For more than a century, socialism in the United States has gone through two distinct phases: a period of ascent from the late 19th century through the Great Depression, followed by a long and steady decline from the end of the Second World War to today. At its height, American socialism was deeply embedded in the working-class movement, shaping labour struggles, electoral campaigns, and mass mobilisations. The Socialist Party, the Industrial Workers of the World, the Communist Party, and other formations provided political expression for working-class demands, tying socialist organisation to the broader workers’ movement. Yet, with the onset of the Cold War, red-baiting, state repression, and shifting economic conditions shattered this foundation.
As the Old Left collapsed, the New Left emerged in the 1960s and 70s, but without the same organic link to the labour movement. Later, the New Communist Movement attempted to rebuild a revolutionary socialist current, while more recent efforts, from the brief resurgence of interest in socialism through figures like Bernie Sanders to the growth of organisations like the DSA, have sought to reclaim a working-class politics in an era of increasing political and economic instability. But these efforts have often faltered, raising a critical question: can socialism be rebuilt as a genuine mass movement, or are we doomed to repeat the missteps of the past? What conditions would be necessary for a real revival of socialist politics in the United States?
Join Jason Netek—lifelong socialist activist, former ISO and DSA member, and host of The Regrettable Century podcast—for a discussion on the history of American socialism, the lessons of its decline, and what it would take to reconnect socialist politics with a fractured working class in the 21st century.
To join, follow the Zoom link here.
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