Third Way

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The Third Way is a common description for a variety of political approaches that combine market-based economic orders with redistributive policies. Since they don't fall squarely into either the capitalist or socialist paradigms, they are perceived as something distinct from both, but apparently not distinct enough to warrant a more creative name.

There are many different national models of such systems, the vast majority of them associated with social democratic approaches to government. Most commonly, Third Way policies combine elements that are usually associated with conservative and libertarian philosophies (like deregulation and privatization), with the maintenance of European-style welfare programs.

Most examples of "Third Way" approaches were implemented by reformed center-left parties in the 1990s and early naughties, such as Bill Clinton's "New Democrats," Tony Blair's "New Labour" or the German SPD under Gerhard Schröder. As a result, these centre-left parties occupied the political center, boosting their electoral chances. In most European nations, the center has gotten very crowded since then, as center-right parties replicated the same moves. Since this has reduced the overall distance between major parties from the left and right wings of the political spectrum, the term is nowadays even harder to apply to a distinct political movement and has mostly fallen out of favor.

[edit] Apparatus

Third Way politics is as close to actual centrism as it'll get. It advocates for fairer social treatment to voters of various minority groups (i.e. legalizing gay marriage and/or decriminalizing drugs), while occasionally gutting social programs meant to help the little guy, empowering corporate interests and overriding the influence of labor unions.

In addition to Clinton and Blair, other proprietors include Bob Hawke and Paul Keating from 1983 to 1996, Roger Douglas from 1984 to 1988, Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil, Wim Kok of the Netherlands and José Sócrates of Portugal.

[edit] Other uses

  • "Third way" is occasionally seen as a euphemism for advocacy of fascism, though they're probably thinking about third positionism.
  • Third Way is a British magazine of "Christian comment on culture" for reasonably sane Anglicans. [1]

[edit] See also

Appeal to moderation

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