Socialist candidates are winning elections as Democrats. And America’s safety net, labor movement, and civil rights movement bear the imprint of socialist activism. But unlike many other democracies, America never developed a socialist party capable of winning national power.
My guest, Dr. Michael Kazin, traces that history—and the movement’s influence beyond the ballot box. We discuss the difference between socialism and communism, the rise of Eugene Debs, and why socialism gained new appeal after the Great Recession. We also ask whether New Deal reforms borrowed from socialism to help save capitalism.
🚩About My 233rd Guest Scholar:
Dr. Michael Kazin is a professor in the department of history at Georgetown University. He is an expert in U.S. politics and social movements, 19th and 20th centuries. His books include:
- "What It Took to Win: A History of the Democratic Party"
- "American Dreamers: How the Left Changed a Nation"
You can learn more about Dr. Kazin's scholarship, publications and awards, by visiting his academic homepage.
🚩Chapters:
7:14 — What Is Socialism?
9:11 — Socialism vs. Communism
17:42 — Why the Label Is Contested
22:36 — Immigrants and American Socialism
28:36 — The Two Red Scares
34:50 — The New Deal and Socialism
41:45 — Why No Major Socialist Party?
49:31 — Socialism’s Return
52:52 — Bernie Sanders and the DSA
55:48 — Today’s Socialist Candidates
1:03:25 — Just One Point: Socialism’s Lasting Influence
🚩Celebrating America - Our New Series:
Analyzing American Revolution
🚩Adel Aali
host & producer
☑️Where to find my program:
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🎵 attribution, links and license for thetheme music in this podcast: The Success by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0): https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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