Radical middle
Encyclopedia
The terms radical center (or radical centre), radical middle or radical centrism describe a philosophy
as well as an associated political movement
and position on the political spectrum. Adherents of this philosophy claim to improve policy and general politics by not harboring a bias toward the precedence of either markets or the state, as can be characterized of right-wing politics
and left-wing politics
respectively.
Various groups have adopted radical center as a term to describe a philosophy which includes their belief that, in affirming the core principles involved on both sides of a dilemma, the dilemma or disagreement can be rendered moot
. The terms radical center and radical middle are often used interchangeably, although the former more often refers to a political movement or current and the latter to a political philosophy. The latter use reflects an emphasis on epistemic virtue
, by resolving false dilemma
s, finding the excluded middle.
As a relatively grassroots
movement, especially in the United States
, there is no definitive statement of radical middle politics. A primary recurring theme, however, might be the idea of "sustainably improving choices." As is often the case with centrism
, it can be said that the radical middle or center is an ideology broadly analogous with the ideas, principles and values of progressivism
.
, then editor of the UK publication The Economist
, declared, "It is to the Radicals that The Economist still likes to think of itself as belonging. The extreme centre is the paper's historical position." While the term radical center or similar expressions have been used in various ways since at least the 1970s (like "rigorously center" by the French
Giscardian movement or the Portuguese
Democratic and Social Centre – People's Party during its foundation), its use became more common due to the Reform Party
and Ross Perot
, who were frequently described as representing the radical middle due to their attempts to partisan
ize those portions of the American electorate. Despite a strong showing in the 1996 U.S. presidential election, today the Reform Party is not generally perceived as a major player in national politics, though it has impacted state elections, notably with Jesse Ventura
becoming Governor of Minnesota
.
Today, the term radical center is most commonly associated with a movement that does not explicitly claim descent from the Reform Party or its ideas, but rather draws its inspiration from the book The Third Way by Anthony Giddens
(1998) and Giddens' highly-regarded follow-up book The Third Way and Its Critics (2000). In the U.S., third way politics is most actively represented by the New America Foundation
and its book by Ted Halstead
and Michael Lind
, The Radical Center (2001). Subsequent introductions to radical centrist politics include, most notably, Matthew Miller
's book The Two Percent Solution (2003) and Mark Satin
's book Radical Middle: The Politics We Need Now (2004). (Interestingly, Lind was once a conservative, Miller was once an aide in President Bill Clinton
's White House
, and Satin was a co-author of the U.S. Green Party's founding document from the 1980s, "Ten Key Values")
The term radical middle appears to have been spontaneously invented by several different communities around the turn of the millennium, apparently in response to frustration with both extremism
and moderation
. An early use appears to be from Gordon Fee
's kingdom theology
course at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
in the 1970s, which helped inspire the Vineyard Movement. He used the term "radical middle" to contrast the evangelical
focus on the future kingdom of God with the Pentecostal emphasis on the present kingdom of God. But the first known use of the term "radical middle" was by Jules Feiffer
in a comic strip that appears in Hold Me!, a collection published by Random House
in 1962.
in American politics and similarly claim to be drawing on the best of both sides. However, they differ significantly from traditional centrism
, which prides itself on moderation
and seeking political consensus amongst the parties
; radical centrists, for example, can be quite radical
and populist
in their stated policies. Radical centrists also can be divisive, as opposed to the non-partisan approach of traditional centrism. Radical centrists are quick to dissociate themselves from traditional moderates, whom they often contrast as the "sensible center" or deride as the "squishy center."
Radical centrists can be found in both left-wing and right-wing political parties, and often form what might be called separatist factions and run as independents. They claim these ideological moorings ("radix", the 'root' behind their sociological use of the term 'radical') provide the basis for their critique of society, government and other political movement
s.
Michael Lind
, in his 1996 publication Up From Conservatism, writes that, though American radical centrism is today a minority political philosophy, it was, in fact, the dominant political philosophy within the United States from the time of Franklin Delano Roosevelt through Lyndon Johnson — a philosophy that was shared both by the presidents of that era and the majority of the American people. Therefore, Lind argues, the American "radical" centrism of today is simply the adamant pursuit for a return to the once-mainstream political principle of New Deal
economic progressivism coupled with a moderate cultural conservatism. This modest cultural conservatism would be exemplified on the political stage simply by the "radical centrist" politician's refusal to politicize or advocate culturally-liberal issues like abortion or gay rights. However, the radical centrist politician might spurn any influence or pressure coming from the Religious Right
and other socially conservative groups (pro-life
advocates, school prayer
advocates, etc.)
In March 2011 the leader of the Liberal Democrats
, a social liberal and social democratic party, and Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
, Nick Clegg
, stated that he believed that his party belonged to the radical center. Clegg also invoked the legacies of John Meynard Keynes, William Beveridge
, Jo Grimond, David Lloyd George
and John Stuart Mill
, implying that they too were elements of the radical center. He pointed to liberalism
as an ideology of people, and therefore, one of the radical center:
"For the left, an obsession with the state. For the right, a worship of the market. But as liberals, we place our faith in people. People with power and opportunity in their hands. Our opponents try to divide us with their outdated labels of left and right. But we are not on the left and we are not on the right. We have our own label: Liberal. We are liberals and we own the freehold to the centre ground of British politics. Our politics is the politics of the radical centre."http://www.libdems.org.uk/latest_news_detail.aspx?title=Nick_Clegg%E2%80%99s_speech_to_Spring_Conference&pPK=9296205b-d75b-40b1-bbb1-72e74181473f
The radical center is most often associated with ideologies such as social liberalism
and progressivism
. Policies from the radical center tend to be pro-civil liberties, progressive taxation and climate change tackling. Parties or institutions belonging to the radical center believe that there are more than two sides to an argument and that few people belong 'tribally' to either the left or the right. Often arguments from the radical center are that policy should be based around ordinary people, but that the political left bases policy around what is best for the state and that the political right bases its policy around what is best for the markets.
Notable organizations
Media coverage
Information from self-described radical middle/radical centrist sources
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
as well as an associated political movement
Political movement
A political movement is a social movement in the area of politics. A political movement may be organized around a single issue or set of issues, or around a set of shared concerns of a social group...
and position on the political spectrum. Adherents of this philosophy claim to improve policy and general politics by not harboring a bias toward the precedence of either markets or the state, as can be characterized of right-wing politics
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...
and left-wing politics
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
respectively.
Various groups have adopted radical center as a term to describe a philosophy which includes their belief that, in affirming the core principles involved on both sides of a dilemma, the dilemma or disagreement can be rendered moot
Mootness
In American law, a matter is moot if further legal proceedings with regard to it can have no effect, or events have placed it beyond the reach of the law...
. The terms radical center and radical middle are often used interchangeably, although the former more often refers to a political movement or current and the latter to a political philosophy. The latter use reflects an emphasis on epistemic virtue
Epistemic virtue
The epistemic virtues, as identified by virtue epistemologists, reflect their contention that belief is an ethical process, and thus susceptible to the intellectual virtue or vice of one's own life and personal experiences. Epistemology is the branch of philosophy concerned with the question "How...
, by resolving false dilemma
False dilemma
A false dilemma is a type of logical fallacy that involves a situation in which only two alternatives are considered, when in fact there are additional options...
s, finding the excluded middle.
As a relatively grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
movement, especially in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, there is no definitive statement of radical middle politics. A primary recurring theme, however, might be the idea of "sustainably improving choices." As is often the case with centrism
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...
, it can be said that the radical middle or center is an ideology broadly analogous with the ideas, principles and values of progressivism
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
.
History of the terms
In 1955, Geoffrey CrowtherGeoffrey Crowther, Baron Crowther
Geoffrey Crowther, Baron Crowther was a British economist, journalist, educationalist and businessman. He was editor of The Economist from 1938 to 1956.-Early life and education:...
, then editor of the UK publication The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
, declared, "It is to the Radicals that The Economist still likes to think of itself as belonging. The extreme centre is the paper's historical position." While the term radical center or similar expressions have been used in various ways since at least the 1970s (like "rigorously center" by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Giscardian movement or the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
Democratic and Social Centre – People's Party during its foundation), its use became more common due to the Reform Party
Reform Party of the United States of America
The Reform Party of the United States of America is a political party in the United States, founded in 1995 by Ross Perot...
and Ross Perot
Ross Perot
Henry Ross Perot is a U.S. businessman best known for running for President of the United States in 1992 and 1996. Perot founded Electronic Data Systems in 1962, sold the company to General Motors in 1984, and founded Perot Systems in 1988...
, who were frequently described as representing the radical middle due to their attempts to partisan
Partisan (political)
In politics, a partisan is a committed member of a political party. In multi-party systems, the term is widely understood to carry a negative connotation - referring to those who wholly support their party's policies and are perhaps even reluctant to acknowledge correctness on the part of their...
ize those portions of the American electorate. Despite a strong showing in the 1996 U.S. presidential election, today the Reform Party is not generally perceived as a major player in national politics, though it has impacted state elections, notably with Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
becoming Governor of Minnesota
Governor of Minnesota
The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty different people have been governors of the state, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. Alexander Ramsey, the first territorial...
.
Today, the term radical center is most commonly associated with a movement that does not explicitly claim descent from the Reform Party or its ideas, but rather draws its inspiration from the book The Third Way by Anthony Giddens
Anthony Giddens
Anthony Giddens, Baron Giddens is a British sociologist who is known for his theory of structuration and his holistic view of modern societies. He is considered to be one of the most prominent modern contributors in the field of sociology, the author of at least 34 books, published in at least 29...
(1998) and Giddens' highly-regarded follow-up book The Third Way and Its Critics (2000). In the U.S., third way politics is most actively represented by the New America Foundation
New America Foundation
The New America Foundation is a non-profit public policy institute and think tank with offices in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento, CA. It was founded in 1999 by Ted Halstead, Sherle Schwenninger, Michael Lind and Walter Russell Mead....
and its book by Ted Halstead
Ted Halstead
Ted Halstead is a Think Tank executive as well as an author. His areas of specialty are environment, economics and energy and he has authored several articles and books on these subjects.-Education:...
and Michael Lind
Michael Lind
Michael Lind is an American writer. Currently Lind is Policy Director of the Economic Growth Program at the New America Foundation in Washington, D.C., Editor of New American Contract and its blog Value Added, and a columnist for Salon magazine. Lind was a guest lecturer at Harvard Law School and...
, The Radical Center (2001). Subsequent introductions to radical centrist politics include, most notably, Matthew Miller
Matthew Miller (pundit)
Matthew Miller is an American journalist, and senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a monthly columnist for Fortune, regular contributor to The New York Times Magazine and The Atlantic Monthly, and author of The Two Percent Solution. He is a graduate of Brown University.He also...
's book The Two Percent Solution (2003) and Mark Satin
Mark Satin
Mark Ivor Satin is an American political theorist, author, and newsletter publisher. Although often referred to as a "draft dodger" or "draft resister", he is better known for contributing to the development and dissemination of three political perspectives – neopacifism in the 1960s, New...
's book Radical Middle: The Politics We Need Now (2004). (Interestingly, Lind was once a conservative, Miller was once an aide in President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, and Satin was a co-author of the U.S. Green Party's founding document from the 1980s, "Ten Key Values")
The term radical middle appears to have been spontaneously invented by several different communities around the turn of the millennium, apparently in response to frustration with both extremism
Extremism
Extremism is any ideology or political act far outside the perceived political center of a society; or otherwise claimed to violate common moral standards...
and moderation
Moderation
Moderation is the process of eliminating or lessening extremes. It is used to ensure normality throughout the medium on which it is being conducted...
. An early use appears to be from Gordon Fee
Gordon Fee
Gordon Donald Fee is an American-Canadian Christian theologian and an ordained minister of the Assemblies of God . He currently serves as Professor Emeritus of New Testament Studies at Regent College in Vancouver, Canada.-Biography:...
's kingdom theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
course at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary is an evangelical theological seminary whose main campus is based in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, with three other campuses in Boston, Charlotte, North Carolina and Jacksonville. The current president of Gordon-Conwell is Dennis Hollinger...
in the 1970s, which helped inspire the Vineyard Movement. He used the term "radical middle" to contrast the evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
focus on the future kingdom of God with the Pentecostal emphasis on the present kingdom of God. But the first known use of the term "radical middle" was by Jules Feiffer
Jules Feiffer
Jules Ralph Feiffer is an American syndicated cartoonist, most notable for his long-run comic strip titled Feiffer. He has created more than 35 books, plays and screenplays...
in a comic strip that appears in Hold Me!, a collection published by Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
in 1962.
Positioning
Radical centrists are related to what is sometimes called the Vital CenterVital Center
The term The Vital Center was first coined by Harvard historian Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., in his 1949 book of that title. He himself objects to the domestic use of the phrase, though:...
in American politics and similarly claim to be drawing on the best of both sides. However, they differ significantly from traditional centrism
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...
, which prides itself on moderation
Moderate
In 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....
and seeking political consensus amongst the 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...
; radical centrists, for example, can be quite radical
Radicalization
Radicalization is the process in which an individual changes from passiveness or activism to become more revolutionary, militant or extremist. Radicalization is often associated with youth, adversity, alienation, social exclusion, poverty, or the perception of injustice to self or others.-...
and populist
Populism
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...
in their stated policies. Radical centrists also can be divisive, as opposed to the non-partisan approach of traditional centrism. Radical centrists are quick to dissociate themselves from traditional moderates, whom they often contrast as the "sensible center" or deride as the "squishy center."
Radical centrists can be found in both left-wing and right-wing political parties, and often form what might be called separatist factions and run as independents. They claim these ideological moorings ("radix", the 'root' behind their sociological use of the term 'radical') provide the basis for their critique of society, government and other political movement
Political movement
A political movement is a social movement in the area of politics. A political movement may be organized around a single issue or set of issues, or around a set of shared concerns of a social group...
s.
Michael Lind
Michael Lind
Michael Lind is an American writer. Currently Lind is Policy Director of the Economic Growth Program at the New America Foundation in Washington, D.C., Editor of New American Contract and its blog Value Added, and a columnist for Salon magazine. Lind was a guest lecturer at Harvard Law School and...
, in his 1996 publication Up From Conservatism, writes that, though American radical centrism is today a minority political philosophy, it was, in fact, the dominant political philosophy within the United States from the time of Franklin Delano Roosevelt through Lyndon Johnson — a philosophy that was shared both by the presidents of that era and the majority of the American people. Therefore, Lind argues, the American "radical" centrism of today is simply the adamant pursuit for a return to the once-mainstream political principle of New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
economic progressivism coupled with a moderate cultural conservatism. This modest cultural conservatism would be exemplified on the political stage simply by the "radical centrist" politician's refusal to politicize or advocate culturally-liberal issues like abortion or gay rights. However, the radical centrist politician might spurn any influence or pressure coming from the Religious Right
Christian right
Christian right is a term used predominantly in the United States to describe "right-wing" Christian political groups that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies...
and other socially conservative groups (pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
advocates, school prayer
School prayer
School prayer in its common usage refers to state-approved prayer by students in state schools. Depending on the country and the type of school, organized prayer may be required, permitted, or prohibited...
advocates, etc.)
In March 2011 the leader of the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
, a social liberal and social democratic party, and Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a senior member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. The office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not a permanent position, existing only at the discretion of the Prime Minister, who may appoint to other offices...
, Nick Clegg
Nick Clegg
Nicholas William Peter "Nick" Clegg is a British Liberal Democrat politician who is currently the Deputy Prime Minister, Lord President of the Council and Minister for Constitutional and Political Reform in the coalition government of which David Cameron is the Prime Minister...
, stated that he believed that his party belonged to the radical center. Clegg also invoked the legacies of John Meynard Keynes, William Beveridge
William Beveridge
William Henry Beveridge, 1st Baron Beveridge KCB was a British economist and social reformer. He is best known for his 1942 report Social Insurance and Allied Services which served as the basis for the post-World War II welfare state put in place by the Labour government elected in 1945.Lord...
, Jo Grimond, David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
and John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill was a British philosopher, economist and civil servant. An influential contributor to social theory, political theory, and political economy, his conception of liberty justified the freedom of the individual in opposition to unlimited state control. He was a proponent of...
, implying that they too were elements of the radical center. He pointed to liberalism
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,...
as an ideology of people, and therefore, one of the radical center:
"For the left, an obsession with the state. For the right, a worship of the market. But as liberals, we place our faith in people. People with power and opportunity in their hands. Our opponents try to divide us with their outdated labels of left and right. But we are not on the left and we are not on the right. We have our own label: Liberal. We are liberals and we own the freehold to the centre ground of British politics. Our politics is the politics of the radical centre."http://www.libdems.org.uk/latest_news_detail.aspx?title=Nick_Clegg%E2%80%99s_speech_to_Spring_Conference&pPK=9296205b-d75b-40b1-bbb1-72e74181473f
The radical center is most often associated with ideologies such as 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...
and progressivism
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
. Policies from the radical center tend to be pro-civil liberties, progressive taxation and climate change tackling. Parties or institutions belonging to the radical center believe that there are more than two sides to an argument and that few people belong 'tribally' to either the left or the right. Often arguments from the radical center are that policy should be based around ordinary people, but that the political left bases policy around what is best for the state and that the political right bases its policy around what is best for the markets.
See also
- Third WayThird way (centrism)The Third Way refers to various political positions which try to reconcile right-wing and left-wing politics by advocating a varying synthesis of right-wing economic and left-wing social policies. Third Way approaches are commonly viewed from within the first- and second-way perspectives as...
- CentrismCentrismIn 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...
- Christian DemocracyChristian DemocracyChristian democracy is a political ideology that seeks to apply Christian principles to public policy. It emerged in nineteenth-century Europe under the influence of conservatism and Catholic social teaching...
- CommunitarianismCommunitarianismCommunitarianism is an ideology that emphasizes the connection between the individual and the community. That community may be the family unit, but it can also be understood in a far wider sense of personal interaction, of geographical location, or of shared history.-Terminology:Though the term...
- DistributismDistributismDistributism is a third-way economic philosophy formulated by such Catholic thinkers as G. K...
- Far leftFar leftFar left, also known as the revolutionary left, radical left and extreme left are terms which refer to the highest degree of leftist positions among left-wing politics...
- Far rightFar rightFar-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...
- ProducerismProducerismProducerism, sometimes referred to as "producer radicalism," is a right-wing populist ideology which holds that the productive members of society are being exploited by parasitic elements at both the top and bottom of the social and economic structure....
- Social CreditSocial CreditSocial Credit is an economic philosophy developed by C. H. Douglas , a British engineer, who wrote a book by that name in 1924. Social Credit is described by Douglas as "the policy of a philosophy"; he called his philosophy "practical Christianity"...
- Centrist Party
- Via media
- John AvlonJohn AvlonJohn Phillips Avlon is senior columnist for Newsweek and the Daily Beast as well as a CNN contributor. He is also the author of Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics and Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America...
Notable organizations
- Third WayThird wayThird Way may refer to:* Third Way , a political philosophy* Third Position, a nationalist political philosophy* Third Way , a socio-economic philosophy* The Third Way, a 1998 book by British sociologist Anthony Giddens...
- Reform Party USA
- Independence Party of MinnesotaIndependence Party of MinnesotaThe Independence Party of Minnesota , formerly the Reform Party of Minnesota, is the third largest political party in Minnesota, behind the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and Republican Party . It is the political party of former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura , and endorsed former U.S...
- Modern Whig PartyModern Whig PartyThe Modern Whig Party is a United States political party whose stated intention is to be a "party for the rest of us." The Modern Whig Party describes itself as a mainstream, middle-of-the-road grassroots movement that caters to those voters who believe in various Republican issues but also believe...
- New America FoundationNew America FoundationThe New America Foundation is a non-profit public policy institute and think tank with offices in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento, CA. It was founded in 1999 by Ted Halstead, Sherle Schwenninger, Michael Lind and Walter Russell Mead....
- No LabelsNo LabelsNo Labels is a political organization of Republicans, Democrats, and independents in the United States whose stated mission is to address the politics of problem solving...
External links
Philosophical/ideological- Radical Middle Newsletter, an archive of radical center/centrist writings and philosophy; edited by Mark Satin
- 50 Thinkers and Activists (Try to) Describe the Radical Middle/Centre, insight on the general political ideology
- Independent Nation, another centrist site based on John Avlon's book
- Index of Centrist Quotes, general centrist quotes by historic figures
- Centrerion: Canadian Politics, a centrist blog's About page containing Centrist philosophy
- Choosing The Radical Middle (minority-language schooling)
- centrist.org.uk, an attempt to define the radical center in terms of social contractSocial contractThe social contract is an intellectual device intended to explain the appropriate relationship between individuals and their governments. Social contract arguments assert that individuals unite into political societies by a process of mutual consent, agreeing to abide by common rules and accept...
theory - The Centrist Moment in the Anglican Church
- Toward The Radical Center: A Karel Capek Reader
- Ground Rules of Civil Society: A Radical Centrist Manifesto
- Some Radical Thinking on Centrism, Politics, And the Future of Conflict Management
Media coverage
- Environmentalist Robert Olson's article "The Rise of 'Radical Middle' Politics" from The Futurist
- Leif Utne's article The Radical Middle from The Utne Reader
- On a candidate's debate during the 2006 Canadian federal election from Montreal's The Suburban
- Revenge of the Radical Centrists by John Avlon of the Vital CenterVital CenterThe term The Vital Center was first coined by Harvard historian Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., in his 1949 book of that title. He himself objects to the domestic use of the phrase, though:...
- Richard D. Kahlenberg's analysis of "The Radical Center"
- The New American Idol Wired on Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
as the start of 'radical' centrismCentrismIn 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...
. - What’s on the Mind of the "Radical Middle"? Economic Growth and Opportunity in the New Century
- The Aquarian Conspiracy - New Age vision of a "common ground/consensus" model of transformational politics
- Smarter Leadership: Managing Change from the Radical Center (mentions Roger Douglas, a radical centrist leader in New Zealand).
- Mount Royal needs debate: activist, is an article discussing a Canadian centrist's activism
- Claim common ground by Pete Szkolka in the Columbia, MO Tribune
Information from self-described radical middle/radical centrist sources
- Welcome to the Radical Middle by RadicalCentrism.org
- The Third Way: The Renewal of Social Democracy
- The Responsive Communitarian Platform
- The Radical Center: The Future of American Politics
- Radical Middle: The Politics We Need Now
- Hans Masing, Radical Middle candidate for U.S. Congress, Michigan
- The Thom Hartmann Program, a radio commentator calling for a Radical Center
- EarthOps.org's Radical Centrist Party Political Platform?
- Colorado Voices: The Radical Center where "compassionate, common-sense solutions" come from
- The Radical Centrist a political blogger based in California, co-founder of Bloginators
- The Centrust Party, inspired by the novel The Shift (ISBN 0-9727034-9-7)
- Rantings of a “Radical Centrist”
- Change from the Radical Center of Education