Moderate is an ideological category which designates a rejection of radical or extreme views, especially in regard to politics and religion.[1][2] A moderate is considered someone occupying any mainstream position avoiding extreme views and major social change. In United States politics, a moderate is considered someone occupying a centre position on the left–right political spectrum.
History[]
Aristotle favoured conciliatory politics dominated by the centre rather than the extremes of great wealth and poverty or the special interests of oligarchs and tyrants.[3]
Political position[]
Template:Further Template:Worldwide Template:Party politics In recent years, the term political moderates has gained traction as a buzzword. The existence of the ideal moderate is disputed because of a lack of a moderate political ideology. Voters who describe themselves as centrist often mean that they are moderate in their political views, advocating neither extreme left-wing politics nor extreme right-wing politics.
Gallup polling has shown American voters identifying themselves as moderate between 35–38% of the time over the last 20 years.[4] Voters may identify with moderation for a number of reasons: pragmatic, ideological or otherwise. It has even been suggested that individuals vote for centrist parties for purely statistical reasons.[5]
Religious position[]
In religion, the moderate position is centered and opposed to liberalism or conservatism.[6]
For Christianity, moderates in evangelicalism would oppose the ideas of Christian right and Christian fundamentalism, against same-sex marriage but oppose discrimination based on sexual orientation, as well as liberal Christians oppose the idea of Christian left.Template:Cn For Islam, moderates oppose the extreme views of Islamic extremism and Islamic fundamentalism.
See also[]
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- Centrism
- Centre-left politics
- Centre-right politics
- Independent voter
- Moderate Democrats
- Moderate Islam
- Moderate Party (disambiguation)
- Moderate Republican
- The Establishment
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References[]
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