"Return of the Mass Party? The Democratic Socialists of America and the Question of Socialist Party Formation”

This research project explores possibilities for reversing democratic decline in the United States and other liberal democracies. Inspired by research in political sociology exploring the connections between working-class political parties and democratization, I ask how a new party of the working class might be formed. The project uses the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) as a case study. DSA is a membership-based left-wing political organization that emerged in the 1970s but has seen dramatic growth since 2016, when Senator Bernie Sanders ran for the Democratic presidential nomination. My research focuses on the sociology of membership, leadership, and staff bureaucracy in this young socialist "proto-party." I aim to distill lessons for working-class strategists and engaged social scientists confronting the crisis of democracy in the United States and around the world.