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Concept
Christian democracy
Summary
Christian democracy is a political ideology inspired by Christian social teaching to respond to the challenges of contemporary society and politics. Chief amongst these challenges was reconciling Catholicism with democracy, answering the "social question" surrounding capitalism and the working class, and resolving the tensions between church and state. Christian democrats led postwar Western Europe, building the welfare states and constructing the European Union.
Historically it has been a predominantly Catholic movement, and so it has drawn from Catholic social teaching, especially that of Neo-Scholasticism. However it has also drawn from Protestant traditions, such as the Reformed tradition of Neo-Calvinism, alongside Lutheran, Pentecostal, and other denominational traditions of Christianity in various parts of the world.
On the European left-right political spectrum Christian democracy has been difficult to pinpoint as Christian democrats rejected liberal economics and individualism and advocated state intervention, but simultaneously defended private property rights against excessive state intervention. This has meant that Christian democracy has historically been considered centre-left on economics and centre-right on many social, and moral issues. More recently, Christian democrats have positioned themselves as the centre-right, such as the European People's Party, with which most European Christian democratic parties are affiliated, identifies itself as being "the EU's centre-right party". Christian democrats support a "slightly regulated market economy", featuring an effective social security system, a model also known as a social market economy.
Worldwide, many Christian democratic parties are members of the Centrist Democrat International. Examples of major Christian democratic parties include the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, the Dutch Christian Democratic Appeal, the Centre in Switzerland, the Spanish People's Party, the Mexican National Action Party, the Austrian People's Party, and the Christian Democratic Party of Chile.
Official source
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