The democratic road to socialism (again): strategies of Anglo-American democratic socialism 2015-2020

Thesis

This thesis attempts to assess the strategic questions and possibilities raised by the coming to prominence of ‘democratic socialism’ in the UK and US in 2015- 2020, with the rise of Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour left on the one hand, and of the Democratic Socialists of America, spurred on by the campaigns of Bernie Sanders, on the other. In doing so, it also hopes to give readers an account of what, in fact, ‘democratic socialism’ constitutes in the contemporary Anglo-American context, and, crucially, make out what might productively differentiate it from other socialist orientations on the question of strategy. In particular, the thesis argues that contemporary democratic socialism presents a coherent answer to a key strategic challenge: how, given the dual improbability of either a revolutionary or moderate, gradualist method of socialist transformation, to proceed as a socialist actor seeking transformational change in the context of a capitalist democracy. However, whether democratic socialism presents a convincing answer to this challenge, the thesis argues, is open to debate.

In order to achieve its aims, the thesis combines the academic literature on socialist strategy and rational political choice in capitalist democracies, with the political literature produced by the contemporary Anglo-American democratic socialist movement itself, while also inspecting the real practices of that movement. The thesis focuses on three strategic elements of the democratic socialist movement: non-reformist reforms, in and against the state, and class-struggle elections.

Authors: Friend, C

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-j2edvovdk
• Type of award: MPhil
• Level of award: Masters
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: Jeremy Corbyn; Bernie Sanders; class-struggle elections; capitalist state; in and against the state; democratic socialism; capitalist democracy; British Labour Party; socialist strategy; rational choice; Democratic Socialists of America; non-reformist reforms
• Subjects: Politics and government; Political theory; Political strategy