Checkpoint: Juxtaposing American And European Social Democrats
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Background
For most Americans, a European-style social democratic welfare state is an improbable notion out of far-left democrats' wildest dreams. While political polarization in the United States widens the schism between liberals and conservatives, more and more Americans are identifying as conservative (38 percent in comparison with 33 percent in 2022) on social issues, at its highest percentage since 2012. This change comes at a time when liberal topics such as transgender rights, reproductive liberties, and gender, race, and sexuality issues are more prevalent than ever before, suggesting that many Americans feel alienated from such subjects. Similarly, 44 percent of Americans identify as economically conservative, at its highest in nearly twelve years. For this reason, a comprehensive welfare state comparable to that of the Nordic countries across the Atlantic seems farther away than ever despite the growing need for social and economic support in the United States.
Americans' Liberal/Conservative Self-Identification on Social Issues
In a gradual turn of events that many Americans may find surprising, European countries are also turning away from traditionally social democratic governments and values and toward more right-wing ideologies. As of August of this year, only five of the 27 countries in the European Union (EU) identify as having socialist-led governments–––Portugal, Slovenia, Malta, Denmark, and Germany–––and it is clear that the wave of leftist ideology in Europe is receding. Likewise, the Party of European Socialists (PES), the progressive, social democratic European party composed of all national-level political parties from the European Economic Area (EEA) and the United Kingdom, boasts only eight of 32 full members as having significant positions in government. Unfortunately, a surge of conservatism is also on the horizon for many of these countries. However, many progressive European leaders still defend the benefits of social democracy, and the philosophy is a far cry from extinction despite the decline in liberal leadership.
Breaking It Down: European Social Democracy
Although each party lies in a slightly different place on the political spectrum, European countries' long history of social democracies makes the likelihood of its presence much higher than in the United States, where the political ideology often faces considerable pushback. Originating in the late eighteenth century due to democratic ideas posited during the French Revolution 60 years earlier and the rise of Europe's working class, social democracy sought to move away from Laissez-Faire capitalism and instead transition to social capitalism for the benefit of laborers. The General German Workers' Association (ADAV)–––the foremost labor group in Europe at the time and Germany's oldest political party at 162 years old–––has evolved into the Social Democratic Party (SPD) that represents the parliamentary republic under the leadership of Prime Minister Olaf Scholz today.
The European Social Model, one of the primary reasons social democracy is a more often employed philosophy in Europe, has progressively built up labor standards and emphasizes quality public services, access to education and healthcare, and integrated economic and social developments. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), an influential trade union organization, lays out the five major characteristics of the model: complete social rights, social securities, social discussion, social and employment regulation, and state accountability for jobs and services of public welfare.
“Social Europe's overarching objective must be to create a more equal society: ending poverty and poverty wages, guaranteeing fundamental human rights, essential services and an income that enables every individual to live in dignity.”
The prevalence of social democracy in Europe depends on the cooperation forged between European states in the aftermath of World War II, its deep roots in many countries, and the continued efforts of major parties in government heralding the philosophy today. Many of these parties (the SPD of Germany, the British Labour Party, the French Socialist Party, the Romanian Social Democratic Party, the Italian Democratic Party, the Portuguese Socialist Party, and the Spanish Socialist Workers Party) are major parties within their respective regimes, and either currently hold power or are major parties in-opposition to those that do. Effective organizations like the PES, which regularly meets and composes declarations calling for social and economic change, and the ETUC maintain the influence of social democracy throughout Europe despite fluctuating tides of opposing political ideologies.
A Comparison: Where The United States Differs
Why the United States has yet been unable to develop a similar welfare state to those of European countries is debated, but there are several sound hypotheses as to why this is so. American progressive leftists differ primarily from their European counterparts in membership numbers and historical backgrounds. However, 36 percent of Americans viewed socialism positively in 2022, and most European countries had similar approval ratings for their social democratic parties in 2019. Fundamental ideological differences explain why the United States has been so slow on the uptake due to the vastly different situations within which the US and European countries have grown and developed.
A 2001 study pointed out cultural differences that accounted for the contrasts in social democrats' effectiveness at creating a welfare state. The extreme level of racial heterogeneity in the United States leads to more frequent social issues such as racism, prejudice, and disparities between the wealthy and the rest of the population. Furthermore, the nature of the US's political institutions thwart accurate proportional representation, precluding any favorable views on redistributing revenue and income taxes. Relatedly, our legal institutions offer a substantial defense of private property due to the historic American perspective that goes back to 1776–––the admirability of self-reliance and subsequent distrust of individuals' failure and requests for assistance. However, the United States isn't completely bereft of social programs (Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), and Democratic leaders are slowly guiding the country in a more socially democratic direction.
Summary: Mutual Values And The Rise Of Far-Right Populism
In the face of the expanding gap between the wealthiest people in the world and the poorest, a growing list of human rights abuses, and stagnating wages, Americans and Europeans should view welfare capitalism as in their best interests. Social Democrats on both continents, despite their cultural differences and historical divides, share the same elemental values that motivate them to push for social and economic change. The belief that all people are entitled to individual rights such as freedom from discrimination and universal and quality access to education, workers' compensation, health care, and child care is present in all social democrats, regardless of nationality.
In the face of the rise of far-right populism across the globe, advocacy for ubiquitous economic and social benefits has become more critical than ever. Opinions on immigration, race, climate change, and other pressing issues are seeing an alarming shift rightward. Former US President Donald Trump's populist movement in the United States, in conjunction with other far-right European parties such as Spain's VOX and Italy's Brothers of Italy (represented in parliament by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni) ascending power, represent alarming trends away from not just social democracy, but the democratic system of government altogether. If anything, the most pressing thing all social democrats can agree on is that the world needs rescuing from democratic backsliding, lest we see the age of democracy fall into the past.
