Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee | |
|---|---|
 The fist and rose emblem used by DSOC. | |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Dissolved | 1982 |
| Split from | Social Democrats, USA |
| Preceded by | Socialist Party of America and Democratic Socialist Federation |
| Succeeded by | Democratic Socialists of America |
| Ideology | Democratic socialism Eco-socialism |
| Political position | Left-wing |
| International affiliation | Socialist International |
| Colors | Red |
| This article is part of a series on |
| Socialism in the United States |
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The Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (DSOC, /ˈdiːsɒk/ DEE-sok) was a political organization founded by Michael Harrington that advocated democratic socialism in the United States. DSOC was formed in 1973 when Harrington led a minority caucus away from the Social Democrats, USA (SDUSA), which had recently gone through two name changes from Socialist Party of America (SPA) to Socialist Party Democratic Socialist Federation (SPDSF).
Harrington's disagreements with SDUSA leadership came to a head during the 1972 presidential campaign of Democratic Party candidate George McGovern. Harrington was stunned that his socialist colleagues chose either to not endorse McGovern, or to only give him lukewarm support when, in Harrington's view, the South Dakota Senator was clearly a better candidate than the incumbent Richard Nixon.[1]
The emerging post-1960s democratic left coalition, as Harrington envisioned it in his DSOC founding essay in March 1973, went beyond the traditional socialist emphasis on organizing labor unions to build political power. He also wanted to mobilize left-liberal Democrats; civil rights, feminist, and anti-war activists; and a robust youth section from college campuses.[2]
DSOC's ranks grew during the 1970s, eventually claiming a national membership of nearly 5,000.[3] In 1978, DSOC was admitted as a full member of the Socialist International.[4] In 1982, DSOC ceased to exist when it merged with the New American Movement to form the Democratic Socialists of America.
- ^ Harrington, Michael (1973). Fragments of the Century. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co. p. 195. ISBN 0-8415-0283-8.
- ^ Ransom, Allison, ed. (March 2020). "Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee collection". Holt Labor Library at CSU Dominguez Hills – via Online Archive of California (OAC).
- ^ Schwartz, Joseph M. (July 2017). "A History of Democratic Socialists of America 1971–2017". Democratic Socialists of America.
- ^ Clark, Jack (January 1979). "Socialist International Reaches Beyond Europe" (PDF). Newsletter of the Democratic Left. Vol. 7, no. 1. p. 6.
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