Is Christian Democracy Just Big Government?

It is an oversimplification, but you could say that Democrats want to tell you what to do economically (via regulation and taxation), while leaving you free to do what you like socially (have an abortion, smoke weed, marry someone of the same sex); Republicans, on the other hand, will let you do what you like economically, but want to dictate your social behavior.  But what of Christian Democracy?  Some have characterized it as socially conservative and economically liberal.  Is it simply bossy government on both the social and economic fronts?

This is a misunderstanding, for three reasons:

(1) Christian Democracy endorses localism.  The term for this is generally "subsidiarity" - the notion that problems should be solved at the lowest possible level, since those closest to the problem have the greatest knowledge of it and greatest interest in seeing it resolved.  So although Christian Democracy is imbued with a concern for one's neighbors that is often expressed in some sort of government program or policy, that's ideally done by local governments, not distant bureaucrats.

The platform of the American Solidarity Party (ASP), a party in the tradition of Christian Democracy, reflects this in several ways.  It explicitly states, "We believe that family, local communities, and voluntary associations are the first guarantors of human dignity, and cultivate mutual care. National institutions and policies should support, not supplant them."

With regard to education, for example, ASP endorses the "right of families to choose the best methods for educating their children, be they public,charter, private, parochial or home-based education."  Concerning health care, ASP supports, "diverse efforts across this country to secure universal health care access, affordability and outcomes, including single-payer health initiatives, healthcare cooperatives, and hybrid systems at the state and national level."  It further supports "allowing states to experiment with alternative income support approaches."

(2) Christian Democracy calls for active citizenship.  We want informed, engaged citizens, people who take an interest in their community and desire to contribute to it.  Government should support such a citizenry, not replacement it.

ASP supports "the constitutionally guaranteed rights of free public assembly, speech, and a free and independent press" and aspires to "voter participation by all citizens."  It calls for an educational system that provides "rigorous formation of literate, well-rounded, virtuous citizens. In addition to providing a strong foundation in core subjects, such as reading, writing, mathematics and science, we call for classes to be offered in, among other things, civics, the arts, technical fields, vocational training, home economics and financial literacy."  These are not automatons in a big government scheme, but strong pillars in a vigorous society.

(3) Christian Democracy is about more than material concerns.  It's about values, foremost among them human dignity.  "We must build a culture and enact laws upholding the equal, innate and inviolable dignity and rights of every human person from conception to natural death."

A government program which meets someone's material needs but in the process turns him into a nameless cog in a machine is not a success.  Material needs must be met in a way that affirms the worth and dignity of all people.  This concern for values serves as a built-in check in the ideology of Christian Democracy; while we must think seriously about the needs of those around us, bigger government is not necessarily better.