Christian Democracy on the 12 Axes

Christian democracy formed in late nineteenth-century Europe as Catholic parties, inspired by Rerum Novarum, looked for a middle way between liberal capitalism and socialism. After 1945 it became one of the strongest forces in Western Europe: Konrad Adenauer in West Germany, Alcide De Gasperi in Italy and Robert Schuman in France were among the founders of what became the European Union, and Ludwig Erhard's social market economy paired free enterprise with welfare and worker consultation. Parties in Chile, Venezuela, Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America belong to the same tradition. Christian democrats defend the family, subsidiarity and human dignity, often with traditional positions on abortion and marriage. Compared with distributism they accept large firms and markets. Compared with secular conservatism they give more weight to social welfare and international cooperation.

• Moderate Conservatism 84%Moderate conservatism values tradition, stability and markets but accepts gradual social change, the welfare state and international cooperation, preferring careful reform to sharp breaks.
• Centrism 81%Centrism is a political stance that sits between left and right, taking positions from both sides case by case and favoring compromise, moderation and gradual change.
• Distributism 78%Distributism is an economic philosophy rooted in Catholic social teaching that wants property spread widely among families, small farms, artisans and cooperatives, rejecting both big capitalism and state socialism.
• Conservatism 72%Conservatism seeks to preserve traditional institutions, religion, family and national identity, supporting markets, strong defense and public order while resisting rapid social change.