Hot or Not? Covering Democratic Socialism On Your Beat
THIS WEEK: Democratic Socialism?
What’s a democratic socialist, anyway?
As MAGA fatigue ripples through the country, a counter-narrative for the young and disgruntled has taken hold. Could a hefty dose of democratic socialism solve what ails America?
The prospect is enticing an energized — and in some cases, unlikely — slice of the country, while eliciting fear and loathing among mainstream Dems, conservatives, extremists, and even some traditional liberals.
Some of these folks really abhor the ideas espoused by democratic socialists. But others don’t seem to really know what democratic socialists actually believe.
That’s where you come in. Your job isn’t to sway voters one way or the other. Rather, it’s to create clarity. So voters know what it is they are looking at.
Reporting Right has got your back. Find below a handy FAQ on the democratic socialists in your midst and what exactly they stand for.
Q:Who are these democratic socialists, anyway?
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is the largest democratic socialist organization in the United States.
Q: Are adherents part of a political party?
No. DSA is a membership organization that endorses candidates, organizes activists, and advocates for policies.
Q:Wait, so how does that work in a two-party system?
Many of the politicians associated with DSA —either as members or allies —run as Democrats rather than on a separate ballot line.
Q: So, what exactly do they believe?
DSA members and allies argue that unchecked capitalism empowers a small number of wealthy Americans at the expense of poor and working class ones — creating gross structural inequalities that don’t have to exist at the extreme levels they now do.
Q: And…what do they want to do about this?
Their solutions include:
Stronger, more genuinely protective labor unions
Universal health care
More robust housing access and protections for tenants in public and private dwellings
Tuition-free public colleges and universities
Student debt relief
Public investment in clean energy
Higher taxes on the wealthy
Expanded immigrant protections
Prison and police reform
Nationalizing some industries — including utilities, railroads, health care financing, energy, etc.
Q: Wait, are these people communists?
No. Communists believe the state ought to own nearly everything. In Russia, China, Cuba etc. (places that have embraced communism with no democratic protections) what has emerged are authoritarian regimes, with one-party rule.
Q: So, these folks like democracy and democratic protections?
Yes, one point democratic socialists often emphasize is that they explicitly reject authoritarian models. They are firm believers in:
Free and fair elections
Free speech
Civil liberties
Constitutional government
Q: How do these idea differ from the ones held by mainstream Democrats?
A larger role for government in the economy
More public ownership
More redistribution of wealth
Greater labor power
Less protective policies for large corporations
Many Democrats support public health care expansion, higher taxes on the wealthy, and public climate spending while still holding that capitalism ought to remain the dominant economic system.
Q: What are countries that support this type of government?
Think Nordic: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland
Q: What candidates/leaders are members or allies of the Democratic Socialists of America?
Here are a few:
NYC Mayor
Campaigned on rent freezes, free city buses, universal childcare, expanded public housing, and tax hikes for the rich.
Fans say: He speaks truth to power.
Critics say: He hates the rich.
NY Assemblymember, now a U.S. House candidate
Supports affordable housing, Medicare for All, has promised “a golden age for organized labor.”
Fans say: Finally, someone in our district who gets how hard it is to make it in New York.
Critics say: She’s too radical, hates America.
State rep running in Democratic primary for governor of Wisconsin
Running on universal health care, labor rights, affordable housing, opposition to data centers
Fans say: She cares about working families.
Critics say: Too lefty for a swing state.
Was majority leader of the Michigan State House of Representatives
Supported affordable utilities, universal childcare, affordable car insurance, public support for programs for the needy.
Fans say: Cares about clean water, environment, people.
Critics say: Wrong side of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
Q: What do foes say about these folks?
Critics—including some moderate Democrats—argue that DSA policies would:
Increase taxes significantly
Expand government bureaucracy
Reduce incentives for innovation and investment
Slow economic growth
Lead to inefficiencies
Q: Are there common reporting mistakes I should try to avoid when covering these folks?
Yes. Here are a few:
Using the social democracy label without explanation
Allowing the opponent of a Social Democratic candidate to define them inaccurately as a communist or a socialist, without clarifying what the person really stands for
Ignoring policies. Often the particular policies a DSA leader or candidate wants to push for are more clarifying than a label that doesn’t have the same meaning for everyone.
Q: What books should I read?
Here are a few ideas:
The Nordic Theory of Everything — Explains Nordic welfare states often cited in these debates
Capital in the Twenty-First Century — Influential work on inequality that informs many contemporary debates
Also in the News:
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The new, new drug that may be coming to your beat
We’re Reading:
The Third Way
by Anthony Giddens
Comic Relief:
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See You Next Week!
Our Editor
Kyle Spencer
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