The
Socialist Party USA (SP USA) is a
democratic socialist multi-tendency party established in 1973. The
party is one of the heirs of the
Socialist Party of America which
dissolved in 1973. The other successors have either dissolved or
stayed inactive. Socialist Party of America dissolved when
Max Shachtman got firm control over the party,
Shactman wanted the party to re-align with the
Democratic Party. This led
to the creation of the
Union for Democratic
Socialism (UDS) in 1972, in 1973 the party created the
Socialist Party USA.
In the
2004
presidential election,
Walt Brown and
Mary Alice Herbert earned the
most votes in the history of the party, earning over 10 thousand
votes. It also marked the best election for a United States
socialist party since the
1952 presidential
election. Under
Brian
Moore, the party saw a decline in voters losing around four
thousand voters from the previous election.
The party is opposed to both to "
capitalism" and "
stalinism" and wants to see the elimination of big
businesses through public ownership. It has refused to endorse any
of the Democratic and
Republican politicians, and
in newer events clearly stated that
Barack
Obama is not a
socialist. According to
Business Week the party has a
membership around 1,700 to 3-thousand. Its youth affiliate is the
Young People's Socialist
League.
History
The Socialist Party USA evolved from the deteriorating
Socialist Party of America, after
the party split into three groups between 1972-73, the Socialist
Party USA became one of three organizations to emerge from the
split. In 1958, the
Trotskyist Independent Socialist League
led by
Max Shachtman dissolved to join
the SPA. Shachtman, whose politics had begun to move sharply to the
right since his days as a Trotskyist leader, argued both for
militant opposition to Soviet-style Communism and that the
Socialist Party should attempt to simply re-align with the
Democratic Party, losing
independence. By 1972 Shachtman's Unity Caucus had taken control of
the Socialist Party and blocked a resolution opposing the Vietnam
War. In the
1972 presidential
election, Shachtman's caucus initially backed hawkish
Cold Warrior Senator
Henry "Scoop" Jackson, then adopted AFL-CIO
President
George Meany's position of
neutrality between the two candidates nominated by the major
parties.
In response, two groups broke off: the first being the Coalition
Caucus led by
Michael Harrington
supported antiwar Democrat
George
McGovern and went on to form the
Democratic Socialist
Organizing Committee (later becoming the
Democratic Socialists of
America), while the left-wing Debs Caucus backed
People's Party
anti-war candidate
Benjamin Spock.
The Debs Caucus formed the Union for Democratic Socialism, which
became the Socialist Party USA in 1973, when the
Shachtmanites who remained in the SPA renamed
their organization
Social Democrats
USA. Numerous local and state branches of the old SPA,
including the Wisconsin, California, Illinois, New York City,
Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. branches of the Party
participated in the formation of the Socialist Party USA.
The Socialist Party experienced substantial growth in the early
years of the 21st century, expanding from only around 600 members
to around 1,700. The party surprised the American media in some
elections during the late 1980s to the early 1990s.
In 1992, Socialist
Iowa
City
Councilwoman Karen Kubby won her re-election with
the highest vote totals in the Iowa City Council's history, and was
continually re-elected until retiring from the Council in
2000. In Milwaukee
, in 2000, Socialist Wendell Harris received almost
20% of the vote for Mayor. In 2008, Socialist Jon Osbourne pulled in
22% of the vote for Rhode
Island's
34th
District State Senate
seat, while listed on the ballot under the Socialist Party USA
label.
The SP focuses on
grassroots activism in
addition to electoral politics. It has conducted "Socialist Summer"
activist campaigns in recent years to address issues such as
counter-recruitment and fighting to end the
military-industrial complex;
promoting
socialized health
care; supporting
immigrant workers
and battling persecution of immigrants following the
September 11, 2001 attacks; and
promoting
civil liberties and
civil rights. To promote activism, the
SP has set up a dual structure of "Commissions" in addition to
geographical local and state affiliates, which allow members with
common interests to network and conduct campaigns. Active
commissions include the Women's Commission, Labor Commission, Faith
and Socialism Commission, Queer Commission, People of Color
Commission, Environmental Commission, and others.
Platform and principles
The Socialist Party USA describes itself as a
democratic socialist party. It is
opposed to both
capitalism and
Stalinism. The Party's principles and
platform call for the elimination of the power of big business
through public ownership and workers' control, production for use
instead of profit, and the establishment of a classless society.
The party is also strongly committed to
internationalism and the
struggle against
racism,
sexism,
classism, and
homophobia. The party calls for the
abolition of the
death penalty, as
well as the criminal justice system's orientation to the
prison-industrial complex.
As a
multi-tendency party, the party
rejects those models of organization referred to as
cadre groups, as well as the practices commonly called
"
democratic centralist,"
meaning that SP members are often free to disagree publicly with
party policy. However, dues-paying members are required to confirm
their agreement with the SP's Statement of Principles, "Socialism
as Radical Democracy" and abide by its Constitution. Since there
are varying views within the membership on the means of achieving
socialism based on the Statement of Principles, there is
occasionally disagreement over what actions by members are
appropriate and what merit
censure. The
party also strives to achieve a relative unity in action.
While some SP members favor a more gradual approach to socialism,
most others envision a more sweeping or
revolutionary transformation of society from
capitalist to socialist through the decisive victory of the
working class in the
class struggle. Some SP members also advocate
revolutionary
nonviolence or
pacifism, while some consider armed struggle a
possible necessity. The Party's Statement of Principles rejects
equating socialism with a "
welfare
state" and calls for democratic social revolution from below.
Many party members consider contemporary labor struggles to be of
particular importance, and work in the party's Labor
Commission.
The party is strongly committed to
socialist feminism and strives to carry
out its internal practices in accordance with feminist process. It
requires gender parity among its elected National Convention
delegates, National Committee members, and national Co-Chairs and
Co-Vice Chairs of the Party, and organizes
pro-choice activities. Its platform considers
abortion a part of women's health care
rights. It has an active Women's Commission which publishes the
magazine
Socialist Women.
Presidential tickets
- 1976
Frank P. Zeidler and J. Quinn
Brisben 6,038 votes
- 1980
David McReynolds and Diane Drufenbrock 6,898 votes
- 1984
None; chose to endorse Citizens Party ticket of
Sonia Johnson and Richard J. Walton
- 1988
Willa Kenoyer and Ron Ehrenreich 3,882 votes
- 1992
J. Quinn Brisben and Barbara Garson 3,057 votes
- 1996
Mary Cal Hollis and Eric Chester 4,764 votes (on the ballot in five
states, official write-in status in another seven)
- 2000
David McReynolds and Mary Cal Hollis 5,602 votes (on the ballot
in seven states, official write-in status in another seven)
- 2004
Walt Brown and Mary Alice Herbert 10,837 votes (on the
ballot in eight states, official write-in status in another
eleven)
- 2008
Brian Moore and Stewart Alexander 6,555 votes
(on the ballot in eight states, official write-in status in another
fifteen)
See also
State affiliates:
References
- "A Century of Struggle: Socialist Party USA:
1901-2001"
- " Tactics and Organizing", Socialist Party
Handbook.
- Labor
Commission.
- Faith
and Socialism Commission.
- Directory of Commissions.
- Statement of Principles
- Platform.
- " Defining Democratic Socialism", Socialist Party
Handbook.
- Constitution
- feministprocess
- Socialist Women.
External links