this post was submitted on 20 Jan 2026
51 points (94.7% liked)

Social Democracy

269 readers
3 users here now

This is a political community dedicated to broad ideas of Sᴏᴄɪᴀʟ Dᴇᴍᴏᴄʀᴀᴄʏ which is a political ideology that has several different variants. We welcome anyone to discuss and participate in this community

What is Social Democracy?

There are a number of variants, but we can provisionally define it as a political ideology which prescribes the use of democratic collective action to extend the principles of freedom and equality valued by democrats in the political sphere to the organization of the economy and society, chiefly by opposing the inequality and oppression created by laissez-faire capitalism.

Rules:

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 
top 9 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Keep in mind, that at the time of Truman, this was before/during the inversion/ swapping of the Democratic party/ Republican party (prior to implementation southern strategy).

https://www.studentsofhistory.com/ideologies-flip-Democratic-Republican-parties

[–] CarbonatedPastaSauce@lemmy.world 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You should probably read the article you linked.

Party ideology changed with Roosevelt. Truman was after him.

Not to mention the quote is accurate for today as-is.

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

You should "actually read the article"™

Party ideology started under Hoover. But it wasn't until the civil rights act that things actually shifted substantially, almost 50 years later.

The article doesn't mention the "southern strategy" but that was the real function that converted southern Republicans into the modern manifestation of the Republican party. That happened in the 60s.

[–] calliope@retrolemmy.com 5 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

You’re right, despite the downvotes.

In this thread: people who think LBJ was a true social democrat and Nixon didn’t have any strategy at all.

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago

Eh. I'm used to it.

[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Or forgetting Wallace was Roosevelt's VP twice and the Truman choice was a big party policy move.

Assuming Wallace is even known or acknowledged.

[–] calliope@retrolemmy.com 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

~~What’s funny is before I commented I was thinking “what was that famous racist Democrat’s name in the 60s?? Ah well.”~~

~~You nailed it in one (Wallace) and I didn’t even remember he was FDR’s VP!~~

~~Literally a segregationist.~~

Different Wallace!

[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Wrong Wallace. Henry was FDRs VP and was a Progressive that fought for desegregation in the 40s. George is was the Alabaman segregationist in the 60s.

[–] calliope@retrolemmy.com 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Oooh my bad.

Thanks for giving me the one I was thinking of in a roundabout way though!