What is social democracy? A distorted version of Marxism? An ideological shelter for the leftists who faltered in the face of revolution? Or perhaps a sluggish ideology for those who awkwardly seek a "capitalism with a human face"?

"The Vanguard of Politics" answers clearly: social democracy is an independent political ideology, successfully tested in practice. The unprecedented economic prosperity and social stability experienced by post-war Europe were largely the result of the social democratic movement. Stemming from the questioning of orthodox Marxism and grounded in the belief that politics, rather than economic forces, primarily drive history, social democracy historically managed to combine the productive power of capitalism with the protection of societies from its consequences.

"The Vanguard of Politics" describes the birth and evolution of social democratic ideology and the diverse political movements associated with it. However, the book is not just a retrospective. Sheri Berman argues that social democracy retains its relevance in the 21st century. And this is because the fundamental question posed by social democracy - whether or not states should control market forces, and to what extent - continues to be the major political issue of our globalized era.