ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Reformist socialism

Okay, so remember how sometimes you and your friends share toys but sometimes someone takes all the toys? Well, that's sort of like what happens with money and jobs. Some people have a lot of money and nice jobs and some people don't have very much at all.

Reformist socialism is a way of thinking about making things fairer for everyone. It's like having a big toy box where everyone gets to play with the toys for a little while and share them. It's about making sure that everyone has a chance to have a good job and make enough money to take care of themselves and their families.

Reformist socialists think we can change things so that there is less of a difference between the people who have a lot of money and the people who don't have very much. They want to do this by making smart changes in laws and government programs that help people who aren't doing as well financially.

They believe in creating things called social welfare programs that give people help with things like healthcare, housing and education, so everyone can have a chance to do well in life no matter what their family's background is.

So, if you heard someone talking about reformist socialism, it's kind of like they want to make sure everyone has access to the same opportunities and advantages in life - like playing with toys from the toy box.