Anderson’s political and social theory falls into two distinct phases: a ‘Proletarian’ phase from 1927 to 1937 and an ‘anti-Proletarian’ phase from 1938 to 1962. His proletarian phase include his adherence to, and defence of, Communism (1927-1932) and Trotskyism (1933-1937). His anti-proletarian phase included the articulation of a distinctive theory of liberal democracy (1939-1945) and the statement of an anti-communist conservatism (1946-1962).