What Is Christian Democracy?
Christian democracy is a political movement closely associated with Roman Catholicism and its philosophy of social and economic justice. It combines traditional church and family values with progressive positions such… Part of the Conservative family.
Definition
Christian democracy is a political movement closely associated with Roman Catholicism and its philosophy of social and economic justice. It combines traditional church and family values with progressive positions such as social welfare, so it does not fit neatly on the left or the right.
Core ideas
- Rejects the individualism behind laissez-faire economics.
- Supports state intervention in the economy to strengthen communities and defend human dignity.
- Opposes socialism and defends private property.
- Resists excessive state control of social life and education.
Origins
Christian democratic parties emerged across Europe after World War II, notably in Italy, France and Germany, where the CDU became the most successful.
Definition based on Britannica: Christian democracy (checked October 20, 2026).
Where Christian Democracy sits on the Atlas maps
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 57 | near the center | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 74 | toward traditional | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 25 | toward libertarian | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 62 | near the center | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 41 | near the center |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 65 | near the center |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 36 | near the center |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 62 | near the center |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 80 | toward traditionalist |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 14 | strongly toward democratic |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 54 | near the center |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 56 | near the center |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 41 | near the center |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 63 | near the center |
These positions are estimates on the Atlas’s nine-dimension scale, produced by running the tradition’s core principles through the same questions and scoring used for test-takers. They are interpretations for comparison, not objective measurements. How scores are made.
Estimated positions on key questions
| Statement | Position | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Opposition parties should be free to compete in elections. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| The means of production should ultimately be owned collectively. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| People should be free to criticize the government without fear of legal punishment. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| A national religious authority should have the power to veto legislation. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Central economic planning is preferable to decentralized market decisions. | Disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Traditional values should guide what society considers right and wrong. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| National borders should become less important over time. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Military power should be used proactively when serious external threats are emerging. | Disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Society works best when established social hierarchies are respected. | Disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Differences in social status help maintain an orderly society. | Disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
Related ideologies
Main differences from the closest ideologies
- Compared with One-Nation Conservatism, Christian Democracy sits 6 points further toward traditional on the social dimension.
- Compared with Moderate Conservatism, Christian Democracy sits 9 points further toward traditional on the social dimension.
- Compared with Paternalistic Conservatism, Christian Democracy sits 11 points further toward libertarian on the authority dimension.
Comparisons
Christian Democracy vs Social Democracy
Figures with the closest estimated positions
Closeness of estimated positions only; this does not mean these people identify with Christian Democracy.
Sources
- Britannica: Christian democracy
- Wikipedia: Christian Democracy (Wikipedia search)
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Religion and Political Theory
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Democracy
Position last reviewed: not yet reviewed individually.