The Rise of Democratic Socialism in America
A symbolic editorial illustration depicting the growing influence of democratic socialist ideas in the United States through themes of public healthcare, economic justice, and political activism.
Throughout most of the 20th century, socialism was a political theory that was criticized widely in the United States. It was linked with the Soviet Union, high authority and controlled economies in the Cold War era. Despite its very strong opposition, democratic socialism has seen a revival. Some politicians, like Senator Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), and now Zohran Mamdani, have introduced issues of democratic socialism to the mainstream political arena, while organizations such as Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) have been gaining momentum. Democratic socialism is now a second-class movement, within the Democratic Party. The Democratic Socialist candidates’ influence has increased the questions that are being asked within the Democratic party.
Democratic socialism is not a socialist or communist movement, because it does not aim to do away with democracy or create a one-party system. In its place, it says economic democracy, which refers to increased ordinary people’s control over economic institutions that impact their lives, such as the workplace, healthcare, education, and housing, should be introduced. Democratic socialists think that free markets can create wealth, but they may not do a good job of distributing it evenly. They support reform of these areas, including universal healthcare, tuition free public education, improved labor unions, progressive taxation, affordable housing, paid family leave, and increased regulation of large corporations. Also, many believe that essential services like transport or energy should be publicly owned, although the majority feel that this should not exclude the role of private enterprises and markets in the economy.
A recurring misconception regarding democratic socialism is considering it to be communism. Although capitalism is a target of criticism in both ideologies and their history dates back to the nineteenth century socialist movement, there are significant differences between them in theory and practice. Communist regimes like the U.S.S.R. and Mao’s China adopted total state control of industry, central economic planning and one-party control, frequently as a way to crack down on opposing political parties and limit civil liberties. Democratic socialists do not embrace this model. They enjoy competitive elections, constitutional government, independent courts, freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
The movement’s intellectual foundations can be traced to the Industrial Revolution, when rapid economic growth created immense wealth alongside harsh working conditions and widespread inequality. Karl Marx argued that capitalism divided society into two classes: the bourgeoisie, who owned the means of production, and the proletariat, who sold their labor for wages. He believed this relationship inevitably produced exploitation and predicted that capitalism would eventually be replaced through revolution. Later thinkers, most notably Eduard Bernstein, rejected the revolutionary path and instead argued that democratic institutions could gradually reform capitalism. This revisionist approach became the basis of modern democratic socialism, emphasizing incremental reform over violent upheaval.
The common denominator of democratic socialism is the condemnation of capitalism. They recognize capitalism’s achievements of new invention and good fortune but say the dividends have been disproportionately distributed to the large corporations and the rich. They cite issues of increasing income inequality, housing costs, high health care costs, student loan debt, and corporate money influencing politics as evidence for the fact that the economy is becoming more “capitalist.” They believe that health care must be considered a right, not a commodity, people must have the right to affordable housing, and unions and protections must be strengthened for workers so that they can have more bargaining power.
Bernie Sanders is something of a poster boy for the renaissance of democratic socialism in the United States. Sanders had been a declared democratic socialist for years but is bringing the concept to millions of Americans during his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. His ideas of Medicare for All, free public college, campaign finance reform, and increasing taxes for the wealthiest Americans especially appealed to younger voters who were feeling the impact of the 2008 financial crisis, student debt, and lack of wage growth. By identifying as a “Democratic socialist,” Sanders showed that it wasn’t impossible anymore to be a democratic socialist.
After Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was one of the more recognizable voices of the movement, defeating a senior Democratic incumbent in 2018. She joined Rashida Tlaib and others in ushering in a new focus on climate policy, affordable housing, labor rights, and racial justice. Zohran Mamdani has also recently made her mark in New York politics as a democratic socialist who has campaigned on issues like rent affordability, childcare, public transportation and the cost of living. He is a good example of the spread of democratic socialism in both local and national politics.
Democratic socialists have not yet asserted themselves to a significant degree in forming an independent political party. Rather, they are basically confined to the Democratic Party. Because of the winner-take-all nature of America’s electoral system, third parties have a very tough time so that ideological movements tend to operate within the two major parties. Rise of these leaders among democratic party alarmed a lot of democrats, that is one reason that Zohran was not so openly supported by many democrats until her wins the election.
New York has emerged as the hub of America’s democratic socialist movement for many reasons. There is a severe shortage of housing in the city, high housing costs, significant income disparity and a long history of labor organization. It has a significant number of younger voters, renters, immigrants, and university graduates that value public services and affordability. As significant as this is New York’s political environment. Democratic primary schools in many districts are essentially the deciding factor in who wins as Democratic candidates win general elections. All two DSA backed candidates and Brad Lander won and were also endorsed by Zohran Mamdani. Meanwhile, the loss of Jack Schlossberg is a sign of the people’s dissatisfaction with conventional candidates and their partnership with the progressive one.
Millennials and Generation Z are much more likely to be attracted to democratic socialism. Most who have become adults have come into this world as a result of the economic conditions which are uncertain, high in education debt, high in housing expenses and high in healthcare expenses. Democratic socialism isn’t an ideology that rejects markets; it’s an ideology that calls for more security and opportunity for these voters. They believe that policy priorities should be aligned with those of the workers themselves in addition to those of investors and that the State and the government should have a stake in fixing the structural inequalities which the markets have not solved.
It is unclear what the future of democratic socialism is for America. It is seen by supporters as a reaction to inequality, corporate power and a lack of economic mobility – and by critics as a threat to the innovation and entrepreneurship that have been responsible for America’s success. Yet, its comeback has had a profound impact on political discourse. Issues of health care, housing, labor rights, corporate power, and economic justice are no longer “controversial,” but instead are among the top priorities for the national agenda. Democratic socialism, whether it becomes the Democratic party or a force competing with it, is a symptom of a greater rethinking of the relation between democratic socialism and capitalism in America in the twenty-first century.
