Global InformationDemocratic Socialists of America information
 | This article relies excessively on references to primary sources. (October 2023) |
Democratic Socialists of America | |
|---|---|
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| Abbreviation | DSA |
| Governing body | National Political Committee |
| National Co-Chairs | Megan Romer Ashik Siddique |
| National Director | Vacant |
| Founder | Michael Harrington |
| Founded | March 20, 1982 |
| Merger of | Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee New American Movement |
| Headquarters | New York, NY |
| Newspaper | Democratic Left Socialist Forum |
| Youth wing | Young Democratic Socialists of America |
| Membership (2024) |  78,000[1] |
| Ideology |
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| Political position | Left-wing[3][4] |
| Regional affiliation | São Paulo Forum[5][6] (associate member) |
| International affiliation |
|
| Colors | Red |
| Members in the House of Representatives | 4 / 435 |
| Members in state upper chambers | 12 / 1,973 |
| Members in state lower chambers | 42 / 5,413 |
| Members in other offices | 143 |
| Website | |
| www | |
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| This article is part of a series on |
| Socialism in the United States |
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The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is a multi-tendency, democratic socialist political organization in the United States.[9] After the Socialist Party of America (SPA) transformed into Social Democrats, USA, Michael Harrington formed the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (DSOC).[10] The DSOC later merged with the New American Movement (NAM) to form the DSA.[11] The organization is headquartered in New York City and has about 80,000 members. It leads organizing and protest campaigns, and has members in the House of Representatives, state legislatures, and other local offices.
Upon the organization's founding, Harrington and the socialist feminist author Barbara Ehrenreich were elected co-chairs. After the merger, the DSA became the largest socialist organization in the United States, with a membership of approximately 5,000 ex-DSOC members and 1,000 ex-NAM members.[12]
From 2015 to 2021, DSA membership increased 15-fold from 6,200 after Bernie Sanders's 2016 presidential campaign, the presidential victory of Donald Trump, the 2018 election of DSA member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][14][15] Membership peaked at 95,000 in 2021, when the organization had 239 local chapters,[12][16] before declining to 77,575 members by August 2023.[17] The organization has gained at least 2,400 new dues-paying members since October due to its pro-Palestinian stance during the Israel-Hamas war.[1] Between 2013 and 2017, the median age of its membership declined from 68 to 33,[18] leading some, such as Holly Otterbein of Philadelphia, to credit the organization for the rise of millennial socialism.[19]
The DSA's stated goal is to participate in "fights for reforms today that will weaken the power of corporations and increase the power of working people", with a long-term aim of social ownership of production as state-owned enterprises, worker cooperatives, or a planned economy.[14][20][21] To this end, it has endorsed candidates for political office and led various organizing campaigns for labor organizing,[22][23][4] public electricity,[24][4] public housing,[25] tenants unions,[26][27] abortion rights,[28][29][30] and support for Palestinian statehood,[31][32] among others.[14][33]
The DSA is a decentralized organization with local chapters and dues-paying memberships. Some of its members have run in elections and been elected. Some of its members in Congress have initiated various pieces of legislation central to the modern progressive movement in the United States, including the Medicare for All Act in 2003 by John Conyers[34] and the Green New Deal in 2019 by Ocasio-Cortez.[35] Former longtime members of the United States House of Representatives, including Conyers,[36] Ron Dellums,[36] House Whip David Bonior[37] and Major Owens,[38] have been affiliated with the DSA. As of 2018, three endorsed members of the DSA serving in Congress are Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib,[39] and Cori Bush, with Greg Casar serving as an unendorsed member. As of December 2023[update], 55 state lawmakers and 136 local officials were affiliated with the DSA.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
2024membershipwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Maxman, Olivia B. (October 24, 2018). "What Is Democratic Socialism? How It Differs From Communism". Time. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
- ^ Barkan, Ross (June 15, 2022). "The Future of American Socialism is Local". Intelligencer. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference
:16was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
saopauloappwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
saopaulomemberwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
progintwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
socintwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Stockman, Farah (April 20, 2018). "'Yes, I'm Running as a Socialist'. Why Candidates Are Embracing the Label in 2018". The New York Times. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
WNlTRwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Stilson, Robert. "The Left of the Left: What Is the DSA?". capitalresearch.org. Capital Research. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Johnston-2022was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Krieg-2018was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference
Kurtzleben-2018was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Godfrey-2020was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Updated NPC Recommendations" (PDF). DSAUSA. Summer 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
2023membershipwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Median age as of 2017was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
the-kids-are-all-redwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Robinson, Nathan J. (December 10, 2019). Why You Should be a Socialist. St. Martin's Publishing. ISBN 9781250200877.
- ^ Stewart, Emily (March 13, 2020). "What Bernie Sanders's movement does now". Vox. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ Olivier, Indigo (August 4, 2023). "Democratic Socialists Are Fueling a Hot Labor Summer". In These Times.
- ^ Reade, Frances (September 26, 2023). "How Democratic Socialists Can Stand in Solidarity With the UAW Strike". Jacobin.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Dawson-2023was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Social Housing Is Becoming a Mainstream Policy Goal in the US". jacobin.com. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
- ^ Pixley, Kate. "Democratic Socialists of America works to create tenants' union". The Daily Iowan. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Gazettewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Teuscher, Amanda (June 1, 2018). "How Democratic Socialists Helped Propel Abortion Funds to Record Fundraising Levels". The American Prospect. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ Noroozi, Aryana (June 29, 2022). "Abortion Rights Rally Hosted by IE Democratic Socialists". VOICE. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ "Roe v. Wade Protests & Protection Plan | DSA". protectabortion.org.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:6was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
:4was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Protesters disrupt immigration agents with encampments across U.S." Reuters. June 26, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ H.R. 676
- ^ Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria (April 21, 2021). "Text - H.Res.332 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal". www.congress.gov. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
BernieBurlwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Green, David (March 2015). "DSA Hosts Book Signing Event for Bonior Memoir" (PDF). Democratic Socialists of America. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
- ^ Borenstein, Marsha (November 2013). "Major R. Owens, the People's Congressman (1936-2013)". Retrieved December 9, 2019.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
winning-elections-governingwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).