Democratic socialism

Democratic socialism is a political movement propagating the political ideals of socialism within the form of a parliamentary democracy and in opposition to Communism as practiced by the former Soviet Union. The term democratic socialist and social democrat have often been used interchangeably. However, increasingly, the former term denotes a more left wing position that still believes in the socialist transformation of society, usually in an evolutionary socialist manner while the latter idicates those who do not believe in the abolition of capitalism but simply in making capitalism more equitable and humane.

Democratic socialists and social democratics both typically advocate a welfare state though social democrats, influenced by the Third Way are now less committed to this. Democratic socialists maintain a commitment to the re-distribution of wealth and the nationalisation of major industry and some believe in a planned economy, concepts which social democrats have largely abandoned. As well, many democratic socialists retain a Marxist analysis (though a reformist one) while social democrats reject Marxism.

People or groups who describe themselves as democratic socialists, are generally further to the left and more generally a more radical wing within social democratic parties and movements. In some cases, democratic socialists have broken off from "right wing social democrats" to form their own parties. However, in other parties such as the Canadian New Democratic Party they remain in the same party.