What Is Left-Wing Nationalism?
Left-wing nationalism or leftist nationalism is a form of nationalism which is based upon national self-determination, popular sovereignty, and left-wing political positions such as social equality. Part of the Nationalist family.
Definition
Left-wing nationalism or leftist nationalism is a form of nationalism which is based upon national self-determination, popular sovereignty, and left-wing political positions such as social equality.
Definition quoted from Wikipedia: Left-wing nationalism (text available under CC BY-SA 4.0; checked October 20, 2026).
Core ideas
- National liberation and anti-imperialism.
- Social equality and economic redistribution.
- Sovereignty against foreign domination.
Origins
Anti-colonial movements of the 20th century.
Core ideas, origins and thinkers: Atlas summary.
Where Left-Wing Nationalism sits on the Atlas maps
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 29 | toward collective / planned | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 49 | near the center | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 34 | toward libertarian | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 91 | strongly toward nationalist | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 24 | toward non-intervention |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 30 | toward collective ownership |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 42 | near the center |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 91 | strongly toward nationalist |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 53 | near the center |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 26 | toward democratic |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 29 | toward egalitarian |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 73 | toward state planning |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 24 | toward non-intervention |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 41 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| A national religious authority should have the power to veto legislation. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Opposition parties should be free to compete in elections. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| People should be free to criticize the government without fear of legal punishment. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| National borders should become less important over time. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Society works best when established social hierarchies are respected. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Military power should be used proactively when serious external threats are emerging. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Regulations on business should be minimized whenever possible. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Major industries should be publicly owned rather than privately controlled. | Agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Same-sex couples should have the same right to marry as opposite-sex couples. | Agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| The government should regulate companies that dominate entire markets. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
Related ideologies
Main differences from the closest ideologies
- Compared with Agrarian Socialism, Left-Wing Nationalism sits 39 points further toward nationalist on the national identity dimension.
- Compared with Economic Nationalism, Left-Wing Nationalism sits 21 points further toward collective / planned on the economic dimension.
- Compared with Christian Humanism, Left-Wing Nationalism sits 45 points further toward nationalist on the national identity dimension.
Figures with the closest estimated positions
Closeness of estimated positions only; this does not mean these people identify with Left-Wing Nationalism.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Left-wing nationalism
- Wikipedia: Left-Wing Nationalism (Wikipedia search)
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Nationalism
Position last reviewed: not yet reviewed individually.