Ideology
Democratic SocialismLeft
Combines collective ownership and economic equality with competitive elections and civil liberties, seeking to expand public ownership and social programs through the ballot box rather than revolution.
Core ideas
- Political democracy together with some form of socially owned economy.
- Emphasis on economic and workplace democracy and workers' self-management.
- Capitalism is seen as incompatible with freedom, equality and solidarity.
- Most supporters seek gradual transition to socialism.
Where it sits on the 12 axes
On the Economy axis it leans strongly toward Collectivize (80). On Government it is slightly toward Security (60), and on Diplomacy and Society it sits at the midpoint (50). In this test that makes it a moderate position: collective economics without an extreme score on any other axis. You are matched here when your four scores are nearer to these values than to any other ideology.
The bar shows the position on each of the four axes an ideology is matched on; the middle mark is the centre.
Sample result
History
The history of democratic socialism can be traced to 19th-century socialist thinkers across Europe and to democratic reform movements that linked political participation with social equality. The term became popular among socialists who opposed the drift toward one-party states during the 20th century. Democratic socialists differ over methods and over the economic model: market socialism, decentralised planning or democratic central planning are all defended. Most use the label to separate their aims from one-party rule.
Associated thinkers
- Michael Harrington
Common misunderstandings
- It is not the same as social democracy: social democrats generally accept a capitalist market economy with a strong welfare state, while democratic socialists aim to go beyond it.
- It is not a synonym for communism: its defining commitment is to democracy and civil liberties.
Related ideologies
Is Democratic Socialism your closest ideology?
Take the test and see which of the ideologies your answers sit closest to.
Questions
What is democratic socialism?
A set of left-wing philosophies that support political democracy and a socially owned economy, with stress on economic democracy, workplace democracy and workers' self-management. Most supporters seek a gradual transition.
Is democratic socialism left or right?
Left. It is to the left of social democracy because it aims at social ownership rather than only regulating capitalism. In this library it is filed under left, not far left.
Democratic socialism vs social democracy?
Social democracy generally accepts a capitalist economy and reforms it with taxes, regulation and welfare. Democratic socialism argues capitalism is incompatible with freedom and equality, and aims at social ownership by democratic means.
How does the 12 Axes test decide I am a democratic socialist?
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.