What is social democracy? A weakened version of Marxism? An ideological shelter for the left who flinched in the face of revolution? Or perhaps, a flabby ideology for those who awkwardly seek a "capitalism with a human face"?

"The Primacy of Politics" answers clearly: social democracy is a standalone political ideology, successfully tested in practice. The unprecedented economic prosperity and social stability experienced by post-war Europe were largely the work of the social democratic movement.

Arising from a challenge to orthodox Marxism and grounded in the belief that history is primarily driven by political rather than economic forces, social democracy has historically managed to combine the productive dynamism of capitalism with the protection of societies from its repercussions.

"The Primacy of Politics" describes the birth and evolution of the social democratic ideology and the disparate political movements associated with it. However, the book does not simply provide a retrospective of the past. Sheri Berman argues that social democracy remains relevant even in the 21st century.

This is because the fundamental question posed by social democracy - should states control the forces of the market, and if so, to what extent? - continues to be the major political issue of our globalized era.