Political moderate

A person whose political views generally favor incremental change and compromise rather than strongly ideological or extreme positions.

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Political centrism: A political orientation that seeks positions near the center of a political spectrum. Moderates are often associated with centrism, though compromise does not always mean occupying the center.
Political radicalism: Advocacy of fundamental, far-reaching change to a political or social order. Radicalism contrasts with moderation’s preference for gradual rather than foundational change.
Swing voter: A voter whose party preference or vote choice can shift between elections. Campaigns often target swing voters as persuadable, though they are not necessarily political moderates.
Compromise: An agreement in which parties accept less than their full demands to resolve a disagreement. Compromise is a central practice associated with moderate politics, but it can also dilute policy goals.
Political spectrum: A model that arranges political positions along one or more dimensions. The label moderate depends on where political positions are placed and how the spectrum is drawn.
Political extremism: Support for political goals or methods far outside a society’s accepted democratic norms. The moderate label is often defined against positions regarded as extreme.
Median voter theorem: A model predicting that two vote-seeking candidates may converge on the median voter’s preferred position. It helps explain why candidates sometimes seek voters presumed to be moderate.
Incrementalism: An approach to change through small adjustments rather than a single large transformation. Incrementalism captures the gradual pace of change commonly favored by political moderates.
Political polarization: The separation of political attitudes, identities, or parties into opposing camps. Polarization makes moderation appear less common and can make compromise politically costly.
Political conservatism: A political tradition that emphasizes continuity, inherited institutions, and cautious change. Conservatives may favor gradualism, but moderation describes degree and style rather than a fixed ideology.