Centre-right
Encyclopedia
The centre-right or center-right is a political
term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties
, or organizations (such as think tank
s) whose views stretch from the centre
to the right
on the left-right spectrum
, excluding far right
stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition
of centrist and right-of-centre parties. Many political parties of the centre-right are known to have various factions and members who advocate right-of-centre policies, while others advocate more centrist political agendas. In recent years, for example, several centre-right parties have taken up environmentalism
as part of their government platform (Bharatiya Janata Party India
and Pakistan Muslim League
), while within others it remains a contentious debate (see the Republican Party
[US] and Conservative Party [UK]).
, the market economy
, limited forms of government regulation
, private property rights, and opposition to socialism
and communism
. Such definitions generally include political parties that base their ideology and policies upon conservatism
and economic liberalism
.
Parties that subscribe to social liberalism
are often associated with the centre-left
whereas those on the right
of the liberal
movement are often defined as conservative liberals
or liberal conservatives
. Centre-right parties often ground themselves in social conservative and tradition
alist values and civic or liberal nationalism; as such, most predominantly Christian
states possess a competitive centre-right Christian democratic party, while centre-right parties in predominantly Islamic countries may claim to uphold traditional Islamic values (as with the Pakistan Muslim League (Q)
and Pakistan Muslim League (N)
and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party
) and so on.
As in Germany
the term "right" in the wake of the Nazi
era is discredited, centre-right parties like the Christian Democratic Union
prefer to unideologically call themselves "civic" (bürgerlich).
Fiscal Centrists and Social Conservatives of the Centre-Right
Moreover, some proponents of centre-right policies ascribe to a socially conservative and more fiscally centrist style of governance, in the tradition of Benjamin Disraeli. Some modern manifestations of this approach include One Nation Conservatism
(UK), Rockefeller Republicans (US), and Red Tories (Canada). These ideological factions within their respective parties advocate for the organic change of society and harmony between social classes in the tradition of Edmund Burke
. They are thus opposed to both what they see as "militant" communism
and also "reactionary" free-market Thatcherism
, occupying a middle ground between those two ideologies in economic policy.
right-of-centre parties such as the Law and Justice
in Poland, the Freedom Party of Austria
or the Danish People's Party
. While the Freedom Party and the Danish People's Party would generally be classified as right-wing, parties like Law and Justice are both populist and conservative, and so are sometimes classified centre-right.
In New Zealand
, however, Finance Minister Ruth Richardson
's welfare cutbacks and sharply reduced government expenditure led to polarisation and fission within the New Zealand National Party
of the early nineties. One particular dissident populist National MP, Winston Peters
, broke away and successfully secured re-election to his Tauranga
seat, appealing to elderly social conservative opponents of New Right
market-based economic and social policies. His New Zealand First
political party entered coalition with the National Party, only to abandon it. From 2005, it entered a confidence and supply
agreement with the third-term New Zealand Labour Party
administration of then-Prime Minister Helen Clark
. In the United Kingdom, there are similar tensions between libertarian
/centre-right social liberal party members and social conservative party members.
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
, or organizations (such as think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
s) whose views stretch from the centre
Centrism
In politics, centrism is the ideal or the practice of promoting policies that lie different from the standard political left and political right. Most commonly, this is visualized as part of the one-dimensional political spectrum of left-right politics, with centrism landing in the middle between...
to the right
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
on the left-right spectrum
Left-Right politics
The left–right political spectrum is a common way of classifying political positions, political ideologies, or political parties along a one-dimensional political spectrum. The perspective of Left vs. Right is a binary interpretation of complex questions...
, excluding far right
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition
Coalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
of centrist and right-of-centre parties. Many political parties of the centre-right are known to have various factions and members who advocate right-of-centre policies, while others advocate more centrist political agendas. In recent years, for example, several centre-right parties have taken up environmentalism
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
as part of their government platform (Bharatiya Janata Party India
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
and Pakistan Muslim League
Pakistan Muslim League (N)
The Pakistan Muslim League is a conservative political party in Pakistan, affiliated with Western conservatism...
), while within others it remains a contentious debate (see the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
[US] and Conservative Party [UK]).
Ideological definition of the centre-right
A definition of the term "centre-right" is necessarily broad and approximate because political terms have varying meanings in different countries. Parties of the centre-right generally support democratic capitalismDemocratic capitalism
Democratic capitalism, also known as capitalist democracy, is a political, economic, and social system and ideology based on a tripartite arrangement of a market-based economy based predominantly on a democratic polity, economic incentives through free markets, fiscal responsibility and a liberal...
, the market economy
Market economy
A market economy is an economy in which the prices of goods and services are determined in a free price system. This is often contrasted with a state-directed or planned economy. Market economies can range from hypothetically pure laissez-faire variants to an assortment of real-world mixed...
, limited forms of government regulation
Regulatory economics
Regulatory economics is the economics of regulation, in the sense of the application of law by government that is used for various purposes, such as centrally-planning an economy, remedying market failure, enriching well-connected firms, or benefiting politicians...
, private property rights, and opposition to socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
. Such definitions generally include political parties that base their ideology and policies upon conservatism
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
and economic liberalism
Economic liberalism
Economic liberalism is the ideological belief in giving all people economic freedom, and as such granting people with more basis to control their own lives and make their own mistakes. It is an economic philosophy that supports and promotes individual liberty and choice in economic matters and...
.
Parties that subscribe to social liberalism
Social liberalism
Social liberalism is the belief that liberalism should include social justice. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education while simultaneously expanding...
are often associated with the centre-left
Centre-left
Centre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum...
whereas those on the right
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
of the liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
movement are often defined as conservative liberals
Conservative liberalism
Conservative liberalism is a variant of liberalism, combining liberal values and policies with conservative stances, or, more simply, representing the right-wing of the liberal movement....
or liberal conservatives
Liberal conservatism
Liberal conservatism also known as progressive conservatism is a variant of political conservatism which incorporates liberal elements. As "conservatism" and "liberalism" have had different meanings over time and across countries, the term "liberal conservatism" has been used in quite different...
. Centre-right parties often ground themselves in social conservative and tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
alist values and civic or liberal nationalism; as such, most predominantly Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
states possess a competitive centre-right Christian democratic party, while centre-right parties in predominantly Islamic countries may claim to uphold traditional Islamic values (as with the Pakistan Muslim League (Q)
Pakistan Muslim League (Q)
The Pakistan Muslim League or officially Pakistan Muslim League is a centrist, modern political party in Pakistan. The present form of PML-Q was formed prior to 2002 general elections....
and Pakistan Muslim League (N)
Pakistan Muslim League (N)
The Pakistan Muslim League is a conservative political party in Pakistan, affiliated with Western conservatism...
and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party
Bangladesh Nationalist Party
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party , commonly referred to as the BNP, is the mainstream center-right political party in Bangladesh. BNP ruled Bangladesh total 18 years since her independence, the longest than any other party in Bangladesh...
) and so on.
As in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
the term "right" in the wake of the Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
era is discredited, centre-right parties like the Christian Democratic Union
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
prefer to unideologically call themselves "civic" (bürgerlich).
Fiscal Centrists and Social Conservatives of the Centre-Right
Moreover, some proponents of centre-right policies ascribe to a socially conservative and more fiscally centrist style of governance, in the tradition of Benjamin Disraeli. Some modern manifestations of this approach include One Nation Conservatism
One Nation Conservatism
One nation, one nation conservatism, and Tory democracy are terms used in political debate in the United Kingdom to refer to a certain wing of the Conservative Party...
(UK), Rockefeller Republicans (US), and Red Tories (Canada). These ideological factions within their respective parties advocate for the organic change of society and harmony between social classes in the tradition of Edmund Burke
Edmund Burke
Edmund Burke PC was an Irish statesman, author, orator, political theorist and philosopher who, after moving to England, served for many years in the House of Commons of Great Britain as a member of the Whig party....
. They are thus opposed to both what they see as "militant" communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and also "reactionary" free-market Thatcherism
Thatcherism
Thatcherism describes the conviction politics, economic and social policy, and political style of the British Conservative politician Margaret Thatcher, who was leader of her party from 1975 to 1990...
, occupying a middle ground between those two ideologies in economic policy.
Populism and the centre-right
The use of centre-right is sometimes expanded to include populistPopulism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
right-of-centre parties such as the Law and Justice
Law and Justice
Law and Justice , abbreviated to PiS, is a right-wing, conservative political party in Poland. With 147 seats in the Sejm and 38 in the Senate, it is the second-largest party in the Polish parliament....
in Poland, the Freedom Party of Austria
Freedom Party of Austria
The Freedom Party of Austria is a political party in Austria. Ideologically, the party is a direct descendant of the German national liberal camp, which dates back to the 1848 revolutions. The FPÖ itself was founded in 1956 as the successor to the short-lived Federation of Independents , which had...
or the Danish People's Party
Danish People's Party
The Danish People's Party is a political party in Denmark which is frequently described as right-wing populist by political scientists and commentators. The party is led by Pia Kjærsgaard...
. While the Freedom Party and the Danish People's Party would generally be classified as right-wing, parties like Law and Justice are both populist and conservative, and so are sometimes classified centre-right.
In New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, however, Finance Minister Ruth Richardson
Ruth Richardson
Ruth Richardson served as New Zealand's Minister of Finance from 1990 to 1993, and is known for her strong pursuit of free-market economic reforms .-Early life:...
's welfare cutbacks and sharply reduced government expenditure led to polarisation and fission within the New Zealand National Party
New Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...
of the early nineties. One particular dissident populist National MP, Winston Peters
Winston Peters
Winston Raymond Peters is a New Zealand politician and leader of New Zealand First, a political party he founded in 1993. Peters has had a turbulent political career since entering Parliament in 1978. He served as Minister of Maori Affairs in the Bolger National Party Government before being...
, broke away and successfully secured re-election to his Tauranga
Tauranga
Tauranga is the most populous city in the Bay of Plenty region, in the North Island of New Zealand.It was settled by Europeans in the early 19th century and was constituted as a city in 1963...
seat, appealing to elderly social conservative opponents of New Right
New Right
New Right is used in several countries as a descriptive term for various policies or groups that are right-wing. It has also been used to describe the emergence of Eastern European parties after the collapse of communism.-Australia:...
market-based economic and social policies. His New Zealand First
New Zealand First
New Zealand First is a political party in New Zealand that was founded in 1993, following party founder Winston Peters' resignation from the National Party in 1992...
political party entered coalition with the National Party, only to abandon it. From 2005, it entered a confidence and supply
Confidence and supply
In a parliamentary democracy confidence and supply are required for a government to hold power. A confidence and supply agreement is an agreement that a minor party or independent member of parliament will support the government in motions of confidence and appropriation votes by voting in favour...
agreement with the third-term New Zealand Labour Party
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
administration of then-Prime Minister Helen Clark
Helen Clark
Helen Elizabeth Clark, ONZ is a New Zealand political figure who was the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008...
. In the United Kingdom, there are similar tensions between libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
/centre-right social liberal party members and social conservative party members.
See also
- Far-right
- Glossary of the French RevolutionGlossary of the French RevolutionThis is a glossary of the French Revolution. It generally does not explicate names of individual people or their political associations; those can be found in List of people associated with the French Revolution....
- International Democrat UnionInternational Democrat UnionThe International Democrat Union, abbreviated to IDU, is a centre-right international alliance of conservative and liberal-conservative political parties. Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, the IDU comprises 45 full or associate members...
- IdeologyIdeologyAn ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
- ModerateModerateIn politics and religion, a moderate is an individual who is not extreme, partisan or radical. In recent years, political moderates has gained traction as a buzzword....