Communitarianism
Communitarianism argues that people are formed by their communities, and that political thinking focused only on individual rights neglects the shared values, obligations and institutions that hold society together.
- Individuals are shaped by family, community and shared traditions.
- Rights must be balanced by responsibilities to others.
- Families, neighbourhoods and civic associations deserve public support.
Communitarianism emerged in the 1980s as a critique of John Rawls's liberalism, in works such as Michael Sandel's Liberalism and the Limits of Justice (1982), Alasdair MacIntyre's After Virtue (1981) and Charles Taylor's writings. Amitai Etzioni turned it into a political movement in the 1990s, and it influenced both the Third Way and compassionate conservatism.
Liberals worry that emphasising shared values pressures minorities and dissenters to conform. Others find it vague about which communities and whose values should count.
Countries and historical regimes whose 12-axis profile is closer to Communitarianism than to any other ideology in the test.
Countries today
- Italy89%
- Brazil88%
- Austria87%
- India85%
- Philippines82%
Communitarianism is also the second-closest ideology for: Croatia, Kenya, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bolivia, Ethiopia.
Method: each ideology is placed at a typical position on the 12 axes, scored from 0 to 100 toward the first pole. Ranks compare it with the other 45 ideologies; matches are 100 minus the average distance across all axes. The positions are our own calibration, not taken from any third-party source.