the Social Democrats in Sweden, and the PS in France. The Nordic model (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland) is often cited as the most successful implementation of social democracy. Social democrats distinguish themselves from socialists by working within market economies rather than seeking to replace them, and from liberals by favoring stronger state intervention in the economy.