Ideology
De LeonismFar left
A Marxist tendency that favors organizing workers into industrial unions alongside a political party, with the unions eventually taking over production and replacing the territorial state with workplace councils.
Core ideas
- Socialist industrial unionism as the means of revolution.
- Dual organization: a socialist political party and industrial unions built together.
- An All-Industrial Congress of workplace delegates would replace government.
- Revolution won by electoral victory combined with workplace organization.
Where it sits on the 12 axes
On the Economy axis it sits at the extreme Collectivize end (100). On Diplomacy it leans toward Nationalism (30, so 70% Nationalism), and on Government toward Security (70). Society is at the midpoint (50). Those values place it close to Leninism in this test, even though the theory differs. The match is made on the four scores alone, so the difference in how revolution is organized is not measured.
The bar shows the position on each of the four axes an ideology is matched on; the middle mark is the centre.
History
De Leonism was developed by Daniel De Leon (1852–1914), a Curaçao-born American trade union organizer and theorist who led the Socialist Labor Party of America from 1890 until his death. He was among the founders of the Industrial Workers of the World in 1905. De Leon stressed the theory of dual organization, which sets it apart from both Leninist vanguardism and pure syndicalism. Members of his party broke away in 1901 and helped found the Socialist Party of America. De Leonist parties declined over the 20th century.
Associated thinkers
- Daniel De Leon
Common misunderstandings
- It is not a form of syndicalism: it insists on a political party as well as unions.
- It is not Leninism: it proposes a "peaceful" revolution by election plus union organization, not a vanguard seizure of power.
Related ideologies
Is De Leonism your closest ideology?
Take the test and see which of the ideologies your answers sit closest to.
Questions
What is De Leonism?
A Marxist tendency named after Daniel De Leon that combines socialist industrial unions with a political party. The unions would take over production, and workplace-based councils would replace the territorial state.
Is De Leonism left or right?
Far left. It aims at collective ownership and the end of capitalism. It is a Marxist revolutionary current, though its supporters stress voting and union building rather than armed uprising.
De Leonism vs syndicalism?
Syndicalists put their faith in unions alone, often through general strikes. De Leonists add a political party to win elections and hold the state until the industrial unions can take over and the state ends.
How does the 12 Axes test decide I am a De Leonist?
The test compares your Collectivize–Privatize, Security–Freedom, Internationalism–Nationalism and Progressive–Traditional scores with each ideology's four values. The ideology with the smallest total distance is your closest match. The other eight axes are not used.