The rise and fall of the Third Way

... a relatively coherent set of empirical and normative beliefs and thought, focusing on the problems of human nature, the process of history, and socio-political arrangements. … Political ideologies are essentially the product of collective thought. They are 'ideal types', not to be confused with specific movements, parties or regimes which may bear their name.

Among bona fide political ideologies, Eatwell lists socialism, nationalism, liberalism and conservatism. Against these, he distinguishes propaganda (deliberate attempts to gain political influence), socialisation (the process by which values are transmitted), and culture (the value structure of a society).

While Eatwell does not deal with the Third Way in particular, there are three bases on which his definition could be used to suggest that it does not constitute a political ideology. First, it lacks coherence, due in part to the fact that it is often defined in opposition to other ideologies. Secondly, it is often defined around identification with particular political parties (eg. the British Labour Party), ginger groups (eg. the Democratic Leadership Council) or individuals (eg. Mark Latham). Thirdly, the Third Way verges on a form of culture, since it tends to centre around values such as responsibility, community, and modernism.

Third Way Out

Ultimately, while electoral exigencies have affected the fortunes of the Third Way, they are insufficient to explain its decline over recent years. And while Third Way adherents might like to claim that they have set the boundaries for serious political debate among social democrats, it seems at least as likely that the Third Way largely attached a label to changes that had taken place in the 1980s and 1990s.

The main reason the Third Way has diminished in relevance is its failure to provide sufficient guidance to policymakers on everyday policy challenges. The Third Way lacks the coherence of established ideologies such as liberalism and socialism. Indeed, it is even arguable that it does not amount to a political ideology at all.

Over the past two decades, social democratic parties across the developed world have moved towards more market-oriented policies. The Third Way may be a useful way to describe this transition within social democracy; but it is much less useful as an ongoing strategy for parties of the mainstream left. As in the past, social democratic parties must develop new ideas or risk atrophying. But it is unlikely that the ideas which make up the Third Way will contribute much of substance to this process.