The Democratic Socialist Project aims to investigate the practice of democratic socialism in the twenty-first century, to undertake a global survey of its strength and prospects, and to promote democratic socialist internationalism.We start with a significant challenge. “A consistent theory of DS […] does not yet exist.” 1 In fact, definitions of the term vary so widely2 that some analysts have argued it has no practical application. To make matters worse, 'democratic' and 'socialist' are both contentious terms in their own right.
We have opted for a realist/materialist solution here. Rather than trying to weave disparate strands together, we have begun with a working definition (available here) that is derived from the practice of two leading organizations that identify as democratic socialist: the Democratic Socialists of America and Die Linke in Germany. Profiles of these and other organizations are available here. More profiles and a series of interviews will be added over the course of the survey.
Over the course of 2026, the Democratic Socialist Project is intending to survey about 200 organizations around the world that self-identify (or are popularly identified) as democratic socialist. Where possible we will also generate a profile for each of these organizations. The list is available here. There are also several international bodies that include a strong democratic socialist membership. You'll find these listed here.
As to who we are, you'll find this here. If you are a democratic socialist and would like to be involved in the project in some way, we'd love to hear from you! You can send us a message at admin@democratic-socialist.net. If you can help with all-important local knowledge, we'd welcome you to join our on-the-ground team here: https://democratic-socialist.net/join-us/.
Notes
- This quote (from Michael Harrington et al, Socialism, New York 1972; HDS eds) is taken from a fairly comprehensive historical summary of the term 'democratic socialism', published by the Rosa Luxemberg Foundation in 2024 and accessible here.
- Many organizations, analysts and reference works use the expression 'democratic socialism' almost interchangeably with social democracy. The U.K. Labour Party, for instance, identifies itself (per clause IV) as a democratic socialist party. The World Population Review categorizes 19 liberal democracies as 'democratic socialist'. The League of African Democratic Socialist Parties includes parties of the left, right and center. Others apply the term more narrowly to describe only Nordic countries, or those socialist parties that seek 'revolution' through the ballot box. Usage has also changed significantly over time. Many commentators place democratic socialism somewhere on a linear scale between social democracy and socialism, ignoring its socialist core and its pluralist nature. Usage history. The working definition we use is in keeping with definitions put forward by Wikipedia, the Encyclopedia Britannica, Merriam Webster dictionary, the Democratic Socialists of America, Die Linke, and the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation.