The Future of Social Democracy: View of Leaders from Around the World

By: Peter Russell

During the last two years, social democratic parties have been elected to government in Britain, France, and Germany. They now control government on their own, or in coalition with other left-leaning parties, in thirteen of the fifteen states of the European Union.

Political scientist Peter Russell has brought together ten former leaders of social democratic parties and governments from North America, Central America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand to express their views on the agenda of social democracy for the next century. Whatever the trends in political fortune, one thing remains consistent: the left's capacity for critical self-reflection. With realistic optimism the essayists pose tough questions about the existing market economy and the movement towards globalization. They challenge neoliberalism's absolute faith in market solutions and present a strong case for humane public intervention to ensure that increases in wealth are directed to fulfilling the highest potential for all humankind. This book should prove stimulating for readers of all political faiths.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802080669
• ISBN13: 9780802080660
• Release Date: November 1999
• Publisher: University of Toronto Press
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

A Brilliant Vision of a Social Democratic Future

I read this book on my plane ride back home from college because I had become interested in modern Social Democratic theory over the course of the semester. What I found in The Future of Social Democracy is a collection of brilliant, vibrant essays from center-left leaders in Sweden, Canada, Costa Rica, England, Germany, and beyond. The argument for a market economy with the influence of the state to provide social welfare programs and mitigate inequality is spelled out clearly with examples from four continents across the twentieth century. The coverage of Sweden's welfare state makes an important point: The reason the welfare state is unpopular in America is that it only benefits the lower classes and the aged. In Sweden, the healthcare, public education, and social services are so good and so well-funded that all segments of society benefit. This is why middle and upper-class Swedes are so much more willing to support their country's welfare state than is the case here in the USA. Social Democracy is a wonderful system that incorporates the effeciency of a market economy with the benefits of a welfare state. As the conclusion of this collection points out, it is a system that is rooted in the basic human need to serve one's own interests as well as working for the common good of the society in which one lives. Anyone wishing to see an excellent analysis of the twentieth century and where our governments and economies are headed should pick up The Future of Social Democracy.