At a glance
Christian democracy draws on Christian social teaching to support constitutional democracy, human dignity, solidarity and a socially responsible market economy.
Core principles
- Human dignity
- solidarity
- subsidiarity
- democratic accountability
- social responsibility
- protection of family and community. Subsidiarity favors decisions at the lowest level capable of addressing a problem.
Origins & development
It developed through nineteenth-century religious and social debates and became particularly influential in postwar European reconstruction. Catholic and Protestant traditions contributed different arguments.
Economic outlook
Private property and enterprise coexist with social insurance, labor protections and regulation. Social-market approaches seek cooperation between social groups rather than either unrestricted markets or comprehensive state ownership.
Society & government
Representative democracy, civil society and religious freedom are central to mainstream forms. Christian inspiration need not imply clerical rule or a requirement that citizens share a faith.
Variations & related traditions
Social, conservative and market-oriented wings differ. European and Latin American traditions are not identical; Christian democracy is distinct from theocracy and from religious conservatism alone.
Debates & criticisms
Debates concern reproductive rights, secular pluralism, welfare provision and changing family norms. Parties vary substantially in how they reconcile inherited religious teaching with equal citizenship.