110-431: (Redirected from Radical Centre ) Radical center may refer to: Radical centrism , a political movement a mathematical construct: also called the power center (geometry) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Radical center . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
220-529: A "parallel convergence" prefigured today's calls for radical centrism. Until being killed by the Red Brigades in the late 1970s, Moro had been promoting a political alliance between Christian Democracy and the Italian Communist Party . Moro acknowledged that the two parties were so different that they ran on parallel tracks and he did not want them to lose their identities, but he emphasized that in
330-493: A Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition agreement to form a majority government. In a speech to party members in the spring of 2011, Clegg declared that he considers himself and his party to be radical centrist: For the left, an obsession with the state. For the right, a worship of the market. But as liberals, we place our faith in people. People with power and opportunity in their hands. Our opponents try to divide us with their outdated labels of left and right. But we are not on
440-460: A holistic dimension to the concept when she said: "[The] Radical Center ... is not neutral, not middle-of-the-road, but a view of the whole road". Sociologist Alan Wolfe located the creative part of the political spectrum at the center: "The extremes of right and left know where they stand, while the center furnishes what is original and unexpected". African-American theorist Stanley Crouch upset many political thinkers when he pronounced himself
550-648: A referendum in which a majority supported leaving the European Union , Clegg returned to the Liberal Democrat frontbench , concurrently serving as Spokesperson for Exiting the European Union and for International Trade from July 2016 to June 2017. In the 2017 general election , Clegg was defeated in his constituency of Sheffield Hallam by Jared O'Mara of the Labour Party . After losing his seat, Clegg moved to
660-403: A referendum in 2023 ) was developed as a radical centrist solution to the problem of Indigenous constitutional recognition . It attempted to synthesise progressive concerns that constitutional recognition must involve structural reform and not "mere symbolism" with conservative concerns that any change must not limit parliamentary sovereignty and "minimise legal uncertainty". While not using
770-466: A universal basic income , legalised cannabis, and putting a stop to the New Zealand housing crisis. In South Korea, the term Jungdogaehyeok ( Korean : 중도개혁 ; Hanja : 中道改革 ; lit. centrist reformism) bears resemblance to the term radical centrism. The Peace Democratic Party , founded in 1987, officially put forward a jungdogaehyeok . But from then until 2016,
880-581: A "radical pragmatist". Crouch explained: "I affirm whatever I think has the best chance of working, of being both inspirational and unsentimental, of reasoning across the categories of false division and beyond the decoy of race". In his influential 1995 Newsweek cover story "Stalking the Radical Middle", journalist Joe Klein described radical centrists as angrier and more frustrated than conventional Democrats and Republicans. Klein said they share four broad goals: getting money out of politics, balancing
990-487: A Freedom Bill to repeal what he described as "unnecessary and illiberal legislation", campaigning against Identity Cards and the retention of innocent people's DNA, and arguing against excessive counter-terrorism legislation. He has campaigned for prison reform, a liberal approach to immigration, and defended the Human Rights Act against ongoing attacks from across the political spectrum. In January 2007, Clegg launched
1100-493: A Radical Middle (1969), she presented it as a healing radicalism. Adler said it rejected the violent posturing and rhetoric of the 1960s in favor of such "corny" values as "reason, decency, prosperity, human dignity [and human] contact". She called for the "reconciliation" of the white working class and African-Americans . In the 1970s, sociologist Donald I. Warren described the radical center as consisting of those "middle American radicals" who were suspicious of big government,
1210-529: A claim he said he would repay. Clegg aimed to modernise the Liberal Democrat Party at the same time as maintaining its traditions of political and philosophical liberalism . In 2011, he told a party conference that the Liberal Democrats were radical centrist in orientation: "Our opponents try to divide us with their outdated labels of left and right. But we are not on the left and we are not on
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#17330861110081320-486: A fifth partner: It's especially exciting to be joining GPlus at a time when Brussels is moving more and more to the centre of business concerns. With the EU taking in ten more countries and adopting a new Constitution, organisations need more than ever intelligent professional help in engaging with the EU institutions. Clegg worked on GPlus clients including The Hertz Corporation and British Gas . In May 2003, Richard Allan ,
1430-608: A former trustee of the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation (where Ken Clarke was an adviser). Clegg has one-quarter Baltic-German ancestry. His paternal grandmother, Baroness Kira von Engelhardt , of Smolensk , was a Baltic-German noblewoman, niece of Moura Budberg , adventuress and suspected double agent , and the granddaughter of attorney general of the Imperial Russian Senate, Ignatiy Platonovich Zakrevsky. Through this Russian connection, Clegg
1540-609: A friend drunkenly set fire to what he called "the leading collection of cacti in Germany". When news of the incident was reported during his time as Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson , Clegg said he was "not proud" of it. He was arrested and not formally charged, but performed a type of community service . Clegg spent a gap year working as a skiing instructor in Austria , before going on to Cambridge in 1986, where he studied Archaeology and Anthropology at Robinson College . He
1650-675: A human being and a party Leader", and Norman Lamb that "Nick tries to be absolutely straight in everything that he does, and that might sometimes get him into trouble but he will build a reputation for being honest and straightforward." Speaking to the BBC about the interview Clegg said "wisdom with hindsight is an easy thing" as what had been a split second response had been "taken out of context, interpreted, over interpreted and so on". Upon his election Clegg appointed leadership rival Huhne as his replacement as Home Affairs spokesperson and following his strong performances as acting party leader, Vince Cable
1760-407: A large number of pamphlets and books. With Dr Richard Grayson he wrote a book in 2002 about the importance of devolution in secondary education systems, based on comparative research across Europe. The final conclusions included the idea of pupil premiums so that children from poorer backgrounds receive the additional resources their educational needs require. He wrote a controversial pamphlet for
1870-678: A liberal." His Dutch mother instilled in him "a degree of scepticism about the entrenched class configurations in British society ". Clegg was educated at two private schools : at Caldicott School in Farnham Royal in South Buckinghamshire , where he was joint Head Prefect in 1980, and later at Westminster School in Central London . As a 16-year-old exchange student in Munich, he and
1980-535: A majority, formed a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, and Clegg was appointed by Conservative leader David Cameron to serve as his Deputy Prime Minister. In this capacity , he became the first leader of the Liberal Democrats to answer for the Prime Minister's Questions , and used his influence in the position to pass the Fixed-term Parliaments Act . Controversy arose during this time surrounding
2090-506: A philosopher with radical-centrist interests, identifies a number of philosophical concepts supporting balance, reconciliation or synthesis, including Confucius ' concept of ren , Aristotle 's concept of the mean , Desiderius Erasmus 's and Michel de Montaigne 's humanism, Giambattista Vico 's evolutionary vision of history, William James ' and John Dewey 's pragmatism , and Aurobindo Ghose 's integration of opposites. However, most commonly cited influences and precursors are from
2200-404: A phrase originally from John F. Kennedy . Radical centrists borrow ideas from the political left and the political right , often melding them. Most support market economy -based solutions to social problems , with strong governmental oversight in the public interest . There is support for increased global engagement and the growth of an empowered middle class in developing countries . In
2310-482: A plane journey. He told the BBC's Politics Show that "a lot of it is, frankly, fiction". "I believe every single person is extraordinary. The tragedy is that we have a society where too many people never get to fulfil that extraordinary potential. My view – the liberal view – is that government's job is to help them to do it. Not to tell people how to live their lives. But to make their choices possible, to release their potential, no matter who they are. The way to do that
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#17330861110082420-448: A policy document released by the then four-year-old Niskanen Center of Washington, D.C. was characterized as a "manifesto for radical centrism" by Big Think writer Paul Ratner. According to Ratner, the document – signed by some of Niskanen's executives and policy analysts – is an attempt to "incorporate rival ideological positions into a way forward" for America. A radical centrist perspective can also be found in major periodicals. In
2530-460: A political philosophy that is both liberal and egalitarian. Like Amartya Sen , they see freedom not just as freedom-from, but as the absence of domination and the opportunity to fulfill one's potential. Like John Rawls , they reject the far left's emphasis on state redistribution in favor of an emphasis on equal treatment for all with special vigilance against class- and race-based discrimination. Finland's Centre Party has been generally viewed as
2640-747: A post at the European Commission in April 1994, working in the TACIS aid programme to the former Soviet Union . For two years, Clegg was responsible for developing direct aid programmes in Central Asia and the Caucasus worth €50 million. He was involved in negotiations with Russia on airline overflight rights, and launched a conference in Tashkent in 1993 that founded TRACECA —an international transport programme for
2750-549: A radical centrist party, with wide-ranging views from the left and right-wing political spectrums, such as supporting lower taxes for businesses and lowering the capital gains tax, while also encompassing strong welfare and environmental policies and legislation. The Centre Party's former chairmen and Finland's former Prime Ministers, Juha Sipilä and Matti Vanhanen as well as former President Urho Kekkonen have been viewed as radical centrists. Several observers have identified Emmanuel Macron , elected President of France in 2017, as
2860-524: A radical centrist. Anne Applebaum of The Washington Post says Macron "represents the brand-new radical center", as does his political movement, En Marche! , which Applebaum translates as "forward". She notes a number of politically bridging ideas Macron holds – for example, "He embraces markets, but says he believes in 'collective solidarity ' ". A professor of history, Robert Zaretsky, writing in Foreign Policy , argues that Macron's radical centrism
2970-404: A record of CUCA members for 1986–1987, and Clegg's name appears on the list. Hands noted that "for the avoidance of any doubt, there was only one 'N Clegg' at Robinson College ... [he] is listed in the 'Robinson College Record', under 'Freshmen 1986'. He graduated with an upper second class honours (2:1) degree in social anthropology. After university, he was awarded a scholarship to study for
3080-497: A referendum on AV+ ; and changes to House of Commons procedure to reduce executive power. Shortly ahead of the election, Clegg was asked about his own expenses by Andrew Neil of the BBC. Clegg allegedly claimed the full amount permissible under the Additional Cost Allowance, including claims for food, gardening and redecorating his second home. The Telegraph also said Clegg claimed £80 for international call charges,
3190-669: A report presented in 2012 to the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party, CDA member and former minister of social affairs Aart Jan de Geus recommends that the CDA develop itself into a radical centrist ("radicale midden") party. The D66 has been seen as the more progressive and individualistic of the two parties, and the CDA as the more conservative and personalistic / communitarian. The Opportunities Party (TOP), founded by economist Gareth Morgan , identifies itself as radical centrist. TOP advocates for evidence-based policy on
3300-480: A substantial tax cut to "put more money back into the pockets of people", better action on the environment, the abandonment of Britain's Trident missile-defence system, fixed-term parliaments ; devolving more power to local councils; giving constituents the power to force a by-election if their MP was found responsible for serious wrongdoing; and a slimming of government across the board. Clegg campaigned to cut spending on defence projects such as Eurofighter as well as
3410-564: A tenacious obsession with the last war, is much harder to shake off". The article was dusted down during the 2010 general election campaign when the Daily Mail interpreted the article as being a "Nazi slur on Britain" and Clegg had begun to feel the full heat of the British tabloid press following his success during the first leaders' debate . On leaving the European Parliament, Clegg joined political lobbying firm GPlus in April 2004 as
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3520-450: A think tank called Redefining Progress; and Satin had co-drafted the U.S. Green Party 's foundational political statement, "Ten Key Values". However, there is a generational bond : all these authors were between 31 and 41 years of age when their books were published (except for Satin, who was nearing 60). While the four books do not speak with one voice, among them they express assumptions, analyses, policies and strategies that helped set
3630-604: A trainee in the G24 coordination unit which delivered aid to the countries of the former Soviet Union . After the internship he studied for a master's degree at the College of Europe in Bruges , a university for European studies in Belgium, where he met his wife, Miriam González Durántez , a lawyer and the daughter of a Spanish senator. Nick Clegg is an alumnus of the " Mozart Promotion " (1991–92) of
3740-465: A variety of political activities. Prime Minister of Armenia , Nikol Pashinyan has been described as a radical centrist. His Civil Contract party won a supermajority of seats in the National Assembly following the 2021 Armenian parliamentary election . In Australia, Aboriginal lawyer Noel Pearson is building an explicitly radical centrist movement among Aboriginal people. The movement
3850-499: A very practical level quickly lent him prominence, with many already seeing him as a future Liberal Democrat leader. Following the resignation of Kennedy on 7 January 2006, Clegg was touted as a possible leadership contender. He was quick to rule himself out however instead declaring his support for Menzies Campbell ahead of his former colleague in the European Parliament Chris Huhne , with Campbell going on to win
3960-407: A visit to England in 1956, and they married on 1 August 1959. Clegg is multilingual . He speaks English, French, Dutch, German, and Spanish. His background has informed his politics. He says, "There is simply not a shred of racism in me, as a person whose whole family is formed by flight from persecution, from different people in different generations. It's what I am. It's one of the reasons I am
4070-504: A year at the University of Minnesota , where he wrote a thesis on the political philosophy of the Deep Green movement . He then moved to New York City, where he worked as an intern under Christopher Hitchens at The Nation , a progressive liberal magazine, where he fact-checked Hitchens's articles. Clegg next moved to Brussels , where he worked alongside Guy Spier for six months as
4180-479: Is "the embodiment of a particularly French kind of center – the extreme center". He points to Macron's declaration that he is "neither left nor right", and to his support for policies, such as public-sector austerity and major environmental investments , that traditional political parties might find contradictory. U.S. politician Dave Anderson, writing in The Hill newspaper, says that Macron's election victory points
4290-768: Is distantly related to Michael Ignatieff , leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2008 to 2011. His English grandfather was Hugh Anthony Clegg , editor of the British Medical Journal for 35 years. Clegg's mother is Dutch and was interned , along with her family, by the Japanese military in Batavia (Jakarta) in the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) during the Second World War . She met Clegg's father during
4400-556: Is his challenge to the entire paradigm of "left-center-right." He claimed at a meeting of the national Reform Party in 1995 that the paradigm was no longer operative and that left-center-right was being replaced. The replacement was a "top versus the rest of us" paradigm, and that the very wealthy like himself, could choose to be with the people at the "bottom, like most of the American people." This brand of "militant moderation"—a form of populism—is what endeared Perot to his ardent followers and
4510-662: Is seeking more assistance from the Australian state, but is also seeking to convince individual Aboriginal people to take more responsibility for their lives. To political philosopher Katherine Curchin, writing in the Australian Journal of Political Science , Pearson is attempting something unusual and worthwhile: casting public debate on indigenous issues in terms of a search for a radical centre. She says Pearson's methods have much in common with those of deliberative democracy . The Indigenous Voice to Parliament (which failed in
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4620-518: Is that "sometimes we have to fight against the state". Paul Hellyer , who served in Trudeau's first cabinet and spent over half a century in Canadian political life, said in 2010, "I have been branded as everything from far left to far right. I put myself in the radical centre – one who seeks solutions to problems based on first principles without regard to ideology. I believe that it is the kind of solution
4730-646: Is the choice between fake, phoney change from Cameron's Conservatives, and real change the Liberal Democrats offer". Clegg became the first party leader in modern political history to call for a Speaker of the House of Commons to resign, describing then-Speaker Michael Martin , following his handling of the expenses scandal, as a defender of the status quo and an obstacle to the reform of Parliament. In response to revelations about MPs' expenses, Clegg set out his plans for reform of Parliament in The Guardian . Speaking about
4840-475: Is to take power away from those who hoard it. To challenge vested interests. To break down privilege. To clear out the bottlenecks in our society that block opportunity and block progress. And so give everyone a chance to live the life they want." In the Commons, Clegg initially concentrated most of his fire on Labour and Prime Minister Gordon Brown, but in the autumn of 2009 began also focusing on David Cameron and
4950-692: The All-Party Parliamentary Group on National Parks , a particular interest given that his constituency includes part of the Peak District National Park . Following his election to parliament, Clegg was promoted by leader Charles Kennedy to be the party's spokesperson on Europe, focusing on the party's preparations for an expected referendum on the European constitution and acting as deputy to Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Menzies Campbell . Clegg's ability to articulate liberal values at
5060-633: The Hertie School of Governance (Berlin) and the London School of Economics , Forum fellow Alexandru Filip put the German Green party of 2018 in the same camp as Emmanuel Macron's French party (see above) and Albert Rivera 's Spanish one (see below). His article "On New and Radical Centrism" argued that the Greens did relatively well in the 2017 German federal election not only because of their stance against
5170-462: The Lisbon Treaty but had wanted to vote in favour and so defied the whip. In addition to the three frontbenchers, a further 12 more backbench LibDem MPs also defied the whip and voted "yes". Clegg said "though we have disagreed on this issue I fully understand and respect their strongly held views on the subject.... However, as they have recognised, the shadow cabinet cannot operate effectively unless
5280-640: The UK Trident programme . As regards public spending, at the party's 2009 conference in Bournemouth Clegg argued for "savage" spending cuts and said politicians need to treat voters "like grown ups" whilst accusing the Labour and Conservative parties of indulging in "childish games" over the "c-word". On 29 April 2009 the Liberal Democrats proposed in the House of Commons to offer all Gurkhas an equal right of residence;
5390-400: The ballot . Clegg had been a signatory to the letter circulated by Vince Cable prior to Kennedy's resignation, which stated his opposition to working under Kennedy's continued leadership. Following the 2006 leadership election, Clegg was promoted to be Home Affairs spokesperson , replacing Mark Oaten . In this job he spearheaded the Liberal Democrats' defence of civil liberties, proposing
5500-541: The radical center , the radical centre , and the radical middle , is a concept that arose in Western nations in the late 20th century. The radical in the term refers to a willingness on the part of most radical centrists to call for fundamental reform of institutions. The centrism refers to a belief that genuine solutions require realism and pragmatism , not just idealism and emotion. One radical centrist text defines radical centrism as "idealism without illusions",
5610-483: The "It's About Freedom" working parties. Clegg, for four years whilst an MEP, wrote a fortnightly column for Guardian Unlimited . One particular article in 2002 accused Gordon Brown of encouraging "condescension" towards Germany. In an article, Clegg wrote that "all nations have a cross to bear, and none more so than Germany with its memories of Nazism. But the British cross is more insidious still. A misplaced sense of superiority, sustained by delusions of grandeur and
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#17330861110085720-691: The "system" but also as a result of "a more centrist, socio-liberal, pro-European constituency that felt alienated by the power-sharing cartel" of the larger parties. In an article for Israel Hayom in 2012, conservative Knesset member Tzipi Hotovely named Israeli politician Yair Lapid and his Yesh Atid (There Is a Future) party as examples of "the radical center" in Israel, which she warned her readers against. In 2013, Yossi Klein Halevi – author of books addressing Israelis and Palestinians alike – explained why he voted for Lapid, saying, in part: He emerged as
5830-490: The 'We Can Cut Crime!' campaign, "proposing real action at a national level and acting to cut crime where the Liberal Democrats are in power locally". Clegg caused a degree of controversy when, at the Liberal Democrat party conference in 2007, he admitted his leadership ambitions to journalists at a fringe event. The admission followed a period of increased media speculation about Sir Menzies Campbell 's leadership, which
5940-499: The Centre for European Reform advocating devolution and evolution of the European Union, and contributed to the 2004 Orange Book , where he offered market liberal solutions for reform of European institutions. He co-authored a pamphlet with Duncan Brack arguing for a wholesale reform of world trade rules to allow room for a greater emphasis on development, internationally binding environmental treaties, and parliamentary democracy within
6050-537: The College of Europe. Between 1992 and 1993, he was employed by GJW Government Relations Ltd, which lobbied on behalf of Libya . In 1993, Clegg won the inaugural Financial Times ' David Thomas Prize, in remembrance of an FT journalist killed on assignment in Kuwait in 1991. He was later sent to Hungary, where he wrote articles about the mass privatisation of industries in the former communist bloc . He took up
6160-621: The Conservatives. Clegg rejected an appeal from Cameron for their two parties to work together. Clegg argued that the Conservatives were totally different from his party, and that the Lib Dems were the true "progressives" in UK politics. At the 2009 party conference in Bournemouth, he accused the Conservatives of "simply believing it is their turn" and claimed that come the election the "choice before people
6270-813: The East Midlands. As an MEP, Clegg co-founded the Campaign for Parliamentary Reform, which led calls for reforms to expenses, transparency and accountability in the European Parliament. He was made Trade and Industry spokesman for the European Liberal Democrat and Reform group (ELDR). In December 2000, Nick Clegg became the Parliament's Draftsman on a complex new EU telecoms law relating to " local loop unbundling "—opening-up telephone networks across Europe to competition. Clegg decided to leave Brussels in 2002, arguing in an article in The Guardian newspaper that
6380-577: The Environment, and in 2010 she was the Green Party candidate for President of Brazil, finishing third with 20% of the vote. The Social Democratic Party , a breakaway of the Democrats founded in 2011, is a self-described radical centrist party. In the late 1970s, Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau claimed that his Liberal Party adhered to the "radical centre". One thing this means, Trudeau said,
6490-412: The Liberal Democrats had transcended left and right-wing politics and described the party as radical centrist . He supported reduced taxes, electoral reform, cuts on defence spending and an increased focus on environmental issues. As a result of the 2010 general election , Clegg's Liberal Democrats found themselves with 57 seats in the House of Commons. The Conservative Party , which failed to receive
6600-520: The Liberal Democrats on the Third Age , which focused on the importance of ending the cliff-edge of retirement and providing greater opportunities for older people to remain active beyond retirement. The group developed initial proposals on transforming post offices to help them survive as community hubs, in particular for older people. He served on Charles Kennedy 's policy review, "Meeting the Challenge", and
6710-503: The Liberal Democrats' decision to abandon their pledge to oppose increases in tuition fees, which had previously been a key issue that won the party support from students. During the party's time in coalition, the Liberal Democrats saw a significant drop in support, and the 2015 general election left the party with just 8 seats, which resulted in Clegg's ousting as Deputy Prime Minister and his resignation as party leader. In 2016, following
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#17330861110086820-888: The New America Foundation) in the United States. New America was started by authors Ted Halstead and Michael Lind , as well as two others, to bring radical centrist ideas to Washington, D.C. journalists and policy researchers. In the 2010s, new think tanks began promoting radical centrist ideas. "Radix: Think Tank for the Radical Centre" was established in London in 2016; its initial board of trustees included former Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg . Writing in The Guardian , Radix policy director David Boyle called for "big, radical ideas" that could break with both trickle-down conservatism and backward-looking socialism. In 2018,
6930-572: The Speaker's decision a constitutional "outrage". Just moments earlier, frontbench foreign affairs spokesman for the party Ed Davey had been expelled from the chamber by the Speaker's deputy, Sir Michael Lord , for further challenging the ruling. In November 2008, Clegg suffered more allegations of difficulties with the front bench following an article in the Daily Mirror that reported that Clegg had criticised senior members of his front bench whilst on
7040-488: The Third Way is a reconstituted form of social democracy . Some radical centrist thinkers do not equate radical centrism with the Third Way. In Britain, many do not see themselves as social democrats. Most prominently, British radical-centrist politician Nick Clegg has made it clear he does not consider himself an heir to Tony Blair and Richard Reeves , Clegg's longtime advisor, emphatically rejects social democracy. In
7150-570: The United States and became vice‑president of global affairs and communications at Facebook, Inc. (renamed Meta Platforms in 2021), before being promoted in 2022 to president for global affairs. He was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the 2018 New Year Honours for political and public service. [REDACTED] Nick Clegg was born in Chalfont St Giles , Buckinghamshire, the third of four children of Hermance van den Wall Bake and Nicholas Peter Clegg , chairman of United Trust Bank and
7260-464: The United States, for example, The Washington Monthly was started by early radical centrist thinker Charles Peters and many large-circulation magazines publish articles by New America fellows. Columnists who have written from a radical centrist perspective include John Avlon , Thomas Friedman , Joe Klein , and Matthew Miller . Prominent journalists James Fallows and Fareed Zakaria have been identified as radical centrists. In Britain,
7370-538: The United States, many radical centrists work within the major political parties; they also support independent or third-party initiatives and candidacies. One common criticism of radical centrism is that its policies are only marginally different from conventional centrist policies. Some observers see radical centrism as primarily a process of catalyzing dialogue and fresh thinking among polarized people and groups. Some influences on radical centrist political philosophy are not directly political. Robert C. Solomon ,
7480-499: The United States, the situation is different because the term Third Way was adopted by the Democratic Leadership Council and other moderate Democrats. However, most U.S. radical centrists also avoid the term. Ted Halstead and Michael Lind's introduction to radical centrist politics fails to mention it and Lind subsequently accused the organized moderate Democrats of siding with the "center-right" and Wall Street . Radical centrists have expressed dismay with what they see as "split[ting]
7590-432: The University of Cambridge. Clegg worked closely with Allan throughout the campaign in Sheffield Hallam—including starring in a local pantomime—and won the seat in the 2005 general election with over 50% of the vote, and a majority of 8,682. This result represents one of the smallest swings away from a party in a seat where an existing MP has been succeeded by a newcomer (4.3%). He also served as treasurer and secretary of
7700-406: The WTO system. In 1998, Clegg was selected as the lead Liberal Democrat candidate for the European Parliament in the East Midlands constituency; the following year, Paddy Ashdown was first to tip him as a politician to watch. On his election in 1999, he was the first Liberal parliamentarian elected in the East Midlands since Ernest Pickering was elected MP for Leicester West in 1931, and
7810-440: The admission by Clegg did nothing to reduce and resulted in a rebuke by some of his frontbench colleagues. This followed a report from Kevin Maguire in the New Statesman that Clegg had failed to hide his disloyalty to Campbell's leadership. Campbell eventually resigned on 15 October 2007, saying that questions about his leadership were "getting in the way of further progress by the party". After Campbell's resignation, Clegg
7920-528: The battle to persuade the public of the benefits of Europe was being fought at home, not in Brussels. In 2004, Clegg explained to the Select Committee on European Union that the aim of MEPs like himself, who had been active in the debate on the EU's negotiating mandate, was to obtain the right to ratify any major WTO deal entered into by the European Union. That same year he chaired a policy working group for
8030-558: The budget, restoring civility and figuring out how to run government better. He also said their concerns were fueling "what is becoming a significant intellectual movement, nothing less than an attempt to replace the traditional notions of liberalism and conservatism". In 1998, British sociologist Anthony Giddens claimed that the radical center is synonymous with the Third Way . For Giddens, an advisor to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and for many other European political actors,
8140-549: The concept of radical centrism beyond the stage of "cautious gestures" and journalistic observation and define it as a political philosophy. The authors came to their task from diverse political backgrounds: Avlon had been a speechwriter for New York Republican Mayor Rudolph Giuliani ; Miller had been a business consultant before serving in President Bill Clinton 's budget office; Lind had been an exponent of Harry Truman -style "national liberalism"; Halstead had run
8250-602: The development of a transport corridor for Europe, the Caucasus and Asia. Vice-President and Trade Commissioner Leon Brittan then offered him a job in his private office, as a European Union policy adviser and speechwriter. As part of this role, Clegg was in charge of the EC negotiating team on Chinese and Russian accession talks to the World Trade Organization . Clegg has written extensively, publishing and contributing to
8360-459: The difference", " triangulation " and other supposed practices of what some of them call the "mushy middle". The first years of the 21st century saw publication of four introductions to radical centrist politics: Ted Halstead and Michael Lind 's The Radical Center (2001), Matthew Miller 's The Two Percent Solution (2003), John Avlon 's Independent Nation (2004) and Mark Satin 's Radical Middle (2004). These books attempted to take
8470-470: The end their interests were convergent – hence the phrase "parallel convergence", which he popularized. In the 2010s, Spanish radical centrist Albert Rivera reportedly cited Italian politician Matteo Renzi as a soulmate. According to the Dutch opinion magazine HP/De Tijd , the Dutch political party D66 can be seen as radical centrist. Radical centrism is a possibility in another Dutch party as well. In
8580-528: The established parties of the left and right and has had some success, most notably in the 2017 Catalan regional election . In the subsequent years, though, Ciudadanos became almost irrelevant in Spanish politics, leading to Rivera's resignation as party leader. Following the 2010 election, Nick Clegg , then leader of the Liberal Democrats (Britain's third-largest party at the time), had his party enter into
8690-551: The first radical centrist national campaign. However, many radical centrist authors were not enthusiastic about Perot . Matthew Miller acknowledges that Perot had enough principle to support a gasoline tax hike, Halstead and Lind note that he popularized the idea of balancing the budget and John Avlon says he crystallized popular distrust of partisan extremes. However, none of those authors examines Perot's ideas or campaigns in depth and Mark Satin does not mention Perot at all. Joe Klein mocked one of Perot's campaign gaffes and said he
8800-561: The left about the dangers of occupation and with the right about the dangers of a delusional peace. In 2017, Lapid and his party were surging in the polls. In May 2020, following three elections, Lapid was named leader of the opposition in Israel. A month prior, Lapid had written an essay in which he described his version of centrism as "the politics of the broad consensus that empowers us all. Together, we are creating something new". According to journalist Angelo Persichilli , Italian Christian Democratic Party leader Aldo Moro 's call for
8910-573: The left and we are not on the right. We have our own label: Liberal. We are liberals and we own the freehold to the centre ground of British politics. Our politics is the politics of the radical centre. In the autumn of 2012, Clegg's longtime policy advisor elaborated on the differences between Clegg's identity as a "radical liberal" and traditional social democracy . He stated that Clegg's conception of liberalism rejected "statism, paternalism, insularity and narrow egalitarianism". Some commentators identify Ross Perot's 1992 U.S. presidential campaign as
9020-404: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Radical_center&oldid=1256597207 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Radical centrism Radical centrism , also called
9130-478: The motion resulted in a defeat for the Government by 267 votes to 246. It was the only first day motion defeat for a government since 1978. On speaking about the result Clegg said "this is an immense victory [...] for the rights of Gurkhas who have been waiting so long for justice, a victory for Parliament, a victory for decency". He added that it was "the kind of thing people want this country to do". On 21 May 2009,
9240-435: The national media and academics, as well as rich people and predatory corporations. Although they might vote for Democrats or Republicans, or for populists like George Wallace , they felt politically homeless and were looking for leaders who would address their concerns. In the 1980s and 1990s, several authors contributed their understandings to the concept of the radical center. For example, futurist Marilyn Ferguson added
9350-403: The news magazine The Economist positions itself as radical centrist. An editorial ("leader") in 2012 declared in bolded type: "A new form of radical centrist politics is needed to tackle inequality without hurting economic growth". An essay on The Economist ' s website the following year, introduced by the editor, argues that the magazine had always "com[e] ... from what we like to call
9460-645: The parameters for radical centrism as a 21st-century political philosophy: Along with publication of the four overviews of radical centrist politics, the first part of the 21st century saw a rise in the creation and dissemination of radical centrist policy ideas . Several think tanks are developing radical centrist ideas. By the early 2000s, these included Demos in Britain; the Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership in Australia; and New America (formerly
9570-554: The plans, he said: "let us bar the gates of Westminster and stop MPs leaving for their summer holidays until this crisis has been sorted out, and every nook and cranny of our political system has been reformed." He argued for the "reinvention of British politics" within 100 days, calling for a commitment to accept the Kelly expenses report in full; the power to recall members suspended for misconduct; House of Lords reform; reform of party funding; fixed-term parliaments; enabling legislation for
9680-556: The political realm. For example, British radical-centrist politician Nick Clegg considers himself an heir to political theorist John Stuart Mill , former Liberal Prime Minister David Lloyd George , economist John Maynard Keynes , social reformer William Beveridge and former Liberal Party leader Jo Grimond . The single tax movement and subsequent Georgist movement begun by 19th century journalist and political theorist Henry George with his landmark work Progress and Poverty has long attracted thinkers and activists from all sides of
9790-755: The political spectrum. In his book Independent Nation (2004), John Avlon discusses precursors of 21st-century U.S. political centrism, including President Theodore Roosevelt , Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren , Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan , Senator Margaret Chase Smith , and Senator Edward Brooke . Radical centrist writer Mark Satin points to political influences from outside the electoral arena, including communitarian thinker Amitai Etzioni , magazine publisher Charles Peters , management theorist Peter Drucker , city planning theorist Jane Jacobs and futurists Heidi and Alvin Toffler . Satin calls Benjamin Franklin
9900-470: The principle of collective responsibility is maintained." The resignations happened not long after Michael Martin , the Speaker of the House of Commons , had on 26 February 2008 blocked calls by the Liberal Democrats for an "in or out" referendum on Britain's EU membership. The Speaker's authority was called into question when, led by Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrats marched out of the House of Commons, calling
10010-515: The radical center. We can't beat them when it comes to populism. What Ciudadanos aspires to is radical, courageous changes backed by numbers, data, proposals, economists, technicians and capable people". Rivera has called for politics to transcend the old labels, saying, "We have to move away from the old left-right axis". The Economist has likened Rivera and his party to Emmanuel Macron and his party En Marche! in France. Rivera's party has taken on
10120-416: The radical centre". Many books offer radical centrist perspectives and policy proposals on topics including foreign policy, environmentalism, food and agriculture, underachievement among minorities, women and men, bureaucracy and overregulation, economics, international relations, political dialogue, political organization and what one person can do. Radical centrists have been and continue to be engaged in
10230-412: The radical middle's favorite Founding Father since he was "extraordinarily practical", "extraordinarily creative" and managed to "get the warring factions and wounded egos to transcend their differences". According to journalist William Safire , the phrase "radical middle" was coined by Renata Adler , a staff writer for The New Yorker . In the introduction to her second collection of essays, Toward
10340-517: The right. We have our own label: Liberal. We are liberals and we own the freehold to the centre ground of British politics. Our politics is the politics of the radical centre." When he became leader of the Liberal Democrats, Clegg called for more choice for patients on waiting lists in the National Health Service (NHS), giving them the option to go private and to be funded by the NHS if they wish;
10450-519: The running of public services to parents, pupils and patients; and protecting the environment. In an interview on BBC Radio 5 Live on the morning after his election to the leadership, Clegg stated that he does not believe in God, but that he has "an immense amount of respect for people of faith ". In 2010, Clegg elaborated on this question, stating: "I was asked a question once in one of those questions where you're only allowed to answer 'yes' or 'no', and I
10560-459: The term formally, the political party Science Party is founded on principles that are typical of the radical centre. In the late 2010s, Brazil's Marina Silva was identified by The Economist as an emerging radical-centrist leader. Formerly a member of the left-wing Workers' Party , by 2017 she had organized a new party whose watchwords included environmentalism, liberalism, and "clean politics". She had already served six years as Minister of
10670-1112: The term was rarely used in South Korean politics. After 2016, the People's Party , the Bareunmirae Party , the Party for Democracy and Peace , the New Alternatives party, the Minsaeng Party , and the People Party all called themselves jungdogaehyeok . South Korean politician Ahn Cheol-soo has described himself explicitly as a "radical centrist" ( Korean : 극중주의 ; Hanja : 極中主義 ; RR : geukjungjuui ). In Spain, Albert Rivera and his Ciudadanos (Citizens) party have been described as radical centrist by Politico , as well as by Spanish-language commentators and news outlets. Rivera himself has described his movement as radical centrist, saying, "We're
10780-429: The then Liberal Democrat MP for Sheffield Hallam , announced his intention to stand down from the House of Commons. Clegg was selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate. He took up a part-time teaching position in the politics department of the University of Sheffield , combining it with ongoing EU consultancy work with GPlus. He also gave a series of seminar lectures in the international relations Department of
10890-459: The voice of middle class disaffection, yet included in his [party] list two Ethiopians, representatives of one of the country's poorest constituencies. ... Yair has sought dialogue. ... Some see Yair's Israeli eclecticism as an expression of ideological immaturity, of indecisiveness. In fact it reflects his ability – alone among today's leaders – to define the Israeli center. ... These voters agree with
11000-408: The way for those "who wish to transcend their polarized politics of [the present] in the name of a new center, not a moderate center associated with United States and United Kingdom 'Third Way' politics but what has been described as Macron's 'radical center' point of view. … [It] transcends left and right but takes important elements of both sides". Writing at The Dahrendorf Forum, a joint project of
11110-523: The world desperately needs at a time when niggling change or fine tuning is not good enough". In 2017, The Economist described Chile's Andrés Velasco as a rising radical-centrist politician. A former finance minister in Michelle Bachelet 's first government, he later unsuccessfully ran against her for the presidential nomination and then helped establish a new political party. According to The Economist , Velasco and his colleagues say they support
11220-745: Was active in the student theatre, acting in a production of The Normal Heart under the director Sam Mendes . He was also captain of his college's tennis team, and campaigned for the human rights organisation Survival International . Clegg spent the summer of 1989 as an office junior in Postipankki bank in Helsinki . It has been alleged that Clegg joined the Cambridge University Conservative Association between 1986 and 1987. Clegg has maintained he has "no recollection of that whatsoever". However, Conservative MP Greg Hands has
11330-589: Was announced on 18 December that he had won. Clegg was appointed to the Privy Council (PC) on 30 January 2008, and affirmed his membership on 12 March 2008. In his acceptance speech upon winning the leadership contest, Clegg declared himself to be "a liberal by temperament, by instinct and by upbringing" and that he believes "Britain [is] a place of tolerance and pluralism ". He has stated that he feels "a profound antagonism for prejudice of all sorts". He declared his priorities as: defending civil liberties; devolving
11440-583: Was asked 'Do you believe in God?' As it happens I don't know whether God exists. I'm much more of an agnostic." Clegg resigned as the leader of the Liberal Democrats after the 2015 general election . He said the results were "immeasurably more crushing and unkind than he feared". He was succeeded by Tim Farron after a leadership election . In March 2008, GQ magazine ran with an interview conducted by Piers Morgan in which Clegg admitted to sleeping with "no more than 30" women. Senior Lib Dem MPs defended his comments; Lembit Öpik said it showed "you can be
11550-501: Was credited with helping to significantly boost the Liberal Democrat poll rating in the region in the six months after his election. Clegg worked extensively during his time as an MEP to support the party in the region, not least in Chesterfield where Paul Holmes was elected as MP in 2001 . Clegg helped persuade Conservative MEP Bill Newton Dunn to defect to the Liberal Democrats, with Newton Dunn subsequently succeeding him as MEP for
11660-626: Was educated at Westminster School before going on to study at the University of Cambridge , University of Minnesota and College of Europe . He worked as a journalist for the Financial Times before becoming a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in 1999. After his election to the House of Commons in 2005, Clegg served in a variety of leadership roles in the Liberal Democrats , most notably as spokesperson for Home Affairs , before being elected to succeed Menzies Campbell as party leader in 2007 . During his tenure as leader, Clegg said that
11770-425: Was not a sufficiently substantial figure. Miller characterizes Perot as a rich, self-financed lone wolf. By contrast, what most radical centrists say they want in political action terms is the building of a grounded political movement. The phrase "militant moderates" was used by national media during Perot's 1992 groundbreaking presidential campaign. One of Perot's most intriguing contributions to American politics
11880-646: Was not traditional "centrism." Nick Clegg Sir Nicholas William Peter Clegg (born 7 January 1967) is a British retired politician and media executive who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2015 and as Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2007 to 2015. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Sheffield Hallam from 2005 to 2017. An " Orange Book " liberal, he has been associated with both socially liberal and economically liberal policies. Born in Buckinghamshire , Clegg
11990-461: Was regarded by much of the media as front-runner in the leadership election . The BBC's Political Editor Nick Robinson stated the election would be a two-horse race between Clegg and Chris Huhne who had stood against Campbell in the 2006 election. On Friday 19 October 2007, Clegg launched his bid to become leader of the Liberal Democrats. Clegg and Huhne clashed in the campaign over Trident but were largely in agreement on many other issues. It
12100-524: Was retained as the main Treasury spokesperson. Media commentators noted that the Clegg-Huhne-Cable triumvirate provided the Liberal Democrats with an effective political team for the coming years. On 5 March 2008, Clegg suffered a real test following the resignation of three of his front bench team. David Heath , Alistair Carmichael and Tim Farron had been told to abstain in the vote for a referendum on
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