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Atlas/Row 5 · Col 5/Centrist
+0+0
§ Cell № 41 of 81
Row 5, Col 5
Economic: Centrist
Governance: Balanced
Coords: X+0 · Y+0
Descriptor

Centrist

“Pragmatism over doctrine.”

Exemplars · 2 ↓
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
§ 01
The Idea

What Centrist actually means.

Centrism seeks balance between free markets, social welfare, and pragmatic governance, favoring incremental reform over radical shifts.

The United States during the Post-WWII era (1953–1963) under Eisenhower and Kennedy exemplifies Centrism. Eisenhower balanced fiscal responsibility with infrastructure projects, while Kennedy promoted civil rights and economic growth.

§ 02 · Tenets

Core commitments.

01
Mix policies from across the spectrum by evidence.
02
Suspicion of ideological purity tests.
03
Institutional stability as overriding good.
04
Compromise as a feature, not a bug.
05
Skepticism of populism on either flank.
§ 03 · Position

Where it sits on the grid.

Economic axis — X+0
CENTRIST
Full collectivisationUnfettered markets
Governance axis — Y+0
BALANCED
Total controlNo state at all
§ 04 · Reading List

Canon & critics.

§ Canon
  • The Vital Center
    Arthur Schlesinger Jr.
    1949 · ~270 pp
  • The Big Sort
    Bill Bishop
    2008 · ~340 pp
§ Critics
  • Listen, Liberal
    Thomas Frank
    2016 · ~310 pp
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