Christian Democracy Flashcards
origins Christian democrats
Late 19th century.
Came out of society, mass movement.
Secularisation,
more people voting,
industrialisation
How did the Christian Democratic parties emerge
Liberals began to move against the church and its role within politics.
Due to this Catholics organised politically.
The idea was to mobilize, but then drop out of politics –> due its ‘‘dirty’’.
Catholic movements gained their independence from Church through their transfromation into parties.
This was first resisted but could not be upheld due to power and legitimacy that came with this.
The initial opposition to democracy faded when they realised that it would provide them with social and political power.
2 implications for process of emerging Christian Democratic parties
- It turned religion into a core element of Confessional parties,
this was more an hindrance than advantage - The religious appeal made it so the parties turned into heterogeneous coalitions of interest groups which were only united due to the fact that they were religious.
This increased prominence of class within these parties, but also contributed to prominemce of class in their party systems.
Why was the Church resisting against emergence Christian Democratic parties
The Church opposed confessional paraties due to the fear of it breaking their unity and hierarchy they imposed on different branches of Christianity.
The conservatives feared that politicisation of religion and association with the church would restrict their autonomy.
2 factros of the Christian Democratic phenomenon
- The ability of Christian Democratic parties to accomodate heterogeneous groups and sectors, which gave them a catch-all profile
- The ability to both retain and tone down their religious identity, which was essential feature in their formation.
Elements of Christian Democracy
- Commitment to elementary human rights
- Liberal Democratic values
- Class/ transnational reconciliation.
From this came key concepts making CD distintive: - integration
- compromise
- accomodation
- Pluralism
Class within Christian Democratic parties
The heterogeneity of Christian Democracy can be explained through the ideological appeal that emphasized religion at expense of class.
However, eventually class also came about within CD, which caused conflicts.
Mediation was needed between different interest groups.
As a result, CD parties have shown to be skilled in mediation.
This is seen as opportunism by opponents.
Lastly, the ability to accommodate different class interests within the party made it so they had a bigger capacity to succesfully appeal to different classes and sectors.
Why and how were pre-war Christian democratic parties both secular and Christian?
Pre-war Confessional parties avoided insittutional and ideological association with the church.
The church moved away from politics to protect their identity posed a problem: this identity of the confessional character of the parties was what kept their heterogeneous social base together.
This was solved by redefining religion into a vague and moral concept.
–> Allowed for them to be both Christian as secular
Paradox of Christian Democracy
Either contemporary Christian Democratic parties their religious profile is meaningless, which means that they have to explain the commitment to the label,
or they are consequential, but this would undermine these parties their electoral appeal.
Paradox of Christian Democracy
Either contemporary Christian Democratic parties their religious profile is meaningless, which means that they have to explain the commitment to the label,
or they are consequential, but this would undermine these parties their electoral appeal.
Why can Christian Democratic parties be considered Catch-all?
- The prominence of religion as politcal mobiliser has decreased.
- Christian Democratic parties foster an ideology that goes above cleavage-based politics,
and its main goal is the mediation of cleavage-based conflicts.
The future of Christian Democratic parties
Depends on importance of religion for cultural and political attitudes of citizens.
Either it continues to do so, which means structure of relgious parteis is advantegous, or it declines further.
Christian Democratic Principles
- Christian principles, though secularised (seperation state-church)
–> not attempt to make a christian state, but social elements like education and marriage should not be too secularised. - Role of state: should not be in the realm of private life.
Principle of subsidiarity: State should only intervene in competences/ policy terain thtat pertains to state as whole. Half private/ half nationalised institutions. - Opposed to class conflict. They acknowledge that there are classes, but they have to live harmoniously.
- Christian Democratics are more sceptical about market economy. They believe in it, but it should be controlled. Need for social market.
- Christian Democrats had idea of person. Person has soul and intrinsic qualities that make him a person. Its not an individual: always part of church/ community.
- What Christian Democracy did is that they brought these different elements together through mobilisation.
Very organised from top to bottom.
Very strong structure. This was to gain power, but also to organise society.
Christian Democracy and Politcs of mediation
They seek to accommodate various groups in society within their own party.
Christian Democratic parties have their own unions, mobilise workers.
Organisations for businesses. Organisations for farmers.
Party itself is mediator between these different interests.
Done in part through the welfare state.
Similarities between Christian Democracy and Conservatism
- Family values
- Hierarchy
- Community
