REMAKING AMERICA: 50 Proposals in the Democratic Socialists of America Agenda and the Debate Over What They Would Mean

REMAKING AMERICA

50 Proposals in the Democratic Socialists of America Agenda and the Debate Over What They Would Mean

Introduction: Read the Agenda Before You Judge It

There are moments in American politics when we should stop arguing about labels and start reading what political organizations actually propose.

This is one of those moments.

The Democratic Socialists of America has published an extraordinarily ambitious political program. Rather than relying upon what Republicans, Democrats, television commentators or social media personalities say about democratic socialism, Americans can read DSA's proposals themselves.

And they should.

DSA does not merely advocate a larger social safety net or somewhat higher taxes.

Its 2026 program describes capitalism itself as something that ultimately should be replaced. Its constitution states that the organization rejects an economic order based upon private profit and instead favors popular control of resources and production, economic planning and more equitable distribution.

Its new political program goes considerably further.

DSA describes a future in which healthcare, housing, education, energy, transportation and other necessities would increasingly become public goods rather than conventional profit-making businesses.

It advocates public ownership of America's largest corporations and essential industries.

It proposes universal rent control.

It advocates canceling student debt.

It supports a 32-hour workweek with full pay and benefits.

It proposes a federal jobs guarantee.

It seeks to phase out fossil fuels.

It advocates abolishing ICE.

It supports extending voting rights to permanent residents who are not American citizens.

It proposes abolishing the Electoral College.

It proposes abolishing the United States Senate.

It would dramatically expand the House of Representatives.

Most remarkably, its program calls for replacing America's existing presidential and judicial structure with an executive and judiciary selected by and subordinate to Congress.

DSA's longer-term objective is even more fundamental.

It calls for a new constitution and what it describes as a democratic socialist republic.

Those positions deserve serious examination.

But accuracy matters.

The Democratic Socialists of America is not synonymous with the Democratic Party. DSA's own electoral organization says its objective is eventually creating an independent socialist political party. Indeed, DSA itself frequently criticizes Democratic Party leaders.

At the same time, democratic socialists and progressive Democrats sometimes run on Democratic ballots, and there is continuing debate within the Democratic Party about how much influence its socialist and progressive wing should have.

That relationship is therefore real, but complicated.

There is another distinction worth making.

Socialism, democratic socialism, Marxism, social democracy and Soviet-style communism are not interchangeable terms.

Karl Marx advocated replacing capitalism and understood history substantially through conflict between economic classes. DSA similarly uses the language of class conflict and explicitly seeks a society beyond capitalism. Those similarities make comparison with Marxist thought legitimate.

But modern DSA advocates electoral organizing and democratic political action, rather than simply reproducing the political system of the former Soviet Union.

The serious question therefore isn't whether every socialist experiment throughout history was identical.

They weren't.

The serious question is this:

How much of America's existing constitutional and economic order should Americans be willing to replace?

Consider what DSA itself proposes.

1. Moving Beyond Capitalism

DSA explicitly envisions a future beyond capitalism.

Critics argue that competitive private markets have been enormously important to innovation, entrepreneurship and American prosperity. DSA argues that capitalism concentrates economic power unfairly.

2. A New Constitution

DSA calls for creating a new democratic constitution.

This represents considerably more than amending individual provisions of the existing Constitution. It raises fundamental questions about whether America's present constitutional framework should continue.

3. A Democratic Socialist Republic

The organization's ultimate vision is the establishment of what it describes as a democratic socialist republic.

4. Abolishing the United States Senate

DSA proposes eliminating the Senate.

That would remove one of the two chambers Congress has possessed since 1789 and fundamentally change the constitutional compromise giving states equal Senate representation.

5. Replacing the Presidency

DSA proposes replacing the existing presidency with an executive chosen by and subordinate to Congress.

Critics would argue this would fundamentally alter the separation of powers.

6. Replacing the Existing Supreme Court Structure

DSA similarly proposes a judiciary chosen by and subordinate to Congress.

Opponents would argue that judicial independence exists precisely so judges can sometimes rule against political majorities.

7. Abolishing the Electoral College

DSA favors eliminating the Electoral College and changing how presidential power is structured.

8. Expanding the House of Representatives

DSA advocates a larger House.

Supporters believe that would improve representation. Critics would question the size and structure required.

9. Proportional Representation

DSA proposes replacing today's congressional electoral structure with proportional representation.

10. Replacing the Two-Party System

DSA favors development of a multiparty political system.

11. Ranked Choice Voting

It supports ranked choice voting throughout American elections.

12. Public Financing of Elections

DSA advocates publicly financed elections as part of eliminating private financial influence.

13. Eliminating Citizens United

It seeks reversal of the campaign-finance framework established by the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision.

14. Eliminating Lobbyists' Influence

DSA seeks sweeping restrictions on lobbying and private money in politics.

15. Voting Rights for Permanent Residents

One particularly consequential proposal would extend full voting rights to permanent U.S. residents, rather than limiting federal voting to American citizens.

16. Voting Rights for Incarcerated People

DSA supports voting rights for people currently incarcerated.

17. Washington, D.C. Statehood

DSA supports making Washington, D.C. a state.

18. Public Ownership of Major Corporations

DSA advocates public ownership of America's largest corporations and essential industries.

That represents one of the clearest departures from America's traditional private-enterprise model.

19. Economic Planning

DSA's constitution explicitly embraces economic planning and popular control over resources and production.

20. Aggressive Wealth Taxes

The organization proposes substantial additional taxation of wealthy individuals and corporations.

21. Healthcare as a Public Guarantee

DSA supports universal healthcare without individual charges at the point of service.

22. Public Hospitals and Clinics

Its program calls for substantially expanding publicly operated healthcare facilities.

23. Free Medical Education

Medical education and professional training would become publicly funded.

24. Housing as a Human Right

DSA argues that housing should be guaranteed as a right rather than treated primarily as a market commodity.

25. Publicly Owned Housing

The organization advocates massive construction of publicly owned social housing.

26. Universal Rent Control

DSA supports rent controls nationally.

Critics argue broad rent controls can discourage construction and investment; advocates contend they protect tenants from displacement and excessive increases.

27. Regulation of Investment Properties

The organization advocates stricter controls over residential investment ownership.

28. Canceling Student Debt

DSA favors eliminating existing student loan debt.

The debate here includes both relief for borrowers and fairness to taxpayers and people who previously repaid their loans.

29. Tuition-Free Education Through College

DSA supports publicly funded education from prekindergarten through higher education.

30. A 32-Hour Workweek

The organization proposes a 32-hour workweek.

31. Full Pay Despite Reduced Hours

Its proposal calls for maintaining full compensation and benefits while reducing standard working hours.

32. A Higher Living Minimum Wage

DSA advocates substantially increasing minimum compensation.

33. Federal Jobs Guarantee

The organization proposes guaranteeing employment through federal policy.

34. Stronger Union Power

DSA seeks substantially greater organizing, bargaining and striking power for labor unions.

35. Worker Control

Its long-term vision involves workers gaining considerably greater control over workplaces and economic decisions.

36. Public Ownership of Energy Infrastructure

DSA's Green New Deal vision includes publicly owned energy systems.

37. Phasing Out Fossil Fuels

The program calls for transitioning away from fossil fuels.

The central dispute is how rapidly this could occur without undermining energy affordability, reliability and American energy security.

38. Public Transportation Expansion

DSA advocates enormous public investment in mass transportation infrastructure.

39. Reparations

The organization supports reparations addressing historical slavery and racial discrimination.

40. Abolishing ICE

DSA explicitly proposes abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

41. Ending Immigration Detention

It calls for ending ICE detention and deportation policies.

42. Amnesty for Undocumented Immigrants

DSA advocates legal status for immigrants regardless of their current immigration status.

43. Eliminating Visa Caps and Quotas

Its immigration vision includes ending existing numerical restrictions on legal migration.

44. Moving Toward Abolition of Police

DSA's program describes redirecting police funding as steps toward eventually abolishing the existing police system.

That is substantially more sweeping than ordinary debates over police reform.

45. Moving Toward Abolition of Prisons

Its program similarly envisions ultimately replacing America's current prison system.

46. Ending Qualified Immunity

DSA supports removing legal protections that currently apply to police officers under specified circumstances.

47. Reducing America's Global Military Footprint

DSA advocates major reductions in American military activity overseas.

48. Closing Overseas Military Bases

Its foreign-policy platform calls for closing U.S. military installations abroad.

Supporters see this as ending interventionism. Critics argue America's global military presence deters adversaries and supports allies.

49. Ending Military and Economic Aid to Israel

DSA advocates terminating American military and economic assistance to Israel and strongly supports Palestinian political objectives.

50. Building an Independent Socialist Political Movement

Perhaps the most important point is one that corrects a common misconception.

DSA does not describe its ultimate objective as taking over the Democratic Party.

Its 2026 electoral strategy says it is committed to building an independent mass socialist party capable of ending capitalism and establishing its conception of working-class democracy.

That is an important distinction Americans across the political spectrum should understand.

Conclusion: The Debate America Should Actually Be Having

After examining these fifty proposals, Americans should resist two temptations.

The first is pretending that none of this matters.

It matters enormously.

The second is exaggerating the evidence by claiming that every Democrat in America has adopted every DSA proposal.

That isn't true.

In fact, DSA itself criticizes the Democratic Party and seeks eventually to build an independent socialist political movement.

There are nevertheless significant areas where progressive Democrats and democratic socialists cooperate, and several DSA-aligned politicians participate in Democratic electoral politics.

Voters therefore have every reason to ask Democratic candidates individually where they stand.

Do you support capitalism or ultimately want to replace it?

Would you abolish the Senate?

Would you replace the presidency?

Should the judiciary become subordinate to Congress?

Would you support writing an entirely new Constitution?

Should noncitizen permanent residents vote in federal elections?

Should America's largest corporations become publicly owned?

Should the federal government guarantee employment?

Should there be nationwide rent control?

Should ICE be abolished?

Should immigration quotas disappear?

Should America's existing police and prison systems ultimately be abolished?

Should the United States close its overseas military bases?

Those are legitimate questions.

There is also an important historical discussion surrounding socialism.

Marxist theory and DSA ideology share significant concepts, particularly their emphasis on economic class, criticism of private capital and desire to move beyond capitalism.

But Americans should be careful with the statement that "socialism has never worked anywhere."

History is more complicated.

Countries commonly cited as successful examples of Scandinavian "socialism," such as Denmark and Sweden, retain extensive private ownership, competitive markets and capitalist businesses while maintaining much larger welfare states.

At the opposite extreme, centrally planned communist economies such as the Soviet Union experienced chronic economic inefficiencies and ultimately political and economic collapse.

Those historical distinctions matter because political labels can conceal enormous differences in actual policy.

America's constitutional structure deserves equally serious attention.

The Founders deliberately divided federal authority among Congress, the presidency and judiciary.

They divided Congress itself between the House and Senate.

They created mechanisms intended to make enormous political transformations difficult.

The objective was not efficiency.

It was restraint.

Power was divided because concentrated political power can become dangerous regardless of which political movement controls it.

That is why DSA's constitutional proposals deserve particular scrutiny.

Abolishing the Senate, restructuring the presidency, changing the Supreme Court's independence and writing a new constitution would represent fundamental transformations of American government.

Supporters believe America's existing institutions insufficiently represent ordinary citizens and give wealthy interests disproportionate influence.

Opponents believe those same constitutional institutions provide indispensable checks against temporary political majorities and concentrations of power.

That is the debate worth having.

And Americans should demand specificity from politicians.

Don't merely ask whether someone is a Democrat.

Don't merely ask whether someone is a Republican.

Don't assume that "progressive," "liberal," "socialist" and "Democrat" mean precisely the same thing.

They don't.

Instead, ask candidates exactly what they believe.

Ask them about private property.

Ask them about capitalism.

Ask them about socialism.

Ask them about immigration.

Ask them about policing.

Ask them about taxation.

Ask them about the Senate.

Ask them about the Supreme Court.

Ask them about the presidency.

And above all, ask them about the Constitution.

America's political future should not be decided through frightening labels from one side or utopian promises from the other.

It should be decided through facts.

DSA has done something useful in one respect: it has told Americans what it wants.

Its 2026 program is unusually explicit.

It envisions a fundamentally different economic system and, eventually, a fundamentally different constitutional structure.

Some Americans will consider that transformation long overdue.

Others will consider preservation of America's constitutional republic and market economy indispensable.

But nobody should have to guess what is being proposed.

Read it.

Study it.

Challenge it.

Defend it if you believe in it.

Oppose it if you do not.

And require every candidate seeking your vote to tell you exactly where he or she stands.

Because when political organizations begin talking about replacing economic systems, abolishing constitutional institutions and writing new constitutions, Americans should pay attention.

The future of the country is too important to do otherwise.

The most consequential claims above come directly from DSA's current program: its website advocates a society beyond capitalism, a new constitution, abolition of the Senate, replacement of the existing presidency and Supreme Court structure, public ownership of major corporations, abolition of ICE, and movement toward abolition of police and prisons. DSA's constitution separately states its commitment to popular control of resources and production and economic planning.

Just as importantly, the evidence does not support calling DSA and the Democratic Party "absolutely the same." Reuters reported in August 2026 that very few Democratic candidates are DSA members and that the Democratic Party does not share the DSA platform, even as some Democrats welcome DSA voices in the party's broader ideological debate