Why is the Democratic Party dubbed "the left"?

[trigz]

Righty then, it's question time from the never-less-than-curious European again. I notice that the Dems are often referred to as the "left", which I find a little bizarre. Certainly I realise that in comparison with the Republican and their fascism, but leftwing? Surely the term 'left' is normally applicable to social democratic parties, whereas the Dems are more in the traditionally market-liberal vein? Tell me more, friends!

[emad]

1. Because the other lot claim that they are 'always right'???

Or does it mean left as in 'left standing aghast at the sheer effrontery of the so-called right'?

[Iverson]

2. consider the context

The US political discourse is as dumbed down as its people. Consequently, thinking about numbers larger than two gives most people migrane headaches. Since there are only two political parties in this ethos, one of them must be left and the other right.

Nuance is just as much out the window as accuracy.

[displacedtexan]

3. it's based on a linear definition of political stances

on the far left is communism, and on the far right is fascism.

when i was in school in europe, the brits and the french used to ask me why we had elections, considering that both dems and repubes were side-by-side politically. back then, i thought that it was weird that europeans formed political party coalitions. i don't think that way today.

[trigz]

4. Well, I know about the linear axis...

...my theory is more that the Dems are defined as "left-wing" merely because they are the "other party" against the decidedly extremely right-wing, blue-brown Republican party. Looking at the policies of the Dems I see little that fits into a traditional definition of the left. My guess is, they would probably be considered to be a conservative party here in Europe, albeit with a more decent social agenda than our own conservative pukes.