Posted August 05, 2026
Democratic Socialism has been described as “a diffuse political ideology that advocates for more public control over the economy and a more expansive role for government in providing social services.” Its leading organization in the US, known as the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), endorsed twenty-one candidates in last night’s primary elections, many of whom were successful at this writing. In total, the DSA has endorsed candidates in seventy-one races this year.
In addition, democratic socialists such as Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez campaigned for Dr. Abdul El-Sayed before he won the Democratic US Senate nomination in Michigan last night. The DSA did not endorse him, but several members of Congress associated with the DSA did.
The DSA announced recently that it has surpassed 120,000 members as of July 4. The mayors of New York City and Seattle are DSA members; after last week’s Democratic primary, Washington, DC, should soon have a DSA mayor as well. And Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is widely seen as a contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028.
What do democratic socialists want?
What does their movement say about the future of our nation?
In preparation for today’s Daily Article, I wrote an extended website article titled, “What does the Bible say about Democratic Socialism?” I’ll summarize several DSA positions below; for longer explanations, please consult my white paper.
Israel: The DSA states that it “stands for the full freedoms and self-determination of the Palestinian people including the end of Israel’s colonization and occupation of all Arab lands, equality, and the right of all refugees to return to their homes and properties.” Their position would effectively mean the end of Israel as a Jewish state.
Health care: The DSA wants to replace the current medical system with Medicare-for-all, a single-payer government system that would eliminate most private insurance.
Immigration: The DSA wants to end US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detentions and deportations, legalize migration, grant amnesty for all immigrants regardless of status, provide a path to citizenship for all permanent residents, and end visa caps and quotas.
The military: The DSA wants to defund the Department of War, end all foreign wars, close overseas military bases, and redirect military spending to health care, housing, and education.
Work: The DSA wants to shorten the workweek from forty hours to thirty-two; companies that require more would have to pay overtime. They also want to raise the minimum wage to $30 an hour, arguing that it should be a living wage to cover housing, food, and other necessities. Mayor Mamdani has called for $30 an hour by 2030 in New York City.
Market socialism: Socially owned enterprises operate in competitive markets and are self-managed by their workforce. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s community grocery stores are an example. The “NYC Groceries” website explains that the initiative “treats access to affordable food as an essential public service.”
The government: The DSA wants to replace the two-party system with a “multi-party democracy” in which it expands the House of Representatives and abolishes the Senate. Its platform would also abolish the Electoral College and “replace the president and Supreme Court with an executive and judiciary chosen by and subordinate to Congress.”
As you can see, the DSA’s vision for America would mean radical and systemic change to our nation. I assume that many who support or identify with them don’t know or necessarily agree with all that I just reported. And I’m not predicting that DSA candidates could or would enact all these changes even if empowered to do so.
But I am interested in the degree to which young adults are drawn to them. Scrolling through the New York Times’ profile of their recent national summit, I’m not surprised that Americans ages eighteen to twenty-nine have the most favorable view of the organization.
This aligns with a pattern experts are seeing in our society:
Many younger Americans are confronting a markedly different economic reality than previous generations. Skyrocketing housing costs, lingering student debt, widening inequality, and growing pessimism about the American promise of upward mobility have fueled a broader appetite for candidates promising more sweeping economic change on both sides of the aisle.
The good news is that frustration with the status quo can be fertile soil for the gospel. The more prosperous people become in this world, the less interested many become in the next (cf. Matthew 19:23–24).
A pastor was once asked to offer a prayer of blessing over a wealthy friend’s new mansion. After touring the minister through its many opulent rooms, he asked what the pastor thought. “These are the things that make it difficult to die,” his friend replied.
Many in our secularized society have made a religion of their politics. This should not surprise us; as philosopher Eric Voegelin noted, those who abandon transcendent reality must replace it with man-made ideology.
But no political movement, whether Republican, Democratic, or Democratic Socialist, can meet the deepest needs of the human heart. From the garden of Eden (Genesis 1:28) to the garden of heaven (Revelation 22:1–5), we were made to walk with our Maker.
Settle today for nothing less than intimacy with your Father. Surrender to the Spirit to be transformed into the character of the Son (Ephesians 5:18; Romans 8:29). Experience the living Lord Jesus through your day as you pray to the One who is praying for you (Romans 8:34).
The God of the universe promises:
“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).
Will you “find” your Lord today?
“He is within us; seek him not elsewhere.” —Brother Lawrence
The post What does Democratic Socialism say about America’s future? appeared first on Denison Forum.
