Democratic socialism

Not to be confused with social democracy.

Democratic socialism is a variant of socialism where the government is organized by democracy. In short, it believes that social and economic decisions should be made by those whom they most affect.

The combination of the two ideologies of democracy and socialism make democratic socialism. Democratic socialists believe that both the economy and society should be run democratically—to meet public needs, not to make profits for a few. To achieve a more just society, many structures of the government and economy must be radically transformed through greater economic and social democracy so that ordinary citizens can participate in the many decisions that affect their lives. Democratic socialists do not want to create an all-powerful government bureaucracy, but at the same time do not want big corporate bureaucracies to control our society either.

Examples of democratic socialists include Salvador Allende, the democratically elected President of Chile who was overthrown by a US-backed coup; Evo Morales, the former president of Bolivia; and the United Kingdom Parliament's former Leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbyn.

Democratic socialism is different from Marxism-Leninism, which believes in single party rule, contrasted to the democratic policies of democratic socialism. It is also different than social democracy, which calls for keynesian capitalism, where a competitive, capitalist economy exists, but with the government stepping in to protect consumers, as well as state-controlled programs like welfare and universal healthcare.

Related pages

• socialism
• social democracy (do not confuse with democratic socialism)