Social Democrats are supporters of a moderate form of
Socialism. Often, the term 'socialism' is used to specifically denote social democrats. Social democratic parties are the largest party, or one of the largest parties in most countries in
Europe.
The Social Democratic current came into being by a break within the Socialist movement in the early 20th century. One group of socialists rejected the idea of a socialist revolution and instead tried to achieve the socialist ideals through democratic means. Since then, differences between these social democrats and Communists have grown. Nowadays, social democrats are in favor of a Capitalistic [Market economy]?, but with a strong and large government.
In general, social democrats are in favor of:
- Private enterprise, but strongly regulated to protect the interests of workers, consumers and small enterprise
- Large government spending to ensure good education, health care etcetera are available for all citizens
- High taxes (necessary to pay for the former), especially for the higher income groups
- An extensive system of social care
- Extensive social laws (minimum wages, working circumstances, protection against firing)
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