Syncretic politics

Syncretic politics, or spectral-syncretic politics, combine elements from across the conventional left–right political spectrum. The idea of syncretic politics has been influenced by syncretism and syncretic religion. The main idea of syncretic politics is that taking political positions of neutrality by combining elements associated with left-wing politics and right-wing politics can achieve a goal of reconciliation.

Historical examples

The Falange of Spain, while allied with the nationalist right side during the Spanish Civil War and being widely considered to be far right, presented itself definitively as syncretic. Falangism has attacked both the left and the right as its "enemies", declaring itself to be neither left nor right, but a Third Position.

At the peak of the Cold War, the former Argentinian president Juan Perón (1946–1955; 1973–1974) defined the international position of his doctrine (Peronism) as a "third position" between capitalism and communism, a stance which became a precedent of the Non-Aligned Movement.

In the United States, Third Way adherents embrace fiscal conservatism to a greater extent than traditional social liberals and advocate some replacement of welfare with workfare, and sometimes have a stronger preference for market solutions to traditional problems (as in pollution markets), while rejecting pure ''laissez-faire'' economics and other right-libertarian positions. This style of governing was firmly adopted and partly redefined during the administration of President Bill Clinton. Political scientist Stephen Skowronek introduced the term "Third Way" into the interpretation of American presidential politics. Such Presidents undermine the opposition by borrowing policies from it in an effort to seize the middle and with it to achieve political dominance. This technique is known as triangulation and was used by Bill Clinton and other New Democrats who sought to move beyond the party's New Deal liberalism reputation in response to the political realignment of the 1980s. Through this strategy, Clinton adopted themes associated with the Republican Party, such as fiscal conservatism, welfare reform, deregulation and law and order policies. Famously, he declared in the 1996 State of the Union Address that "the era of big government is over".

In the United Kingdom, the emergence of New Labour under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown was a pitch for the Third Way, mixing economic neoliberal policies, such as banking privatisation, with socially progressive policies.

Other examples

* Crusade of Romanianism, Romania (1934–1937)
* Minaret of Freedom Institute, United States
* National Bolshevik Party, Russia (1993–2007)
* National Union for Social Justice, United States (1934–1936)
* New Zealand First
* LMP – Hungary's Green Party
* Social Democratic Party, Romania
* Social Democratic Party, United Kingdom

See also

References

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