What is Centrism?
Centrism is the view that good politics sits between the left and the right. Centrists tend to mix ideas from both sides. They may back a market economy with a welfare safety net, or social freedom with firm law and order. Unlike most ideologies, centrism is defined mostly by a style and a place on the map. It prefers evidence, compromise and gradual change over bold plans. What counts as the centre depends on the country and the time, so a centrist in one place may look left or right in another.
Core beliefs
- Both left and right hold part of the truth.
- Policy should follow evidence and results, not rigid theory.
- Change works best when it is steady and widely accepted.
- A mixed economy, with markets and public services, usually serves people best.
- Democratic institutions and the rule of law need protecting from extremes.
- Compromise is a strength and not a betrayal.
History
The idea goes back to Aristotle, who praised a large middle class as the base of a stable state. The words left and right came from seating in the French assembly after 1789, and a centre soon sat between them. In the nineteenth century, parties such as the French doctrinaires and British Whigs tried to steer between reaction and revolution. After 1945, Christian democratic parties in Germany, Italy and elsewhere built a centre ground on welfare and market economies. In the 1990s, Bill Clinton and Tony Blair presented a Third Way. Thinkers such as Raymond Aron and Norberto Bobbio wrote about the value of moderate politics.
Variants
Centrism comes in several forms. Centre-left versions stress fairness and public services. Centre-right versions stress enterprise, stability and sound budgets. Liberal centrists focus on personal freedom and open markets. Christian democrats add a social teaching rooted in faith. Radical centrists argue that both left and right are stuck and that new ideas should come from outside either camp. Some use the label simply to avoid committing to either side.
Criticisms
Critics on the left say centrism protects the status quo and softens the demands of the poor. Critics on the right say it gives up principles to win votes. Others argue that the middle is not a place with ideas of its own, only an average of other people's positions, and that it moves when the debate moves. Another criticism is that splitting the difference can give the wrong answer when one side is simply right. Supporters reply that stable, shared policies have often produced the best results.
In practice
Centrist parties and coalitions have governed in many democracies, often because they can work with both sides. They are common in countries with proportional voting, where coalitions are normal. On the 12 axes a centrist scores close to the middle on most items, and no more than slightly toward Democratic on Authority. Which side it leans on any one axis depends on the local mainstream.