Political ideologies are normally not easy to understand and to define. Too many descriptions of theories and interpretations have been published. Due to the fact that many people ask about the values and principles of Social Democracy, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung as a social democratic foundation tries to bring light into the darkness. This brochure explains the values of Social Democracy and discusses the role of the state in a social democratic system. What are the differences between social democratic, conservative, liberal and socialist views and political approaches? Finally, we are looking at examples of countries which have implemented more or less social democratic principles and policies. We hope that this brochure will help firstly politicians to understand especially Social Democracy better. Also the public should get the information of what are the most pressing values and principles of a social democratic political system. The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung(FES) is a political non-for-profit organization with offices worldwide. It has been operating in Ghana for over 40 years now. Some of the topics FES works on are: political participation, economic development& social justice, security policy, gender and youth. ©Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Ghana, March 2013