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Socialist Party USA
Party Chairman	Andrea Pason Jerry Levy
Senate Leader	None
House Leader	None
Founded	1973
Headquarters	339 Lafayette St. Suite #303 New York, NY 10012
Political ideology	Democratic socialism Civil libertarianism
Political position	Fiscal: Left-wing Social: Left-wing
International affiliation	None
Colour(s)	Red
Website	Socialist Party USA

The Socialist Party USA (SP USA) 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. Their youth affiliate is the Young People's Socialist League.

Contents 1 History 2 Platform and principles 3 Presidential tickets 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

The Socialist Party USA was one of three organizations to emerge from a split of the Socialist Party of America in 1972-1973. 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 re-align with the Democratic Party. 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 Scoop Jackson, then refused to oppose Richard Nixon after Jackson was defeated in the primaries.

In response, two groups broke off: the Coalition Caucus led by Michael Harrington supported antiwar Democrat George McGovern and went on to form the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (later 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. A number of local branches of the old SPA also participated in the formation of the Socialist Party USA.

Committed to independent socialist politics, the reconstituted SP quickly began fielding its own candidates, including a 1976 Presidential ticket of Frank Zeidler and Quinn Brisben. In 1980, the SP became the first American party to nominate an openly gay man for President, anti-war activist David McReynolds, who would run for a second time in 2000.

The Socialist Party experienced substantial growth in the early years of the 21st century, expanding from only 600 members to around 1,700. Socialists surprised many in some recent elections, most notably in Milwaukee in 2000, where Socialist Wendell Harris received almost 20% of the vote for mayor. Some Socialists, such as Lisa Weltman and David McReynolds, have also campaigned as Green Party candidates, leading to some conflicts with others who felt that this compromised the SP's independence. As a result, the national party refused to endorse Howie Hawkins's 2006 Senate campaign in New York, since it felt Hawkins did not make sufficient note of his membership in the SP. Despite this, Hawkins received the support of members and locals in New York.

The SP focuses on grassroots activism in addition to electoral politics.^[1] It has conducted "Socialist Summer" 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. The party accepts dual membership in Solidarity.

The Socialist Party holds National Conventions in odd-numbered years and Organizing Conferences in even-numbered years. The most recent National Convention was held October 19-October 21, 2007 in St. Louis, Missouri. The most recent Organizing Conference was held in Detroit, Michigan on August 4-August 6, 2006.

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The Socialist Party USA describes itself as a democratic socialist party. It is opposed to both capitalism and authoritarian Communism.^[2] 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, heterosexism, and homophobia.^[3] The party calls for the abolition of the death penalty.

As a multi-tendency party, the party rejects those models of organization often called Leninist, as well as the practices commonly called "democratic centralism", meaning that SP members are often free to disagree publicly with party policy. However, dues-paying members are required to abide by the SP's Statement of Principles. 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.

Some SP 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 to follow. Others, however, consider Swedish-style social democracy to be essentially capitalist in nature, and favor a more radical, Marxist-Leninist or revolutionary transformation of society from capitalist to socialist. 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 ^[4]. Many party members consider labor struggles to be of particular importance, and work in the party's Labor Commission.

The party's independence is also debated. Although the party's Statement of Principles explicitly rejects working within the two major parties, some feel that if the SP does not cooperate with progressive Democrats and, even more so, other progressive organizations such as the Green Party and Labor Party (without compromising its socialist principles), it runs the risk of turning into a sectarian left-wing splinter group. Others believe that if the SP compromises its independence by working within other parties it will become little more than an irrelevant special-interest pressure group, much as the Democratic Socialist of America have become.

The party is strongly committed to gender egalitarianism and advocating an end to gender oppression and stereotypes in general. It requires gender parity among its officers and organizes pro-choice activities. Its platform considers abortion a part of women's healthcare rights. There is an active Women's Commission which publishes a quarterly newsletter, Socialist Women.

• 1976 — Frank P. Zeidler and J. Quinn Brisben 6,038 votes
• 1980 — David McReynolds and Diane Drufenbrock 6,898 votes
• 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
• 2000 — David McReynolds and Mary Cal Hollis 5,602 votes (on ballot in seven states, write-in votes counted in another seven)
• 2004 — Walter F. Brown and Mary Alice Herbert 10,837 votes (on ballot in eight states, write-in votes counted in another ten)
• 2008 — Brian P. Moore and Stewart Alexander

• The Socialist magazine
• Industrial Workers of the World
• Solidarity (US)
• Luxemburgism
• List of political parties in the United States
• List of democratic socialist parties and organizations

Tendencies:

• Debs Tendency
• Grass Roots Tendency
• Fist and Rose Tendency

State affiliates:

• Socialist Party of Florida
• Socialist Party of Massachusetts
• Socialist Party of Michigan
• Socialist Party of New Jersey
• Socialist Party of Oregon

Official: Socialist Party USA

Affiliates: Young People's Socialist League

Campaigns: Activist Campaigns

Caucuses & Tendencies:

• Debs Tendency
• Grass Roots Tendency
• Fist and Rose Tendency

Commissions:

• Faith and Socialism Commission
• Labor Commission
• People of Color Commission
• Queer Commission
• Other commissions (Women's Commission, International Commission, Environmental Commission, Arts & Culture Commission, Native American Commission, and Youth Commission)

Elections:

• Socialist Party USA Campaign Clearinghouse
• Socialists want Stronger Ties with Mexico

Publications:

• The Socialist
• Socialist Women

State affiliates and locals:

• Socialist Party of California
  • Bay Area Socialist Party
• Chicago SPUSA Local Organizing Committee
• Socialist Party of Connecticut
  • Central/Eastern Connecticut Local
• Socialist Party of Florida
  • Socialist Party of Jacksonville
  • Socialist Party of Tampa Bay
• Socialist Party of Massachusetts
  • Socialist Party of Boston
• Socialist Party of Michigan
• Socialist Party of New Jersey
  • Northern New Jersey Local
• Socialist Party of New York State
  • Socialist Party of New York City
• Socialist Party of Pennsylvania
• Mid-Willamette Valley (Oregon) Local
• Socialist Party of Texas
  • Socialist Party of the Rio Grande Valley (Partido Socialista del Valle)
• Socialist Party of Wisconsin

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