Social Democracy - (Short Histories) by Eunice Goes (Paperback)

About the Book

A short history of one of the most successful European political ideologies and movements.

Book Synopsis

Social democracy emerged in the late nineteenth century and has become a leading political ideology in Europe. This short history approaches the evolution of this ideology as a body of political thought and political practices. It expounds the development, transformation and practice of European social democracy through the analysis of four key moments in its history: its origins and rise as a key political force in European politics, the second revisionist phase with the embrace of capitalism in the postwar period, the Third Way of the 1990s and the contemporary crisis of social democracy in an era of fragmented politics. The book offers a fresh and engaging discussion of one of the most enduring ideologies of the European political sphere and its manifestations in different countries of the region.

Review Quotes

An enthralling history of social democracy from its inception to the present day. Eunice Goes skillfully depicts the tensions at play in its ideological evolution (from doctrinal and revolutionary approaches to democracy and reform) and in its organization (from a movement to a party and then to a governing party), to the crisis of social democracy today. For those, who want to understand or even shape what happens next, this book is simply a must-read.--Ania Skrzypek, Foundation for European Progressive Studies, Brussels

This is a very considerable intellectual achievement. Goes weaves together a rich array of analytical concepts and empirical material to offer a synoptic overview of the development of European social democracy since the mid-nineteenth century. The breadth of the coverage is remarkable, unquestionably anchored in a coherent theoretical framework and appropriately critical in assessing the implications of the transformation of social democracy that has occurred over the last century. It deserves to be widely read.--Patrick Diamond, Queen Mary University of London

About the Author

Eunice Goes is Professor of Politics at Richmond American University London. She is interested in the role of ideas in politics and in political parties and is the author of The Labour Party Under Ed Miliband: Trying But Faliing To Renew Social Democracy (2016).