Socialist Party USA

The Socialist Party USA (SPUSA) is one of the heirs to the Socialist Party of America of Eugene V. Debs and Norman Thomas. It is a democratic socialist, multi-tendency party, advocating a broad-based, democratic social revolution from below instead of an undemocratic seizure of power by a single political party. Their youth affiliate is the Young People's Socialist League.

History

The party was formed in 1973 after the Socialist Party of America was taken over by right-wing Shachtmanites and renamed the Social Democrats USA. A separate group, the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (later to become the Democratic Socialists of America), also split off in 1973 and is also active in political causes. All three organizations claim to be the heir to Debs and Thomas. The DSA and SDUSA are affiliated to the social-democratic Socialist International.

In 1980, the SPUSA became the first American party to nominate an openly gay man for President – anti-war activist David McReynolds. He would run for a second time in 2000. In the past few years, the SP has grown from 600 members to about 1,600. Socialists have surprised many in a number of recent elections, most notably in Milwaukee in 2000, where Socialist Wendell Harris received almost 20% of the vote for mayor.

Platform

The Socialist Party USA describes itself as the only explicitly democratic socialist party in the United States. It is as equally against Soviet-style Communism as it is anti-capitalist.

The party rejects the practice of democratic centralism, meaning that its individual members are free to disagree publicly with party policy even after decisions have been arrived at. Membership is based on the payment of dues, which are paid by applicants who state that they agree with the statement of principles. The party considers itself democratic socialist, although there are varying views within the membership on the means of achieving socialism based on its Statement of Principles and Program.

Some SPUSA members advocate an evolutionary approach to socialism, favoring a social democratic transition period; they cite the social democratic systems of nations like Sweden as examples of "socialism in action". Others consider Swedish-style social democracy to be essentially capitalist in nature, and instead favor a more radical or revolutionary transformation of society from capitalist to socialist. Some among those are committed to revolutionary nonviolence. The issue of independence is also debated. Some feel that if the SP does not cooperate with progressive Democrats and, even more so, other progressive individuals and organizations it runs the risk of turning into a sectarian left-wing splinter group, while others believe that if the SP compromises its independence and its principles by supporting other parties it will quickly become an irrelevant special-interest pressure group.

The party is strongly committed to gender egalitarianism. It requires gender parity among its officers and organizes pro-choice activities. Its platform considers abortion a part of women's healthcare rights (although possible fetal pain is a deep concern for some of its members). There is an active Women's Commission which publishes a quarterly newsletter, Socialist Women.

The Socialist Party USA focuses on both national and grassroots politics. Their "Socialist Summer" campaigns in 2004, 2005 and 2006 focused on issues such as counter-recruitment and fighting to end the military-industrial complex, supporting immigrant workers and battling persecution of immigrants following the September 11, 2001 attacks, and promoting civil liberties and civil rights. Many party members consider labor struggles to be of particular importance, and work in the party's Labor Commission.

The most recent Socialist Party national convention took place October 21-October 23, 2005 in Newark, New Jersey. The next will take place in 2007.