Democratic Socialists of America

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Democratic Socialists of America is a confederation of socialists formed in 1983 when a splinter group of the Socialist Party (Michael Harrington's Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee) merged with the Students for a Democratic Society splinter, New American Movement. Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has many celebrity members, including feminist Gloria Steinem, actor Ed Asner, black activist Cornel West, and libertarian socialist Noam Chomsky. It is also the chief American member group of the Socialist International, which includes the British Labour Party and the French Parti Socialiste. Until just recently, the main aim of DSA was to convert the Democratic Party into a social democratic organization. However, since the Democratic Party has been taken over by centrists such as Bill Clinton and Al Gore, many DSA members are finding it harder and harder to support this political party. Three DSA members are currently in the United States Congress: Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Danny Davis (D-IL), and Major Owens (D-NY). At one point, DSA had a fourth Congressman, Ron Dellums (D-CA) prior to his retirement in 1997. Also, the current president of the labor federation AFL-CIO, John Sweeney, is also a DSA member. DSA publishes a journal, Democratic Left, and has numerous commissions on specific issues, as well as a youth wing (YDS). Though it is still the largest socialist organization in the US, DSA has been diminishing in size recently. Following the November 2001 DSA National Convention, many members hope to find a new direction and regain membership.