History of social democracy

The history of social democracy traces a political tradition from nineteenth-century socialist movements to parties that pursue equality and social welfare through democratic institutions.

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Reform or Revolution: A debate over whether socialism should be achieved through gradual democratic reforms or revolutionary transformation. Eduard Bernstein’s case for reform challenged the revolutionary strategy associated with social democracy’s early Marxist roots.
Parliamentary socialism: A strategy for pursuing socialist aims through elections, legislative work, and democratic government. It became the principal route through which social democratic parties sought to transform society.
Swedish Social Democratic Party: A Swedish political party founded in 1889 that governed for much of the twentieth century. Its long periods in office made Sweden a prominent case of social democratic institution-building.
Keynesian economics: An economic approach that emphasizes aggregate demand and the use of public policy to mitigate economic downturns. Postwar social democratic governments drew on demand management to support employment and economic stability.
Second International: An international organization of socialist and labor parties founded in 1889. It connected national socialist parties and became a forum for disputes over reform, revolution, and international solidarity.
Trade union: An organization of workers formed to protect and advance their shared employment interests. Trade unions supplied social democratic parties with members, resources, and organized support among workers.
New Deal: A series of United States programs and reforms introduced under Franklin D. Roosevelt beginning in 1933. It expanded social protections without emerging from a social democratic party tradition.
Third Way: A political approach that sought to combine social justice with market-oriented policies, especially from the 1990s. It recast social democratic parties’ economic programs while provoking debate over their traditional commitments.
Eduard Bernstein: A German social democratic thinker who argued that socialism could advance through gradual reform and democratic institutions. His revisionist arguments helped redefine the movement’s strategy at the turn of the twentieth century.
Welfare state: A system in which the state provides social protection and services, including income support, health care, and pensions. Social democratic governments used public programs to reduce insecurity and widen access to essential services.