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    “Rebirth and Beyond: Reflecting on a decade of DSA’s growth and preparing for a decade of party building.”

Proposal Compendium

Status Completed

Version 1.1 gamma, valid Aug 3, 2025 to Aug 10, 2025

Owners 2025-resolutions-subcommittee@dsausa.org

Overview

This is the revised, final report of the Resolutions Subcommittee to the Convention, containing the preliminary Consent Agenda and Business Agenda. Please read the Change Log carefully for important updates. The next version of this document will be the official minutes of the Convention, which will be published after review by the Convention Planning Committee and the incoming NPC.

At the Convention itself, OpenSlides, our presentation and voting software, will always reflect the current order of business on the Autopilot page. In-person support for OpenSlides is provided at the Convention at the National Tech Committee’s Help Desk.

The Convention Planning Committee, in consultation with its Resolutions Subcommittee, the National Tech Committee, and National Office Staff were responsible for certifying the signature count for each proposal that appears in this document. A proposal’s appearance in this document does not guarantee that it will be heard at Convention and does not represent an endorsement by any DSA entity unless otherwise stated.

Requests for corrections, questions, and comments can be sent to the address above.

Table of Contents

Overview        1

Table of Contents        2

Guide to Proposal Numbering        5

Change Log        6

Reports        7

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scoring        8

Agenda Process        11

Proposed Agenda & Order of Business        14

Friday, August 8        14

Saturday, August 9        15

Sunday, August 10        15

CA: Consent Agenda        16

All General Orders        18

Reported but not recommended        20

Constitution & Bylaws Amendments (CB)        21

CB01: Democracy Commission Comprehensive Structural Reform Proposal        22

CB02: One Member, One Vote for National Leadership Elections        41

CB02-A01: Power to the Members: Deliberative Democracy for One Member, One Vote        44

CB03: Setting Fee Structures for the Organization’s Print Publications        46

CB04: Fair Representation via STV Delegate Elections        48

CB05: Members Decide        49

CB06: Proportional Representation for Chapters at Convention        51

CB07: Access to Delegates for Convention-Elected Candidates        54

CB08: Remove References to National Director        55

CB09: Special Convention Overhaul        56

Resolutions (CR, R)        60

CR01: Democracy Commission DSA National & Chapter Affiliation Agreement Proposal        61

CR02: Building an Internationalist Party        67

CR02-A01: Anti-Imperialism in the 21st Century (formerly R28)        71

CR02-A01-S01: Decolonial Anti-Imperialism (formerly R28-A01)        73

CR02-A02: Democratic Socialist Internationalism        75

CR03: 2025 GNDCC Convention Resolution        78

CR03-A01: For a Radical and Resurgent Ecosocialist Working Group (formerly R14)        81

CR04: National Political Education Committee Consensus Resolution – 2025        83

CR05: National Electoral Commission Consensus Resolution        88

CR05-A01: Red Lines for DSA Endorsements (formerly R16)        94

CR05-A02: One DSA, Toward a Unified Endorsement Process (formerly R41)        98

CR05-A03: Towards Deliberative Federal Endorsements        104

CR05-A04: Carnation Program Amendment to the NEC Resolution        108

CR05-A05: Invest in Cadre Candidates and Political Independence        109

CR05-A06: Only Independents on the Independent Socialist Slate        111

CR06: 2025 DSA Housing Justice Commission Consensus Resolution        114

CR07: Young Democratic Socialists of America: Building DSA for the Future        118

CR08: Unified Grievance Policy        124

CR08-A01: Member Expulsion Policy (formerly CB01-3)        142

CR08-A02: For a Member-Led Grievance Response        144

CR08-A03: Fix the At-Large Loophole in Grievance Policy        150

CR09: 2025 TRBA Consensus Resolution        151

CR09-A01: Amendment for the Organizational Merger of QSWG & TRBA (formerly R38)        154

CR09-A02: Removal of the Staffer Requirement        157

CR10: DSA National Labor Commission Consensus Resolution: Building A Worker-Led Labor Movement        158

CR10-A01: A Partyist Labor Strategy        163

CR10-A02: Carnation Program Amendment to the NLC Resolution        170

CR10-A03: Support Federal Worker Organizing        172

CR10-A04: Non-Reformist Labor Reforms for Worker Power        173

R01: DSA for One Palestinian State        176

R01-A01: DSA for Palestinian Self-Determination        178

R01-A02: DSA Endorses the One Democratic State Campaign        180

R02: No AI Images!        185

R03: For a Politicized and Member-Driven Growth & Development in DSA        186

R03-A01: Not Just Large Chapters        188

R04: For a Socialist Party in Years, Not Decades        190

R04-A01: The Party is DSA        193

R04-A02: For Democratic Co-Determination of an Independent Working-Class Politics        196

R05: Fight Fascism, Build Socialism        198

R05-A01: Leave Hiring to the NPC        203

R05-A02: Defend Political Freedom and Bring Members Together        205

R06: One Member, One Vote for Federal Endorsements        209

R07: Principles for Party-Building        211

R08: Democratic Discipline: A Uniform Process for Electoral Censure Across DSA        213

R09: For Political and Technological Independence: A Path to Exit from Capitalist and Democratic Party Tech        215

R10: Make DSA More Diverse        219

R10-A01: DSA for Multiracial Liberation        221

R11: A 50-State Strategy        226

R11-A01: Administrative over Political        228

R12: See R34-A01        230

R13: For a Robust & Centralized National Resource Library        230

R14: See CR03-A01        232

R15: Take the Fight to the Rural Front        232

R15-A01: Rural Organizing Under the GDC        234

R16: See CR05-A01        235

R17: Democratize National Commissions        235

R18: Seize the Moment! Defeat Corporate Democrats and Elect More Socialists        237

R18-A01: A DSA Presidential Platform (1 of 2)        241

R19: From Palestine to Mexico: Fighting Fascist Attacks on Immigrants        244

R20: Workers Will Lead the Way: Join with Unions to Run Labor Candidates        247

R20-A01: Democratic Socialists and the Labor Movement Need Each Other        250

R21: Democracy For All: a NEC Subcommittee for Voting Rights        251

R22: For a Fighting Anti-Zionist DSA        255

R22-A01: Align with the BDS Movement        263

R23: See R34-A01        267

R24: To Defeat Trump, Turn Toward the Masses        267

R24-A01: Turn Towards the Masses (With Our Own Message)        270

R24-A02: Fight the Right in General Elections        272

R25: DSA and the Democratic Road to Socialism        273

R26: Fight Fascist State Repression & ICE        275

R27: Staff Relationship to Members in a Democratic Organization        281

R28: See CR02-A01        282

R29: Proposal to Launch a Member-Led National Design Committee        282

R30: Fighting Back in the Class War: Preparing for May Day 2028        284

R30-A01: Tenants & Workers Together in 2028        289

R31: Rejecting the Normalization of Zionism and Occupation        292

R32: Towards a Multilingual DSA / Hacia un DSA Multilingüe        294

R33: Unite Labor & the Left to Run a Socialist For President and Build the Party        299

R33-A01: A DSA Presidential Platform (2 of 2)        303

R33-A02: Building a United Front Toward 2028 (formerly R37)        305

R34: Workers Deserve More, Forever: For a Coherent and Continuous Program Befitting DSA’s Political Growth        309

R34-A01: A Fighting Socialist Program for DSA        312

R35: For Working-Class Member Leadership        319

R35-A01: Stipend the NPC        320

R36: A Unified Democratic Socialist Strategy for Palestinian Solidarity        321

R37: See R33-A02        325

R38: See CR09-A02        326

R39: Organizing Against the IHRA Working Definition        326

R40: Build Worker Power, Defeat Amazon        329

R41: See CR05-A02        330

R42: Labor for an Arms Embargo        331

R42-A01: For a Strike Ready Labor for an Arms Embargo        333

R43: Locals First DSA: Increase Dues Income for Locals and Stabilize National Budget        335

R43-A01: Towards a Well-Financed Federation        338

R44: Resolution on Staff, Contractors, and Budgeting        341

R44-A01: For a Member-Guided Budgeting Process        346

R45: Voting Rights for All Members        349

R46: Resolution to Censure LA City Councilwoman Nithya Raman        352

R47: Resolution to Censure U.S. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez        353

R48: Equality Before Convention        355

R49: Resolution on the Use of X.com        356

Platform Changes (PC)        359

PC01: Ecosocialism Within Ecological Limits: Expanding the Green New Deal        359

Table of Capacity and Financial Scores        364

Index by Portfolio        364

Electoral        364

Internationalism        364

Labor        365

Other Priority Campaigns        365

Organizational Reform & Oversight        366

Program & Platform        367

Additional Resources        367

Guide to Proposal Numbering

Prefix

Number

Suffix

Number

Type (Example)

CA

(none)

(none)

(none)

Consent Agenda

CB, CR

01

– (no letter)

1 thru 10

Dem. Com. Proposal Plank (CB01-8)

CB, CR, R, PC

02, 03, etc.

(none)

(none)

Main motion (CR03, R17)

CB, CR, R, PC

02, 03, etc.

–A

01, 02, etc.

Amendment (CB05-A01, R10-A03)

CB, CR, R, PC

01, 02

-A0X-S

01, 02, etc

Secondary amendment (CR02-A01-S01)

Change Log

You may notice slight differences between how proposals look in this Compendium and how they originally appeared on the forum or in the author’s own document. Minor changes not warranting a full amendment have been made throughout, mostly to address technical issues or errors in spelling, grammar, or style. The latest version of the Compendium is the controlling document in every case. Substantial changes and corrections from the beta version are listed below:

General Updates

  • Please note: at its meeting on July 29, the CPC voted to amend Convention Rule III.C.2 to reduce the threshold to remove an item from the Consent Agenda from a majority vote of delegates to a vote of 40 percent of delegates.
  • Results of the survey can be found on the Convention Proposal Dashboard and in this spreadsheet.
  • Additional reports have been submitted by the Budget & Finance Committee and the International Committee, which can be found under the Reports heading below.
  • Advice from the Parliamentarian solicited by the Resolutions Subcommittee has been added for two items:
  • Additional notes explaining the handling of proposals that overlap with provisions of CB01/CR01 (DemCom Proposals) have been added to the following items:

Scoring Updates

Respectfully submitted,

  • Chris W (Seattle, CPC co-chair, subcommittee co-chair)
  • Evan C (Metro Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, subcommittee co-chair)
  • Aaron B (at-large, CPC Democracy Commission rep.)
  • Sean B (Metro Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, CPC YDSA rep.)
  • Adithya P (Madison Area)
  • Richard S (Greater Baltimore)
  • Ruy M (at-large)
  • Tom J (Twin Ports)

Special thanks to Zachariah B (Senior Events Coordinator, CPC member), Christian, Shane and the whole Budget & Finance Committee, and Colin, Jen and the whole National Tech Committee.

Reports

The Resolutions Subcommittee solicited reports from each National Commission, Committee, and Working Group, especially those with priority campaigns as decided by the 2023 Convention.  The Convention Planning Committee and its subcommittees also prepared reports, as described in the DSA Constitution and Bylaws, and Robert’s Rules.

The Convention will consider reports to adopt, like the Credentials Report, in the course of its business. Below are all the reports submitted to the Subcommittee on or before August 3.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scoring

The Budget & Finance Committee is happy to introduce the replacement for the “cost-out” process at the National Convention.

At previous conventions, each resolution was individually “costed out” in isolation, often through detailed staffing hour estimates and financial spreadsheets. This system was time-consuming, confusing for delegates, and ultimately didn’t give a clear picture of how different resolutions interacted or added up in terms of total organizational impact.

In conjunction with staff, Budget & Finance has decided to move away from the old cost-out system because it wasn’t helping delegates make informed, strategic decisions about what the organization could realistically afford to implement. Resolutions were often passed with staffing or spending mandates that exceeded our actual capacity.

The replacement to the cost-out process is a clear, two-part scoring matrix that assesses:

  • Staffing and member capacity required (rated 1 to 4)
  • Non-current personnel financial costs (also rated 1 to 4)

Each resolution will be scored in these two areas, and those scores will appear alongside each resolution during convention. This new system gives a holistic, accessible view of the practical impact of what we pass—without burying delegates in spreadsheets.

Amendments are scored based on how it would affect the overall scoring of the underlying resolution if adopted. You can find the combined Cost Out Scores here!

2025 Convention Resolution Scoring Matrix

Process

Each resolution and accompanying amendments will receive scores in two categories as outlined below. These scores will be decided through consensus between staff, B&F and the Personnel Committee, and short explanations with backup information will be provided for each score so delegates understand how values were assigned.

Capacity Commitment (Staff + Member Time)

This category evaluates the total time required from both staff and members to execute the resolution. The scoring reflects the overall effort, combining staff coordination and member involvement.

1: Minimal

  • Staff: No significant involvement or minimal coordination required.
  • Member: Requires only a single action from members (e.g., a vote or one-time event participation).
  • Example: A resolution that requires a one-time vote or minimal member input

2: Low to Moderate

  • Staff: Some staff involvement needed but manageable by existing staff without significant strain.
  • Member: Requires minimal to moderate participation from the membership (e.g., attending a couple of meetings, completing a few tasks).
  • Example: A resolution that asks members to attend a few events or participate in a simple project, with minimal staff coordination.

3: Moderate to High

  • Staff: Involves moderate staff time and coordination (e.g., organizing multi-step initiatives or programs).
  • Member: Requires moderate to substantial participation from members (e.g., sustained volunteer efforts, multiple events, or ongoing actions).
  • Example: A resolution for a grant program and members to participate regularly in related actions.

4: High

  • Staff: Requires significant involvement from existing staff or the hiring of new staff.
  • Member: Requires heavy or ongoing time commitment from members, such as forming a new national body or long-term project participation.
  • Example: A resolution calling for major structural changes or national-scale mobilization, demanding substantial staff coordination and member engagement.

Financial Impact

This category assesses the financial costs and resource utilization beyond current personnel time. Each will be an estimate per year.

1: Less than $5000

  • No additional financial cost or uses an existing resource (e.g., free software, in-kind donations/resources).
  • Example: A resolution that does not require financial expenditure or uses only existing resources that don’t require fee per use.

2: $5000 to $10,000

  • Requires small spending or uses a limited amount of finite resources that can be easily managed.
  • Example: A resolution requiring small-scale purchases (e.g., printing, supplies for a single event).

3: $10,000 to $50,000

  • Requires moderate financial outlay or substantial use of finite resources (e.g., marketing, external consulting).
  • Example: A resolution that needs funds for multiple in-person events, moderate campaigns, or external consultant fees.

4: Greater than $50,000

  • Requires significant expenditure or major use of finite resources (e.g., large-scale campaigns, hires, major infrastructure investments).
  • Example: A resolution that requires large funds for national campaigns, extensive travel, consultant fees, hiring of new staff positions, or major infrastructure upgrades.

Sample Scoring Table

Resolution

Capacity Commitment

Financial Impact

R101: Encouraging Chapters to Participate in an Event

2: Low to Moderate

1: Less than $5000

R201: A National Campaign

4: High

3: $10,000 to $50,000

R301: A Policy Mandate

1: Minimal

1: Less than $5000

R401: Member Training

3: Moderate to High

2: $5000 to $10,000

Right to Reply

Finally, the Budget & Finance Committee understands that authors may not agree with the analysis provided. Authors who disagree with the scoring were given the opportunity to provide a reply, not to exceed 250 words. However, no rebuttals were submitted as of the date of publication.

Agenda Process

The Resolutions Subcommittee, in consultation with the Programming Subcommittee and Convention Planning Committee, will present a preliminary Consent Agenda and Business Agenda for a vote at the start of Convention. The Delegate Survey is just one of the tools we used to help build both agendas. Each of the following six criteria are considered holistically. No one single criteria is necessarily the most important, but each serves the goal of prioritizing and facilitating high quality political debate.

Quantitative Criteria

  • Delegate Survey results: eligible proposals with supermajority support will qualify for the Consent Agenda, and will be considered all at once as the first order of business. The rules explaining the Consent Agenda are provided below.
  • Signatures gathered: since the Delegate Survey is only open to duly-elected Delegates and Alternates (seated or not), the Discussion Forum is the only place the general membership of DSA can signal their support for a proposal.
  • Amendments qualified: the existence of eligible amendments, and the number of amendments to a proposal indicates a baseline level of interest in the main motion.

Qualitative Criteria

  • Previous priority designation: Consensus Resolutions (CR) will generally qualify for consideration on either the Consent Agenda or the Business Agenda as the work of a body that has been directed to produce proposals by a previous convention (like the Democracy Commission) or a committee that has been designated as a priority (like the GND Commission).
  • Political salience: proposals relevant to the current political situation or that resolve open political questions in the organization.
  • Convention’s prerogative: some proposals, such as Constitutional or Bylaws amendments, must be decided by the delegates, and cannot be referred to the NPC.

Delegate Survey Results

Registered delegates were invited to indicate their support, opposition, or uncertainty about each proposal in this Compendium in an online survey, which was open from July 3 through 17. There were 1001 responses, with one completely blank survey submitted. This constituted a 76.76 percent response rate, in line with 2023’s response rate of 76.40 percent. 92.70 percent of surveys returned offered an opinion on at least 100 of the 104 proposals. 72.00 percent of delegates who returned the survey filled it out entirely.

The Resolutions Subcommittee wishes to express its sincere gratitude to delegates for participating in the survey, and providing very useful data to help convention planners in the making of the preliminary agendas. The results of the survey can be viewed on the Convention Proposal Dashboard, hosted on the DSA Forums.

Proposal Triage

The Resolutions Subcommittee and Convention Planning Committee met several times over the course of the week after the close of the Delegate Survey. We carefully considered the results of the survey, the qualitative and quantitative metrics, and ultimately placed proposals in one of the three following categories:

  1. Placed on Business Agenda: Supported on Delegate Survey, quantitative and qualitative metrics indicate that proposal could plausibly win on the floor.
  2. Placed on Consent Agenda: Supermajority support on Delegate Survey, quantitative and qualitative metrics support placement on Consent Agenda for passage.
  3. Tabled or Referred: Insufficient support on Delegate Survey, quantitative and qualitative metrics suggest omission from Business Agenda. Left on the table for Delegates (CB) or referred to the next NPC (R, PC).

The Consent Agenda (CA)

The rules governing the Consent Agenda are described in Convention Rule III.C, which states:

  1. Eligible proposals with supermajority support may be placed on a consent agenda, prepared by the Resolutions Subcommittee, to be voted on at the beginning of the convention.
  1. Eligible proposals are main motions or their amendments meeting the requirements described in Rules 1.C.2 (General Resolutions) and 1.C.3 (Political Platform). No constitutional or bylaw amendment may be placed on the consent agenda, but amendments to those amendments (per Rules 1.C.1.2-3) may be placed on the consent agenda.
  2. Supermajority support shall be determined by the Resolutions Subcommittee, who will be allowed to poll the temporary roster of delegates for this purpose.
  3. In the interest of time, amendments to main motions are eligible for placement on the consent agenda.
  1. If any main motion has an eligible amendment pending, then it cannot qualify for the consent agenda.
  2. If an amendment to any main motion is on the consent agenda, then the main motion shall be considered amended once the consent agenda passes and the main motion is reached on the convention agenda.
  1. Delegates may bring motions to remove items from the consent agenda, in the form of a motion to amend. Any such motion requires a vote of 40 percent of the Convention to pass.
  1. Main motions removed from the consent agenda will be considered immediately after the vote to approve the remainder of the consent agenda, unless otherwise specified.
  2. Amendments to main motions removed from the consent agenda will be considered at the time the corresponding main motion is up for debate on the Convention agenda.
  1. The consent agenda itself will require a simple majority vote of the Convention to pass.

Please read the above carefully! There are slight differences from previous years, in that amendments may appear on the Consent Agenda, and it now takes a vote of 40 percent of delegates to remove an item from the Consent Agenda. Please refer to CA, Consent Agenda, for the motion that will be voted on at Convention.

The Business Agenda

These are proposals that constitute the regular orders of the day. Convention planners have applied the qualitative and quantitative criteria described above to proposed business items, and triaged accordingly. To reiterate, due to the high volume of proposals and the limited time at Convention, it will not be possible to debate and deliberate on every single proposal. For context, the Resolutions Subcommittee received more submissions than the 2021 and 2023 Conventions, combined. It is within the purview of the Convention Planning Committee to recommend a Business Agenda that reflects the criteria listed above in service of a constructive meeting.

The “orders of the day” or “order of business” refers to the actual sequence in which we take proposals up at the Convention, while the agenda is the document that represents the whole of the Convention’s programming. Robert’s Rules divides main motions into two types, Special and General Orders, for the purposes of an agenda.

  • Special Orders have a specific time given on the agenda. The Resolutions and Programming Subcommittees, in consultation with the Convention Planning Committee, have designated certain times for items to facilitate business or to reserve time for programming and events (e.g. Adopt Credentials Report, 9:30 am, or scheduled breaks).
  • When the time for a Special Order arrives, the chair will announce that fact and dispose of any pending questions, then move directly to the scheduled item (e.g. motion, break, or event).
  • After adoption of the Convention Agenda, any modifications to Special Orders require a two-thirds vote through a motion to Amend the Agenda.
  • Convention Planners have used Special Orders sparingly to preserve delegate’s prerogative and to maximize flexibility. We have also reserved time for our guests using Special Orders as well, so please be courteous of them.
  • General Orders have no specific time listed. They are taken up in the order they appear, irrespective of breaks or interrupting Special Orders. Assuming that each business item will take 15-20 minutes to dispose of, the Resolutions Subcommittee estimates there is time to deliberate on fewer than 50 proposals.
  • When adopting the Agenda, a General Order may be converted to Special Order by designating a particular time for the item to be heard.
  • The sequence of General Orders may also be amended (e.g. the first General Order on the list may be moved three places down, or to the end, or however).
  • To hear an item out of sequence after adoption of the Agenda, a delegate may move to Set Aside the Orders of the Day to immediately hear their desired item, a two-thirds vote.

By following the process for agendizing business as described in Robert’s Rules, we are trying to avoid the unfortunate occurrence of “pocket vetoing” proposals that has happened at previous conventions when sessions end with items still pending. We believe it is fairer that the Convention come to a shared understanding that business is ordered so that higher-priority items come first, and lower-priority items come last, with the distinct possibility that not all business can be heard if the Convention does not conduct itself expeditiously. Moreover it is fairer and more equitable for the Convention to affirmatively amend the agenda to move items around than it is for items to be delayed by filibustering and dilatory motions.

The Business Agenda is voted on by the delegates after the Credentials Report and Rules Report. It may be amended by majority vote at that time. Otherwise, it is a two-thirds vote (RONR 12th ed. 41:63). Please refer to the section below or OpenSlides to view the Business Agenda.

Proposed Agenda & Order of Business

Friday, August 8

In session 9:00 am to 8:00 pm

  • Call to Order and Opening Reports
  • Opening Address from the Co-Chairs, 9:00 am
  • Treasurer’s Report, 9:15 am
  • Adoption of Credentials Subcommittee Report, 9:30 am
  • Adoption of Convention Rules, 9:45 am
  • Adoption of Business Agenda, 10:00 am
  • Special Order
  • General Orders
  • Special Order
  • Keynote Speaker, noon
  • Recess for lunch, 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm
  • Co-Chair election opens, closes 10:00 pm
  • Reconvene, 2:00 pm
  • Special Order
  • Convention Programming, 2:00 pm to 3:20 pm
  • General Orders
  • Recess, 6:00 pm to 6:30 pm
  • General Orders
  • Adjourned for the day, 8:00 pm

Saturday, August 9

In session 9:00 am to 6:00 pm

  • Reconvene, 9:00 am
  • Special Order
  • Revised Credentials Committee Report, 9:00 am (if needed)
  • General Orders
  • Recess, 10:30 am to 11:00 am
  • Announcement of Co-Chair election results
  • General Orders
  • Recess for lunch, 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm
  • Reconvene, 3:00 pm
  • Special Order
  • Adjourned for the day, 6:00 pm
  • Announcement of NPC Election Balloting

Sunday, August 10

In session 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

  • Reconvene, 9:00 am
  • Special Orders
  • Convention Programming, 9:00 am
  • Revised Credentials Committee Report, 10:30 am (if needed)
  • General Orders
  • Recess for Lunch, 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm
  • Reconvene, 3:00 pm
  • Special Orders
  • Announcement of NPC Election Results & Closing Address from Co-Chairs, 3:00 pm
  • Closing Ceremony, 3:30 pm
  • Adjourn sine die, 4:00 pm

CA: Consent Agenda

Submitted by the Convention Planning Committee. Qualified under Convention Rule III.C, with 1001 survey responses as of Jul 17, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed[1]

Summary

This resolution is a vehicle to adopt multiple proposals at once in the interest of time. With more than 100 individual items qualifying for consideration at the Convention, the Convention Planning Committee has identified proposals with broad support that are more likely than not to succeed had we the time to consider them all separately, based on the results of the Delegate Survey.

Removing items from this agenda requires a vote of 40 percent of delegates, per Convention Rule III.C, and any main motions removed will be heard immediately after disposition of the Consent Agenda. If the item removed is an amendment it will be heard when its corresponding main motion is up for debate in General Orders, but if both the main motion and its amendment(s) are on consent and either are removed, then the main motion and any of its amendments will be heard immediately after the Consent Agenda is disposed of.

This resolution additionally contains clauses to refer unfinished business to the NPC, unless the NPC is procedurally prohibited from hearing it or if the Convention instructs otherwise, and to allow the Resolutions Subcommittee to work with the incoming NPC Secretary to ensure accurate reporting of the results of this Convention.

Full text

Whereas, the Convention Planning Committee, in consultation with its Resolutions Subcommittee, is empowered to propose a Consent Agenda of widely-accepted motions under Convention Rule III.C in the interest of time at Convention,

Be it resolved, the 2025 Convention of the Democratic Socialists of America adopts the following items by majority vote:

Be it further resolved, that all items reported by the Resolutions Subcommittee in the Proposal Compendium and not recommended for disposition at this Convention are referred to the incoming NPC, unless the Convention instructs otherwise, or unless the NPC is procedurally prohibited from acting on such items, as in the case of amendments to DSA’s Constitution or Bylaws.

Be it finally resolved, that the Secretary of the 2025-2027 NPC, in consultation with the 2025 Resolutions Subcommittee, be authorized to correct article and section designations, punctuation, and cross-references and to make such other technical and conforming changes as may be necessary to reflect the intent of the Convention in connection with this Consent Agenda and any other business transacted at the Convention (RONR 12th ed. 57:19).

External links

DSA Discussion Forum | Convention Proposal Dashboard

[Public] 2025 Convention Delegate Survey Reponses and Preliminary Agenda

All General Orders

Where the Order of Business says “General Orders” we will be debating these proposals, in this sequence. A majority vote is needed to make any changes prior to formal adoption of the Agenda. After the Agenda is adopted, a two-thirds vote is needed.

Any business left pending in General Orders at the close of Convention will automatically be referred to the next NPC, per the penultimate paragraph of the Consent Agenda resolution.

In the event that all motions above are exhausted, the Chair is instructed to present any Constitution and Bylaws Amendments that were reported but not included in General Orders in numerical order, followed by any Platform Changes. They can be found under the Reported but not recommended heading below.

Reported but not recommended

“Recommended” is not a judgement on the merits of the proposal, but rather a term that tells you whether or not the Resolutions Subcommittee or Convention Planning Committee put the proposal on the Consent Agenda or Business Agenda. This classification contains motions that the NPC is procedurally prohibited from hearing or amendments Convention planners judged non-viable.

Delegates may amend General Orders or create Special Orders if they wish to debate these motions.

Constitution & Bylaws Amendments (CB)

To be considered for debate at the Convention, proposed changes to the Constitution or Bylaws must have a minimum of 250 signatures of support from DSA members who are in good standing. Proposals meeting the signature requirement also become eligible for amendment prior to convention. Constitutional changes require a two-thirds (⅔) vote of the Convention to pass; Bylaws changes require a three-fifths (⅗) vote of the Convention to pass.

Any member or group of DSA members in good standing may propose secondary amendments to the constitution or bylaws changes. To be considered for discussion these secondary amendments must have a minimum of 250 signatures of support from DSA members in good standing. Constitutional and Bylaws Amendments submitted by the National Political Committee with two-thirds approval may be considered even if they do not receive 250 signatures. All Constitutional and Bylaws Amendments must be finalized 30 days prior to the commencement of the Convention to meet the notice requirements.

In all Constitution and Bylaws amendments, proposed additions are green and underlined, proposed deletions are red and struck out, and omitted text is unaffected.

CB01: Democracy Commission Comprehensive Structural Reform Proposal

Submitted by Aaron B (Southeast MN), Connell H (River Valley), Ramsin C (Chicago), Allison K (New York City), Kristian H (North Texas). Qualified on Apr 23, 2025, with 519 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Introduction

DSA’s 2023 Convention voted to create the Democracy Commission, a body tasked with bringing proposals reforming DSA’s national structure to the 2025 Convention. The first stage of the commission involved researching the structures of other parties as well as DSA itself to determine what is needed to make our organization more democratic and effective. DSA’s inability to address structural concerns several conventions in a row signaled the need for organizational consensus, requiring a commission that was politically representative of tendencies within DSA. Convention delegates voted for the 21 members of the Commission in an election in October 2023, resulting in a commission with members of eight different caucuses as well as uncaucused DSA members.

Based on our research and discussion, the Democracy Commission developed guiding principles for our work to have a shared understanding of our goals and priorities. The guiding principles can be read in full in our report to membership; the central points of the introduction are below:

  • The purpose of member democracy in DSA is to empower the working class to act collectively in its own self-interest towards the project of its emancipation.
  • Democracy means people have power individually and collectively and requires that democratically-made decisions be carried out by organizational leadership. Democracy thrives on direct, honest, and comradely debate conducted in open meetings with meaningful stakes, where analysis is developed to inform specific strategies.
  • Healthy organizational democracy depends on both formal structure and rules and organizational culture. Rules should encourage and incentivize healthy habits, instincts, and norms and not merely prescribe them. They should be flexible enough to work at times of membership expansion and of contraction. Proposals by the Democracy Commission should foster a sense of shared organizational identity in the organization and among members. They should encourage horizontal relationships between chapters as well as improve member connection to DSA national.
  • Deliberation within DSA should be meaningful and members should be encouraged to engage with the ideas and arguments. We should encourage reconsideration of positions as a norm. A healthy democratic organization can decide on, and evolve, its shared principles and a program.
  • Members should be transformed through their engagement with DSA, empowered to lead and change and engage in democracy in the organization and subsequently their local community. DSA’s democratic culture should train members to intervene in democratic debates in their unions, communities, and in moments of mass struggle, to democratize workers’ movements and organizations.

Based on our guiding principles, the Commission has drafted a package of reforms that, together, will improve DSA's democratic and organizational function across the organization. Everything below won a super-majority vote of the Democracy Commission. Working from the Commission’s democratically-adopted guiding principles, every proposal went through revision, compromise, negotiation, and debate before approval. No commissioner got everything and no commissioner got nothing; the omnibus is contoured by our most fundamental agreements. Positive and negative input from Commissioners across tendencies shaped each plank; each plank is specially shaped to support the overall omnibus as a single unified reform. We believe these planks will fix some structural problems with DSA. But more importantly, taken together these proposals are a vision for our organization: coming together across political disagreements to create a healthier democratic culture and structure that reduces the distance between members, chapters, and national leadership; unifies us through deliberation and decision-making, not fiat; and empowers workers to take control of our political life, on the road to taking control of our world.

In all Constitution and Bylaws amendments, added text is green and underlined, text being removed is red and struck out, and omitted text in a section is unaffected.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/42727

Submitter’s source document: Democracy Commission Structural Reform Proposal

Resolutions Subcommittee Note: Some proposals in this section are resolutions that only require a majority vote for adoption, but are included in this section upon request of the Democracy Commission. They are indicated with an asterisk (*).  The Parliamentarian has advised on how delegates may consider any part of CB01 separately in a memorandum.

CB01 Table of Contents

CB01-1: Archive Policy*        15

CB01-2: Abolishing Constitutional Membership        17

CB01-3: See CR08-A01        18

CB01-4: Member Input Policy*        18

CB01-5: National Commission Policy*        19

CB01-6: Changes to the NPC        23

CB01-7: Standards for the NPC        24

CB01-8: Implementing Chapter Affiliation Agreements        26

CB01-9: Reauthorizing the Democracy Commission*        30

CB01-10: Repealing the Ban on Democratic Centralism        31

CB01-1: Archive Policy*

Summary

Many of DSA’s operational guidelines are scattered across various platforms, often only accessible to national leaders or longtime members. The purpose of this policy is to ensure all of our democratically determined policies and procedures are in one central location, cohering our internal governance. The archive will also include recordings of NPC meetings and minutes of chapter meetings from across the country. This policy will allow for all DSA members to understand how our organization functions, the decisions that dictate our operations, and the procedures we’re meant to follow and uphold as members.

Full text

Archive Policy

  1. The NPC will provide for the creation and maintenance of an archive of DSA meeting minutes, convention results, and standing policies. The NPC can designate a group of members to assist with the archiving project, with their efforts concluding no later than January 1, 2027. NPC should designate the secretary to bottomline its maintenance, with support from National staff, once the archive is complete or starting January 1, 2027, whichever is sooner.
  2. The archive will include, at minimum:
  1. A record of all resolutions and amendments passed by every DSA National Convention or Special Convention since 2017
  2. A record of all resolutions and amendments passed by the National Political Committee and NPC Steering Committee, beginning with the 2025-2027 NPC term
  3. The national endorsement questionnaire
  4. All standing policy, platform, program, or tasks and perspectives documents in active use by DSA
  1. From the 2025-2027 NPC term on, recordings of NPC meetings will be included in the archive. The NPC may use any technology of their choosing to facilitate such recording of agendas, debate, and motions, including but not limited to voting software and video recordings.
  2. The archive will be completed and published by no later than 1 January 2027.
  3. Following the aforementioned deadline the archive will be continuously maintained and remain easily accessible to all DSA members in good standing.
  4. Any policy for which insufficient documentation is provided to the archival body by the aforementioned deadline will be considered null and void.

Chapter Visibility

  1. Within 90 days of the close of this Convention, the NPC or its delegate shall make available to all Chapters the attached Model Meetings Minutes form, which form shall be a fillable form hosted or submittable to a central repository by Chapters for purpose of keeping records of general body meetings at which votes are taken. These records shall be made available for viewing by members in good standing. Chapters should also be given a portal through which they can upload their own minutes.
  2. Within 60 days of the close of this Convention, the NPC or its delegate shall make available to all Chapters a service through which Chapters shall report their elections for officers and Convention delegates. This report must include at least the following: the date(s) of the election, the names of the offices and candidates for each office, the results by vote count, and the voting system used. The NPC or its delegate shall also make available to chapters upon their request voting system software for their use.

Attachment: Model Meeting Minutes

Chapter:

Branch if Applicable:

Meeting Type: General Chapter Meeting / Branch Meeting

Date of Meeting: Date

Number of Members in Attendance:

Quorum Number:

Were Votes on Substantive Resolutions Taken?  Y / N

List Each Resolution or Voted-on Item by Title or Resolution Number:

  1. Resolution Title or Resolution Number.
  1. Result of Vote: Passed / Failed / Postponed
  2. Number of Speakers For:
  1. Optional: List speakers for, using only first name and last initial.
  1. Number of Speakers Against:
  1. Optional: List speakers against, using only first name and last initial.
  1. If Passed, Text of Resolution as Adopted
  2. If Failed, Text of Resolution as Proposed

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 1: Less than $5000

This recommendation mandates the creation and long-term maintenance of a centralized archive of DSA’s important documents, including convention and NPC resolutions, policies, and future meeting recordings, to be completed by January 1, 2027. It also requires the NPC to provide tools for chapters to submit and publish their meeting minutes and election results, increasing organizational transparency. While there are no major financial costs, placing it at a Financial Impact score of 1, the Capacity Commitment is scored 3, due to the moderate time investment required from the NPC. The requirement for ongoing maintenance, coordination with chapters, and implementation of new reporting systems makes this a substantial and sustained operational effort.

CB01-2: Abolishing Constitutional Membership

Summary

Currently, apportionment of Convention delegates is based on a chapter’s “constitutional membership,” which includes not only Members in Good Standing (MIGS) but also members up to one year in arrears on dues.  Removing the constitutional member category ensures there’s one category of membership and gives members more accurate membership metrics.

Full text

Amendments to the DSA Constitution

Article III. Members

Section 2.

An individual shall apply to be a member following the procedure prescribed by the Bylaws. Application for membership shall be made to the Chapter or National Organization. Members are in good standing provided that they pay annual dues as prescribed in the Bylaws.

Section 5.

There shall be yearly dues, the amount of which shall be determined by the NPC prior to the commencement of each annual dues cycle.

Amendments to the DSA Bylaws

Article I. Membership

Section 2.

Members will receive the organizational outreach publication. Members are encouraged to participate in political activities and education. New members will receive a membership card, and renewing members shall receive such a card upon request. Members will receive information on National policy from the National Office. A member is in good standing only if their payment of dues is current. Only members in good standing are eligible to vote and to hold office in the organization. Membership in the organization may be maintained by persons who are up to one year arrears in dues. Such members may cure their arrearage and place themselves in good standing by paying their dues. Members with lapsed dues payments may cure their arrearage and place themselves in good standing by paying dues within thirty (30) days of the expiry of their membership.

Article II. Dues

Section 1.

Dues for membership shall be determined by the NPC prior to the commencement of each annual dues cycle on an annual basis.

Article VI. National Conventions

Section 1.

Delegates to the National Convention shall be apportioned based on the dues-paying membership of the organization (including all members up to one year arrears in dues). Delegate-to-member ratios shall be set by the NPC at least six (6) months before the Convention, except in the case of Special Conventions, where such ratios shall be set by the NPC as soon as possible after the Convention is called.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 2: Low to Moderate Finances 1: Less than $5000

While the change to membership itself is relatively straightforward and involves no direct financial cost, it may require modifications to DSA’s membership management system (ActionKit), communications protocols, and internal workflows. These backend changes - especially if they involve reconfiguring or customizing ActionKit - could require moderate staff coordination and technical support. However, since no major personnel or external costs are expected, the Financial Impact remains at 1.

CB01-3: See CR08-A01

Resolutions Subcommittee Note: CB01-3, Member Expulsion Policy, has been converted to CR08-A01, amending CR08, Unified Grievance Policy.

CB01-4: Member Input Policy*

Summary

Chapter meetings provide a regular opportunity for members to gather and discuss political issues, as well as solutions we can provide as a socialist organization. This political discussion, however, is not uniformly shared across the organization. The member input plank aims to foster simultaneous discussion within chapters and across the country, building a sense of belonging to a shared national organization beyond the local level.

Full text

The NPC will recommend topics or questions for discussion by chapters on a regular basis, at least four times a year. The topics are recommended for discussion by chapters at their next general meeting or a meeting organized for the purpose of that discussion. The recommended discussion topic will be publicized by membership-wide communication, through the DSA website and forums, and by email to chapters and chapter co-chairs of record. NPEC, or any other body delegated by the NPC, will assist with chapter communication, compiling materials and facilitation guides, and hosting events as needed.

Votes on resolutions are encouraged, and resolution text shall be reported to the NPC, including language of the resolution and vote total results. Results of votes will be published to all members.

The NPC will give a report to the next convention on participation in these discussions.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 2: Low to Moderate Finances 1: Less than $5000

This recommendation directs the National Political Committee (NPC) to recommend at least four discussion topics per year for chapter-level engagement, including publicity, facilitation materials, and follow-up on any resulting votes. It also requires the NPC to report on participation at the next convention. While it involves some ongoing coordination, particularly from NPEC or a delegated body in preparing materials and communications, the workload is manageable within existing structures and does not require intensive or sustained member or staff involvement beyond routine operations, warranting a Capacity Commitment score of 2. There are no significant financial costs, as the resolution relies on existing communication platforms, volunteer labor, and internal resources.

CB01-5: National Commission Policy*

Summary

This plank standardizes types of national working bodies (commissions and working groups) and elections for their leadership, establishes transparency requirements, and centralizes applications and onboarding. It builds in a process for handling administrative matters for working bodies at Convention, ensuring regular member oversight.

Full text

DSA Policy on National Working Bodies

All DSA national committees, commissions, working groups, and any NPC subcommittee or national DSA working body open to members other than the National Political Committee and DSA staff (hereafter, working bodies) will have one of two structures:

  • Appointed committees: Appointed committees will have a fixed number of members, set either by the NPC or by the National Convention, and appointed by the NPC or by the National Convention following an open application period of at least a month. The requirements for membership and specific method of appointment are left to the discretion of the NPC or the National Convention, but all valid applicants must be considered.
  • Open commissions: Open commissions may have an unbounded number of members, and applications to a commission must be processed at least four times a year. Requirements to participate in a commission may be set by the NPC, the National Convention, or the commission itself, but all applicants who fulfill the requirements must be accepted. Applications to a commission will be processed by the commission’s Steering Committee, or by a subcommittee within the commission to which the task is specifically delegated.

Open commissions will be one of the following types:

  • Standing Commission: Ongoing, permanent bodies organized around key functional or strategic areas
  • Working Groups: Time-limited or project-specific bodies organized around discrete tasks, campaigns, or initiatives which are dissolved once their work is complete

All working bodies must be open to application by DSA members in good standing, and all applications for working bodies will be consolidated into a single application, which will be linked on the “Working Groups” and “Get Involved” pages of the DSA website and on the DSA forums.

Members must remain in good standing to participate in national committees. Commission leadership (and any members who handle member or financial data in the course of their work) must sign data usage agreements and have those on file with national staff.

Associations

Members may form Associations, which is a lightweight recognized status for groups of members who share a common interest, identity, or focus. Associations are not DSA working bodies and should not generally be assigned externally-facing campaign work by the NPC or Convention, but the NPC or Convention may pass a charter converting an association into a working body in order to take on externally-facing work.

Associations may be formed one of two ways:

  • Members may seek recognition from the NPC showing that 15+ members have been meeting for at least three months
  • Open commissions that are being dechartered for inactivity may be converted into associations by the NPC if 15+ members of the group request it

The NPC may exercise oversight of associations if necessary, but associations will not have liaising assignments or other ongoing use of NPC or staff time. Associations will be given a section of the DSA Forums. They cannot submit budget requests to the national organization. Associations with no proof of activity or discussion in their forum section for 6 months will be closed. Associations may not create websites, social media, pamphlets, or any other such outwardly facing materials construed as representing DSA or official opinions of the organization.

Chartering, Renewal, and Dechartering

All working bodies must be chartered by a vote of the NPC or Convention. All resolutions establishing a working body should specify the intended duration of their work, which may be in perpetuity, and a working body will close after two years of operation if no duration is specified, unless reauthorized by the National Convention or NPC.

Before each National Convention the NPC will prepare a report on the status of all working bodies active during their term, due on the initial deadline of member-submitted resolutions to the Convention. The report will include each working body charter, a brief summary of funding and any other notable institutional resources provided, and level of activity. It will also list any working bodies dechartered during the term for any reason. The NPC will vote on recommendations for the next term, whether to recharter, decharter, combine, or otherwise amend their status, and any amendments to their membership or structure.

Members may propose amendments to these recommendations through the regular resolution process. Changes to membership and structure of working bodies will be proposed through this process. The report will be considered by the Convention, where delegates may amend recommendations on working bodies before voting on the package as a whole to approve the status of all working bodies for the next term. Despite otherwise being governed by rules governing amendments to resolutions proposed to the Convention, amendments to the working body report may be placed on the consent agenda and are eligible for secondary amendment.

Records

All working bodies must have a designated secretary responsible for maintaining minutes that reflect decisions made, including voting totals. Any votes conducted asynchronously (such as via Loomio, group chats, or other non-meeting motions) must be ratified at the next standing meeting of that body, using records maintained by the secretary. Any decision requiring action outside of a body’s official meetings must be automatically placed on the agenda for the next standing meeting of that body.

Working bodies using asynchronous voting must establish a method and timeline for asynchronous voting, established as a standing rule by a two-thirds majority vote of the body.

Working body records should be available to members in the DSA meeting minutes archive and policy library, updated at least quarterly, unless the NPC votes to make an exception for security reasons. All working body records must be made available to the NPC upon request. Any decision-making body that fails to maintain or provide its records may have its secretary replaced by the NPC or may be subject to dechartering by the NPC or the DSA National Convention.

Complete lists of members of appointed committees and NPC subcommittees will be made available to DSA members in good standing in a central membership-only site. A list of active associations will additionally be maintained and available to membership. These will be updated on at least an annual basis.

Steering Committees

All open commissions must have a Steering Committee approved by the NPC, including at minimum a secretary and a chair or co-chairs. Steering Committees for commissions will have a term of office no longer than two years, and will be selected as follows:

  1. The membership of the commission will select a slate for the Steering Committee by Scottish Single Transferable Vote. All members of the commission will be permitted to vote in this election, and all members of the commission will be eligible to run for Steering Committee. Candidates for a commission’s Steering Committee must indicate whether they additionally intend to seek appointment as secretary, chair, co-chair, or other specific officer positions within the Steering Committee.
  2. The National Political Committee will approve, amend, or replace the slate. The specific method of appointment is left to the discretion of the NPC, but information on all of the candidates must be made available to the full NPC. The NPC may designate the commission’s officers, or authorize the new Steering Committee to determine officer assignments among themselves.
  3. If the NPC cannot decide on the commission’s Steering Committee in the meeting at which the commission-selected leadership slate is debated, then the Steering Committee will be selected by a proportional method by the NPC, and officer roles within the commission determined by the new Steering Committee.

Existing national bodies will be classified according to these categories, and renamed and restructured accordingly, with the primary criterion for classification being the manner in which working body membership is determined: bodies appointed by the NPC should be classified as “committees” and bodies open to the general membership as “commissions.”

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 2: Low to Moderate Finances 1: Less than $5000

This recommendation establishes a comprehensive and standardized structure for all DSA national working bodies, including committees, commissions, working groups, and associations, defining how they are formed, governed, renewed, and dissolved. It introduces formalized processes for elections, asynchronous voting, record-keeping, and reporting, and requires the NPC to produce a detailed working body status report before each convention. Additionally, it mandates centralized archiving of records, standardized application systems, and restructuring of existing bodies, all of which require moderate to high staff coordination and member involvement, particularly during implementation and ongoing maintenance, justifying a Capacity Commitment score of 3. There are no significant financial costs, as the resolution relies on member labor, existing digital infrastructure, and internal administrative processes, resulting in a Financial Impact score of 1.

CB01-6: Changes to the NPC

Summary

This is an expansion to the size of our National Political Committee, based on the one recommended by the 2019-2021 NPC, increasing it from 16 to 25. This expansion maintains the current division of responsibilities and powers between at-large NPC members and Steering Committee, and gives each of the two YDSA representatives on the NPC their own vote. It requires transparency on members of NPC subcommittees, and establishes single transferable vote (STV) as the method for NPC election.

Full text

Amendments to the DSA Constitution

Article VIII. National Political Committee

Section 2.

The members of the NPC must be members in good standing of DSA. The NPC shall include two (2) at least one representatives of the Youth Section who share one vote and twenty-five (25) sixteen individuals elected at the national convention. Of the elected members, no more than thirteen (13) eight shall be cis-gender men and at least eight (8) five shall be members who identify as either a nationally marginalized race or ethnicity. In the event that these minority positions are not filled at the Convention, the position(s) shall be filled by the NPC, except that only minority members of DSA may be elected to fill such vacancies. In case of other such vacancies, except a vacancy of the Youth Section Representatives, the NPC shall appoint a member of the organization in good standing to serve until the next Convention. No person shall serve simultaneously on the National Staff and the NPC except that the national organization may provide for stipends, salary, or benefits for elected DSA leadership on an ex-officio basis. Any NPC member with a paid political leadership role in the organization may be recalled for nonfeasance or malfeasance by a two-thirds vote of the NPC.

Section 3.

The National Political Committee shall elect a Steering Committee (SC). It shall be constituted as follows:

It shall be composed of the six (6) five (5) people who shall be elected by the NPC from among its at-large members, and one (1) the Youth Section representative to the NPC. It shall include no more than four (4) three men and at least one person of color. The Youth Section representative will be determined by vote of the YDSA National Coordinating Committee. The National Director and the Youth Section Organizer shall be ex officio members, without vote, of the SC. 

Amendments to the DSA Bylaws

Article X. National Political Committee

Section 4.

[...] At the first meeting following their appointment, NPC committees shall elect from among their number a chair who shall be responsible for the organization of the committee, that is, for calling meetings, for notifying members of the meetings, for preparing agendas, for producing and distributing minutes to members, and for informing the NPC of the committee’s work.

All NPC appointed committees or subcommittees of the NPC will be published to membership in a central location with a description of the purpose of each committee and how members may apply, if applicable. The members of NPC appointed committees and NPC subcommittees will be made available to DSA members in this location on at least an annual basis. 

Section 6.

Election of at-large members of the NPC shall take place at the National Convention under procedures set forth by the Nominating/Personnel Committee except that preferential voting Scottish Single Transferable Vote will be used to elect at-large members of the NPC.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 2: Low to Moderate Finances 3: $10,000 to $50,000

While increasing the NPC’s size could introduce some logistical adjustments, such as managing additional communications, votes and meetings scheduling, the change is intended to distribute existing workload across more members rather than add new responsibilities, resulting in a net neutral or even positive effect on capacity.

Direct financial costs for this recommendation would include the minimal additional costs of email accounts and other technical tools provided to the NPC. The NPC also has met in person 2-4 times per year in the last two years. An additional 9 NPC members will raise in-person meeting costs about $15,000 based on the 2025 NPC travel budget.

CB01-7: Standards for the NPC

Summary

This plank reaffirms the scope of work of NPC members, and adds a recommendation from Convention to consider proportionality of tendencies from the convention election when filling vacancies. It establishes guidelines for accountability for paid political leadership and evaluation of their work.

Full text

Convention sets the scope of NPC responsibilities as follows. The NPC:

  1. meets at least four times a year and shall meet in varying areas of the country as is financially feasible;
  2. fills vacancies within its ranks by appointing members in good standing to serve until the next Convention, with a recommendation to consider proportionality of political tendencies from the convention election along with other qualifications and the context of the vacancy;
  3. selects a Steering Committee that is responsible for decision-making between meetings of the NPC;
  4. by a two-thirds vote, can remove any of its members for malfeasance or nonfeasance;
  5. has responsibility for:
  1. staff,
  2. finances,
  3. publications,
  4. education and,
  5. including the topics of general political direction and coalition work as agenda items on a regular basis;
  1. appoints committees to conduct and oversee specific work and report to the entire NPC; and
  2. is responsible for hiring, evaluating and discharging staff.

Any NPC member with a paid political leadership role in the organization may be recalled for nonfeasance or malfeasance by a two-thirds vote of the NPC.

The NPC will, within 30 days of the end of Convention, establish definitions for nonfeasance and malfeasance for co-chairs, stipended and non-stipended NPC members and make this available to membership.

The NPC description of duties and responsibilities document should be updated within 30 days of the NPC assuming its term with specific duties and responsibilities that speak to the scope approved at Convention.

Amendments to the DSA Constitution

Article VIII. National Political Committee

Section 2.

[...] Any NPC member with a paid political leadership role in the organization may be recalled for nonfeasance or malfeasance by a two-thirds vote of the NPC. The NPC is responsible for evaluating and directing the work of any members of DSA’s elected political leadership who receive compensation.

No NPC member may oversee their own evaluation process and should recuse themselves or abstain when applicable. The NPC may direct this evaluation to a subset of NPC members, such as its Personnel Committee.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 2: Low to Moderate Finances 1: Less than $5000

Capacity is scored a 2 because the recommendation introduces new governance standards that are largely administrative and can be incorporated into existing workflows with some stand-up work from staff, the NPC and national committee members. The 30 day requirement for these standards puts a large capacity requirement for staff and the incoming NPC, though it will be for a short period of time. Since the NPC already meets regularly and there is no requirement in the resolution for those meetings to be in person, implementation does not significantly increase coordination demands on staff or members.

Financial Impact is scored a 1 (No significant non-personnel costs) because the resolution primarily involves internal documentation and policy updates, which do not require major expenditures. Any incidental costs related to formatting, internal communications, or optional additional NPC travel would be minimal and fall below $5,000.

CB01-8: Implementing Chapter Affiliation Agreements

Summary

Chapter affiliation agreements were first passed in 2021 but could not be enacted because the required Constitution & Bylaws (CB) changes have not yet been brought to a Convention vote. These chapter agreements establish democratic minimums, as well as bilateral democratic rights and responsibilities. It standardizes our definition of chapter democracy and reaffirms the reciprocal relationship between chapters and the national organization. The agreements include making our multi-tendency nature explicit and protected. It also raises the voting threshold for any action against a chapter charter to a ⅔ vote of convention or a vote of ⅔ of the entire membership of the NPC.

Full text

Amendments to the DSA Constitution

Article IV. Local, State, Regional Organizations and Sections

Section 5.

Regional, State, and Chapter charters granted by the NPC may be revoked or taken into trusteeship for a period of up to one (1) year by a vote of two-thirds of the entire membership of the NPC or two-thirds vote of the National Convention majority vote of the NPC or the National Convention. Criteria for the revocation and trustee of charters are prescribed in the Bylaws.

Article V. National Conventions

Section 1.

The National Convention shall be the highest decision-making body of the organization. All decisions of other bodies may be appealed to the Convention according to guidelines defined in the Bylaws. The Convention shall accept a detailed financial report. The Convention shall adopt or approve Chapter Agreements which shall be binding on Chapters.

Section 4.

Chapters shall conduct their own elections for delegates and the NPC shall conduct elections for at-large delegates according to the guidelines set forth in the Bylaws. Only members fully paid up in dues at the time of the election shall be permitted to vote or to be candidates for election, subject to limitations in Bylaws Article III Section 5.

Article VI. Officers and Staff

Section 3.

Any member in good standing of the organization is eligible to hold any national office.

Amendments to the DSA Bylaws

Article I. Membership

Section 2.

Members will receive the organizational outreach publication. Members are encouraged to participate in political activities and education. New members will receive a membership card, and renewing members shall receive such a card upon request. Members will receive information on National policy from the National Office. A member is in good standing only if their payment of dues is current. Only members in good standing are eligible to vote and to hold office in the organization, subject to limitations in Bylaws Article III Section 5.

Article II. Dues

Section 6.

The National Convention, or should it not choose to act on this matter, the NPC, shall determine procedures for the collection of dues and contributions and the sharing of same between the Chapter and National Organizations. Procedures for sharing dues between Chapters and the National Organization shall be determined by the Chapter Affiliation Agreement.

Article III.

Section 1.

Charters may be granted to Chapters upon submission of a DSA Chapter Affiliation Agreement affirming an application that contains bylaws that reflect agreement with the principles and policies of the organization; a description of the geographic area to be served by the Chapter; and the signatures or votes of members in good standing who reside in the geographic region and who wish to be members of the Chapter. The number of members required shall be determined by the NPC.

Section 2. 

[...] The Model Chapter Bylaws and all subsequently amended Chapter’s Bylaws shall contain the following: provisions which call for at least two meetings per year of the Chapter; provisions for making bylaws amendments so long as no provision conflicts with the principles and policies of the national organization; provisions for the election of officers of the Chapter; provisions for informing all members of meetings; procedures for the election of officers and delegates to National, Regional, and State bodies and of decisions of the Chapter; and provisions requiring, in the event of the Chapter’s dissolution, the distribution of the Chapter’s assets to the Democratic Socialists of America.

Section 4. 

Charters for Chapters may be revoked or taken into trusteeship for a period of up to one (1) year by the NPC or the Convention if the majority of members of a Chapter are found to be in substantial disagreement with the principles, practices, and policies of the organization; or if a majority of members of the Chapter is under the discipline of any self-defined democratic-centralist organization; or if the membership in the Chapter falls below the number of members required to form a Chapter under Section 1 of this Article; if half or more of the elected leadership resign, or if the Chapter does not function for an extended period of time. A new Chapter for the geographic area may be granted a Charter following the revocation of a previous Charter upon application as described in Section 1 of this Article.

Section 5. 

Chapters must ensure that their bylaws or other standing rules uphold the following standards:

  • Members have the freedom to organize for shared political perspectives and take part in DSA’s democratic processes towards that end. DSA members and factions may organize to change DSA’s policies and program and may openly critique them, while accepting majority decisions as legitimate.
  • There shall be no higher decision-making body in a chapter than a synchronous General Meeting or Convention open to all members in good standing. This shall not prevent an elected leadership body from acting between such meetings.
  • No candidate may run their own election.

Section 6.

Chapters shall be bound by Chapter Agreements adopted by the Convention. Chapter Agreements shall include the following minimum requirements:

  1. The chapter agreement may set the requirements if any for the following positions:
  1. Chapter Officers
  2. National Convention Delegates
  3. Electors for National Delegates
  1. Incorporates the national member code of conduct;
  2. Shall require the holding of at least one (1) general decision-making meeting on an annual basis. A decision-making meeting is defined as a meeting or section of a meeting run under the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised or other parliamentary procedure authorized by chapter bylaws. The meetings are open to all members in good standing of the chapter who may propose business in order for it to be debated and voted upon. Decisions made at these meetings are binding at the chapter level. A delegated convention may count as one (1) decision-making meeting in a year, provided delegates are directly elected by members in good standing through a proportional method.
  3. That there shall be no higher decision-making body than a time-bounded General Meeting or Convention open to all members in good standing;  
  4. Branch Meetings shall have the following requirements:
  1. The meeting or section of the meeting runs under the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised or other parliamentary procedure authorized by chapter bylaws.
  2. The meetings are open to all members in good standing of the given territory of a branch, who may propose business in order for it to be debated and voted upon. Should meet quarterly.
  1. Shall require use of a national model form for the keeping of general meeting minutes and filing or reporting of those minutes;
  2. Shall include a means for members to notify the NPC or national office in cases of non-compliance with Chapters Agreements.

Section 7. 

The National Political Committee can place in trusteeship (meaning direct administration) any Chapter found to be in violation of Section 5 of this Article III, for a period of three (3), six (6), or twelve (12) months, based on the severity and duration of the violation. No Chapter may be placed in trusteeship except by vote of two-thirds of the entire membership of the NPC or two-thirds vote of the National Convention.

The Steering Committee of the National Political Committee, or a delegate chosen for the purpose by the SC, may investigate Chapters suspected of non-compliance with the national Constitution and Bylaws, Chapter Agreements, or both.

A report detailing the suspected non-compliance shall be provided to the SC and the Co-Chairs of the Chapter in question, with specific reference to the rules or provisions being violated and the date(s), nature and extent of the violations.

The Chapter may provide a written response to the report no more than twenty-eight (28) days after receipt of the report.

If the SC, after the twenty-eight (28) day response period, by majority vote finds that the Chapter is not in compliance, the Steering Committee may withhold dues from that Chapter. Should the Chapter not remediate the violation(s) within ninety (90) days, the Steering Committee may by simple majority vote deny the Chapter access to organization-wide tools and data.

Any decision imposing penalties on a Chapter must be communicated in writing to the Chapter’s Co-Chairs and members within five (5) days of its adoption.

A Chapter may, by written request of any of its elected officers or by petition of five (5) percent of its members, appeal any imposed penalty to the full NPC which may by simple majority of a quorate vote confirm, reduce, or repeal the penalty or penalties. Such appeal must be heard and acted upon in no more than forty (40) days, but no less than ten (10) days, of receipt by the NPC.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores[4]

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 1: Less than $5000

The recommendation introduces a robust new compliance framework (chapter affiliation agreements) that requires substantial coordination from both staff and NPC members. Implementation involves training chapters on new requirements, conducting investigations, managing appeals, and overseeing enforcement actions such as dues withholding or access restrictions to organizational tools. Moving to a proactive trusteeship model represents a major increase in workload beyond current operations. Staff will need to support legal review, documentation, communications, and compliance monitoring, especially if multiple chapters require intervention.

Financial Impact is scored a 2 due to expected administrative costs such as document formatting, internal communications, compliance tracking systems, and potential legal advice requirements. While most activities rely on existing infrastructure and personnel, there may be moderate expenses related to training materials, platform adjustments, and increased tech or legal support needs. There are no major infrastructure investments or external contracts required, keeping costs within a manageable range despite the high time demand.

CB01-9: Reauthorizing the Democracy Commission*

Summary

This plank renews the charter of the Democracy Commission for another two years, with the explicit purpose of implementing the reforms proposed by the commission. Current commissioners will be invited to participate, with vacancies filled by the NPC after an open application process.

Full text

Be it resolved, the Democracy Commission will have its mandate and scope of work renewed for 2025-2027, which may include but does not require investigation and research into internal DSA, a report to membership, or a proposal for the 2027 Convention.

Be it resolved, DemCom will have the following responsibilities:

  • Will help with the rechartering process for 2025 - 2027, including review updated chapter bylaws reported to national and make reports or recommendations to the NPC as needed
  • Attempt to visit a general meeting of each chapter over the next two years
  • Write reports on its work and send them to the NPC and membership, and assist with NPC reports mandated by Democracy Commission 2025 convention proposals
  • Promote the values of good governance and the democracy pamphlet

Be it resolved, members of the 2023-2025 Democracy Commission who participated in the proposal drafting period will be invited to this committee. Participation includes efforts to be involved even if unable to attend the synchronous meetings.

Be it resolved, the NPC will fill any vacancies as indicated in the founding resolution, after an application process open to all members.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 1: Less than $5000

Capacity Commitment is scored a 3 because the resolution involves ongoing coordination between DemCom, staff, and chapters across the country. Commission tasks include reviewing updated chapter bylaws, visiting general meetings, preparing regular reports, working with chapters on rechartering, and assisting with NPC reporting requirements. While some responsibilities align with existing workflows, the scale of engagement, especially visiting chapters and producing public-facing reports, represents a meaningful time investment. Additionally, onboarding new members and coordinating participation from returning members will require administrative support from staff.

CB01-10: Repealing the Ban on Democratic Centralism

Summary

DSA members can currently be expelled for being “under the discipline of a democratic centralist organization.” The democratic centralism ban is meant to prevent entryism by left wing sects, but really ensures that attempts at entryism will be harder to spot since any groups attempting this will be secretive about their affiliation rather than organizing openly. Removing the democratic centralist organization provision means that expulsion is about undemocratic and disruptive behavior, not simply membership in a group that describes its decision-making in this way.

Full text

Amendments to the DSA Bylaws

Article I. Membership

Section 3.

Members may be expelled if they are found to be in substantial disagreement with the principles or policies of the organization or if they consistently engage in undemocratic, disruptive behavior or if they are under the discipline of any self-defined democratic-centralist organization.

Article III. Chapters

Section 4.

Charters for Chapters may be revoked by the NPC or the Convention if the majority of members of a Chapter are found to be in substantial disagreement with the principles, practices, and policies of the organization; or if a majority of members of the Chapter is under the discipline of any self-defined democratic-centralist organization; or if the membership in the Chapter falls below the number of members required to form a Chapter under Section 1 of this Article; or if the Chapter does not function for an extended period of time. A new Chapter for the geographic area may be granted a Charter following the revocation of a previous Charter upon application as described in Section 1 of this Article.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

This recommendation does not mandate significant work or cost for staff or members at the national level.

CB02: One Member, One Vote for National Leadership Elections

Submitted by Ashik S (At-Large), Lyra S (Chicago), Ken B (Metro DC), Eduarda S (Metro DC). Qualified on Apr 29, 2025, with 436 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

DSA’s National Leadership should be decided by the full rank-and-file membership of DSA, not delegates or officers. 1M1V puts these powers in the hands of ALL members, inspired by the recent reforms which revolutionized the UAW.

Full text

Whereas the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) aspires to build a mass socialist party rooted in the working class, capable of wielding real political power;

Whereas the current national structures and decision-making processes of DSA suffer from opacity, structural barriers to participation, and an over-reliance on insider control, limiting the ability of rank-and-file members to shape the organization’s political direction;

Whereas the movement toward a mass socialist party requires deepening democracy within DSA itself, empowering members to meaningfully engage in decision-making at the national level;

Whereas DSA must move beyond its current patchwork of decision-making processes and adopt clear, consistent, and participatory mechanisms that reflect the will of the membership as a whole;

Whereas mass socialist and working-class parties across the world operate on the principle of One Member, One Vote, a principle generally advocated for by the radical currents within those organizations;

Whereas DSA has advocated and will continue to advocate for labor unions to adopt the One Member, One Vote principle;

Whereas leadership elections and electoral endorsements within most DSA chapters are held via all-member vote;

Whereas the principle of One Member, One Vote (OMOV) for key national decisions will democratize DSA, ensuring that its leadership and political direction are directly accountable to the full membership;

Therefore be it resolved that DSA will implement One Member, One Vote for national leadership elections, beginning after the 2025 Convention.

Be it further resolved that elections will be conducted through a secret electronic ballot sent to all members in good standing via email. Elections will be conducted with an election system that includes ranked choice preferences and proportional representation. At least two candidate forums will be held and announced to membership prior to 30 days before the start of voting.

Be it further resolved that One Member, One Vote for national leadership elections will apply to the following positions:

  • National Political Committee Member
  • Excluding the Youth Section representative
  • National Chair or Co-Chairs
  • National Labor Commission Co-Chairs
  • Any non-staff salaried national leadership positions created henceforth

Be it further resolved that One Member, One Vote for national leadership elections will not apply to positions filled by the National Political Committee from candidates among its membership, such as National Secretary or National Treasurer, where the eligible candidates were elected by One Member, One Vote.

Be it further resolved that the NPC may choose to develop election rules which reasonably permit candidates to identify themselves as the candidates of a slate or a caucus, in a way that is clearly visible on ballots for national leadership elections.

Be it finally resolved that this resolution is part of a broader effort to transform DSA into a more democratic, participatory, and member-driven organization—one that is not only capable of influencing federal politics but is also built from the bottom up to serve as a foundation for a mass working-class political party.

Constitutional Amendment:

Article VIII. National Political Committee
Section 2.
The members of the NPC must be members in good standing of DSA. The NPC shall include at least one representative of the Youth Section who share one vote and sixteen individuals elected at the national convention by the general membership.

[…]

Section 3.

The NPC shall be elected through a secret electronic ballot of the general membership, with quorum set at five (5) percent. The election shall be held by ranked-choice voting. NPC elections shall be held on a schedule published in conjunction with calls to the National Convention, such that NPC elections are conducted between thirty (30) and sixty (60) days prior to the opening date of the Convention.

[…]

Section 56.
A quorum of the NPC shall be more than half of its members. The NPC shall assume office immediately upon its election at the close of the National Convention for which they are elected to serve a two-year term or until its successors are elected.

[…]

Bylaws Amendment:

Therefore be it resolved to strike the following section:

Article X. Section 6.

Election of at-large members of the NPC shall take place at the National Convention under procedures set forth by the Nominating/Personnel Committee except that preferential voting will be used to elect at-large members of the NPC.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 2: $5000 to $10,000

This resolution requires significant staff time to implement national One Member, One Vote elections, including ballot setup, communications, ranked-choice and proportional voting administration, and organizing candidate forums. A 1,000-person vote takes about 3 staff hours —scaled to the full membership (~66.7k), this could take 7.5 staff days per election. This estimate is based on staff experience and reflects more than just launching the vote: it includes ballot cleanup, resolving ranking issues, turnout efforts, and voter communications. While the number of elections per cycle is not yet clear and may vary depending on appointments, the potential recurring workload is substantial. The cost score reflects expenses for electronic voting systems and related logistics, though actual costs may vary based on election frequency.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/41895

CB02-A01: Power to the Members: Deliberative Democracy for One Member, One Vote

Submitted by Daniel C (LA), Evan C (Chicago). Qualified on Jun 29, 2025, with 368 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Our amendments enhance OMOV with safeguards, including a three-month membership cutoff, Scottish STV for proportional results, plus a livestreamed town-hall & Q&A debate. We also aim to boost deliberation and engagement through inclusive roundtables with childcare and translation, feeding grassroots feedback into candidate questionnaires, and coordinating text and phone-bank outreach. These measures embed transparency, accountability, and participation to strengthen OMOV’s integrity and trust.

Full text

[Deleted text red and struck through, added text green and underlined, omitted text unaffected.]

[...]

Be it further resolved that elections will be conducted through a secret electronic ballot sent to all members in good standing who have joined at least three months prior to the election via email. Elections will be conducted with an election system that includes ranked choice preferences and proportional representation through an unmodified Scottish single transferable vote ballot. At least two candidate forums will be held and announced to membership prior to 30 days before the start of voting.

Be it further resolved that at least one “town hall-style” NPC candidate forum and one impartially moderated NPC candidate debate will be held and announced to membership prior to 30 days before the start of voting.

Be it further resolved that the NPC candidate forum and NPC candidate debate shall be livestreamed to the public and recorded, with real-time interactive participation open to all members in good standing.

[...]

Be it further resolved that the NPC may choose to develop election rules which reasonably permit candidates to identify themselves as the candidates of a slate or a caucus, in a way that is clearly visible on ballots for national leadership elections.

Be it further resolved that all chapters shall be encouraged to hold at least one impartially moderated, deliberative roundtable discussion on issues of importance to the chapter and the national organization at least one month before the NPC election. Participation in these discussions shall be made as accessible as possible through methods including, but not limited to, providing childcare and language translation services.

Be it further resolved that the anonymized comments and quantitative data collected from these discussions shall be impartially and transparently used to update or supplement the existing standardized questionnaire to be answered by all NPC candidates and/or slates; and that the completed questionnaires and candidate responses shall be disseminated by email to all DSA members in good standing at least two weeks before the NPC election. A statement from each NPC candidate detailing their positions on the key resolutions from the national convention closest to the election date will also be distributed via email to all members in good standing at least two weeks before the NPC election.

Be it further resolved that each DSA chapter shall be encouraged to conduct targeted canvassing, text-banking, and/or phone‐banking of all members in good standing to foster robust participation in the NPC election. This includes, but is not limited to, encouraging members to join chapter consultative discussions, view and critically assess candidate debates, review official candidate materials disseminated via email, and cast informed votes. Furthermore, all candidates will be provided with equal access to official campaigning platforms to ensure a fair and equitable election process. The national Growth and Development Committee, along with other national committees, shall assist with these efforts and will be responsible for text-banking and/or phone-banking at-large members.

[...]

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 2: $5000 to $10,000

This amendment does not change the score of the underlying resolution. While it adds new tasks such as requirements for member eligibility verification, mandatory candidate forums and debates, chapter-level roundtable discussions with accessibility supports, and expanded national and local outreach efforts like canvassing and text-banking, the resolution already carries the maximum score for Capacity Commitment (4). The amendment does not increase the Financial Impact beyond the $10,000 threshold, as most of the new components rely on existing infrastructure, digital tools, and member-led efforts. Any additional costs such as those related to livestreaming, translation, or platform usage are considered limited and manageable within the current budget scoring.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/47270 

CB03: Setting Fee Structures for the Organization’s Print Publications

Submitted by Y. Faye W (San Francisco). Qualified on Apr 30, 2025, with 313 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Because the organization’s bylaws were written prior to the more ubiquitous accessibility of electronic media, it does not distinguish between electronic and print deliveries as it relates to the organization’s publication. This bylaws amendment affirms that access to the organization’s publication should remain free while also allowing for (but does not require) the organization to charge a fee to deliver print copies of the publications if they are in production.

Full text

Rationale

Because the organization’s bylaws were written prior to the more ubiquitous accessibility of electronic media, it does not distinguish between electronic and print deliveries as it relates to the organization’s publication. This bylaws amendment affirms that access to the organization’s publication should remain free while also allowing for (but does not require) the organization to charge a fee to deliver print copies of the publications if they are in production. It does not require the production of print publications.

In addition to clarifying what it means to “deliver” the print publications in the digital age, it also allows greater flexibility in setting fees for print publications. While it does not require a fee, it permits setting fees in periods in which it may make financial sense, offering greater stability for any print publications we may produce. It is far easier to maintain the production and circulation of an existing publication rather than (re)launching print production.

So, be it resolved,

That the bylaws are amended, as indicated below, to add the italicized text and remove the text that is both italicized and in strikethrough that will:

  • Add a clause clarifying that electronic access to the organization’s publications should remain free and open to the public
  • Add language that establishes that print copies of the publications may be produced, if capacity permits, separately from electronic publication
  • Establish that the NPC can set a fee above dues for members to receive deliveries of print copies of the publications, if they are in production
  • Establish that the NPC can set a reduced rate for chapters to bulk order any publications in print
  • Establish that the NPC can set rates to sell back issues of any publications in the organization’s merchandise store

Bylaws

Article XII. Publications

Section 1.

There shall be two general and regular publications of the organization. These shall be an outreach publication and a discussion bulletin. Electronic access to the publications shall be free and unrestricted to the general public, including to all members. Members shall receive the outreach publication and may receive print copies, if the organization chooses to produce them, of the publications discussion bulletin for a fee above dues set by the NPC, which fee shall be lower for members paying low-income dues set by the NPC than for members paying regular dues. The NPC may also set reduced rates for chapters to order any single issue in bulk. Subscriptions may be available to non-members for a fee set by the NPC. Commissions may publish other bulletins as approved by the NPC. Other literature, including pamphlets and brochures, may be published as directed by the NPC. The NPC may set rates for selling excess copies or back issues of any print publication on the organization’s merchandise store.

Capacity & Financial Impact Score

Capacity 2: Low to Moderate Finances 1: Less than $5000

While the bylaw change itself is straightforward, implementing a print fee structure may require some initial staff planning and coordination. There are no direct financial costs associated with the resolution, and any future print-related expenses would be optional and offset by fees if the NPC chooses to produce and distribute print copies. In such a case, it is assumed that the net cost will be under $5,000.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/40972 

Submitter’s source document: Setting Fee Structures for the Organization’s Print Publications

CB04: Fair Representation via STV Delegate Elections

Submitted by Ringo X (Worcester). Qualified on May 5, 2025, with 299 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This bylaws amendment will ensure national convention delegates proportionally represent the vibrant spectrum of different political tendencies in chapters across our proudly multi-tendency organization by requiring that all delegates be elected by Scottish single transferable vote. This will eliminate the need for members to petition or motion for use of STV and end the recurring problem of some chapters making use of non-proportional voting methods that deny or dilute minority representation.

Full text

DSA Bylaws, Article VI. Section 3.

Elections of at-large and chapter delegates to the Convention shall be by Scottish Single Transferable Vote. held under procedures established by the NPC, except that a motion for the use of the Hare system of proportional representation supported by fifteen percent (15%) of those NPC members present and voting will require the use of the Hare system in at-large elections of Convention delegates. Chapters may determine their own method of election of delegates to the Convention except that a petition from ten percent (10%) of a Chapter’s membership or a motion supported by fifteen percent (15%) of those present and voting at the Chapter meeting which determines the method of election will require the use of the Hare system in that Chapter’s election of delegates to the National Convention.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

Implementation of this Constitutional Amendment leverages existing election processes, so it does not demand significant staff time or financial resources beyond normal operations.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/40151 

CB05: Members Decide

Submitted by Kareem E (NYC), Charlie H (NYC), Claire M (Metro DC), Liv M (Cincy). Qualified on May 5, 2025, with 308 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

The ultimate power to decide DSA’s direction must come from rank and file members. Let Members Decide enables rank and file members to petition for DSA-wide advisory votes on national decisions to break through political gridlock among national officers.

Full text

Whereas the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) aspires to build a mass socialist party rooted in the working class, capable of wielding real political power;

Whereas the current national structures and decision-making processes of DSA suffer from opacity, structural barriers to participation, and an over-reliance on insider control, limiting the ability of rank-and-file members to shape the organization’s political direction;

Whereas the movement toward a mass socialist party requires deepening democracy within DSA itself, empowering members to meaningfully engage in decision-making at the national level;

Whereas DSA must move beyond its current patchwork of decision-making processes and adopt clear, consistent, and participatory mechanisms that reflect the will of the membership as a whole;

Whereas mass socialist and working-class parties across the world operate on the principle of One Member, One Vote, a principle generally advocated for by the radical currents within those organizations;

Whereas DSA has advocated and will continue to advocate for labor unions to adopt the One Member, One Vote principle;

Whereas leadership elections and electoral endorsements within most DSA chapters are held via all-member vote;

Whereas the principle of One Member, One Vote (OMOV) for key national decisions will democratize DSA, ensuring that its leadership and political direction are directly accountable to the full membership;

Therefore be it resolved that DSA will implement One Member, One Vote for polling on major political issues, beginning after the 2025 Convention.

Be it further resolved that elections will be conducted through a secret electronic ballot sent to all members in good standing via email.

Be it further resolved that polls may be conducted with yes/no binary questions or ranked choice among multiple options.

Be it finally resolved that this resolution is part of a broader effort to transform DSA into a more democratic, participatory, and member-driven organization—one that is not only capable of influencing federal politics but is also built from the bottom up to serve as a foundation for a mass working-class political party.

Bylaws Amendment

Article XIII. Polls

Polls of the members in good standing on specific issues may be held upon petition of one-half (½) of the Chapters or one-third (⅓) of the members five percent (5%) of members or chapters representing twenty percent (20%) of members.

Such polls shall be advisory and not binding. At least two discussion forums will be announced to membership and held at least 14 days before the start of voting in any poll. Members shall have the right to submit statements in favor or in opposition to options in any poll, which shall be published to members at least 7 days before the start of voting in any poll.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/41892 

Capacity & Financial Impact Score

Capacity 4: High Finances 2: $5000 to $10,000

This resolution received a score of 4 (High Time Commitment) and 2 (Between $5,000–$10,000). Implementing a membership-wide system for advisory polls involves significant staff and member time for tasks such as ballot setup, communications, and managing ranked-choice or binary voting, as well as national discussion forums and handle member-submitted statements. Staff estimates suggest that administering a vote involving 1,000 participants requires about 3 staff hours; scaling this to the full membership could require over a week of staff time per election.This estimate is based on staff experience and reflects more than just launching the vote: it includes ballot cleanup, resolving ranking issues, turnout efforts, and voter communications.  Although the number of polls per cycle is uncertain and may vary, the ongoing workload is expected to be substantial. The financial impact reflects costs related to electronic voting platforms and administrative logistics, which may fluctuate based on the frequency of elections.

CB06: Proportional Representation for Chapters at Convention

Submitted by Shauna M (San Diego), Joe R (Metro DC), Ken B (Metro DC), Ben D (Metro DC). Qualified on May 5, 2025, with 300 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Equal voting power must apply to national conventions. The current delegate apportionment system gives some members nearly ten times the effective voting power of others at convention, which this resolution fixes.

Full text

Whereas:

  • About 5.2% of the vote is disproportionately misallocated by the current convention delegate apportionment system.
  • The current delegate system distorts chapter representation at convention by introducing significant amounts of rounding errors. The current system is not proportional and creates unintuitive and irrational incentives for chapters by encouraging membership recruitment in arbitrary increments of 60 people at a time.
  • The current delegate system distorts chapter representation by giving members different amounts of effective voting power depending on what chapter they are in. In the most extreme cases at the current apportionment ratio, chapter apportionment ranges from 1 delegate per 89 members to 1 delegate per 9 members. This means that some members can have about 10 times as much effective voting power at convention when compared to other members simply because of where they are located.
  • All chapters would benefit from establishing a more proportional and transparent delegate apportionment system, in which there would be a more consistent and linear relationship between recruiting more members and getting more representation at Convention. This would especially empower and encourage recruitment in small chapters, for whom recruiting an additional 60 members in the leadup to Convention may prove a daunting task.
  • Existing voting tools such as OpaVote and OpenSlides already include features for “weighting” votes so that delegates can cast a number of votes in proportion to the number of members they represent.
  • Adopting a weighted vote system would reduce the negative effects of malapportionment and result in fairer, more proportional, and more democratic voting outcomes.
  • Adopting a proportional representation system internally would be a model for Democratic Socialist values and practice, and equip members with experience and knowledge to challenge antidemocratic electoral systems in the United States as part of the struggle against the slaveholder constitution.
  • The proposed weighted voting system for delegates would reduce the absolute error in delegate apportionment from 5.2% under the current system to just 0.03% under the new system, reducing the existing malapportionment by 99%.

Resolved:

  • To better achieve proportional representation of membership at convention through chapter delegates, a new system will be adopted which entitles delegates to cast a number of votes proportional to the number of members they represent.
  • In the call for the next National Convention, the NPC shall publish draft rules governing vote weighting, delegate vote allocation, and proxy voting at the next Convention.
  • Chapter delegates from the same chapter will be allocated an equal number of votes. Chapter delegates will be entitled to a number of votes equal to the number of votes their chapter is entitled to, divided by the number of delegates apportioned to their chapter, then rounded to one decimal place. For example, if a chapter has 99 members, and 10 delegates, then each delegate will be allocated 9.9 votes.

Constitution Changes:

Article V. National Conventions

Section 3.

Representation shall be based proportionally upon dues-paying membership of the organization as of four months prior to the Convention. Apportionment of delegates shall reflect the one-member, one-vote principle, as shall be ordered by the NPC within the guidelines set forth in the Bylaws. However, all Chapters shall be entitled to at least one delegate.

[…]

Section 6.

Chapters shall be entitled to a number of as many votes equal to the number of Chapter members at the time of delegate apportionment. as the number of delegates they are apportioned. Chapter delegates will be assigned a number of votes proportional to the number of members they represent. The NPC and the Convention shall adopt rules governing delegate vote allocation and proxy voting. If a Chapter cannot send a full delegation, the delegates of the Chapter who are attending the Convention may, if authorized by the Chapter, vote the apportioned strength of the delegation. However, no delegate may cast more than three votes unless authorized to do so by the Convention. No voting at National Conventions shall be secret.

Bylaw Changes:

Article VI. National Conventions

Section 1.

Delegates to the National Convention shall be apportioned proportionally based on the dues-paying membership of the organization (including all members up to one year arrears in dues). Delegate-to-member ratios shall be set by the NPC at least six (6) months before the Convention, except in the case of Special Conventions, where such ratios shall be set by the NPC as soon as possible after the Convention is called.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 2: Low to Moderate Finances 1: Less than $5000

Staff and the National Tech Committee will need to prepare and manage the technical setup for weighted voting at National Conventions, including ensuring vote weights are correctly applied in systems like OpenSlides and exploring solutions for elections conducted with platforms such as OpaVote, which may not support fractional voting. While this requires careful planning and some additional workflow management during Conventions, it is expected to be manageable within existing capacity. Financially, the resolution involves no additional cost above the status quo for administering convention votes.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/41886 

CB07: Access to Delegates for Convention-Elected Candidates

Submitted by the National Political Committee. Qualified on Apr 27, 2025, by vote of the NPC (14-0), per Pre-Convention Rule 1.C.1.2. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This guarantees the right of national candidates to have access to contacting delegates for campaigning purposes (without necessarily sharing PII like emails or phone numbers).

Full text

Bylaws Amendment:

Article VI. National Conventions

Section 6.

All candidates for NPC, National Co-Chair, and any other position elected by the Convention shall be entitled to a method of sending a message to all delegates for the purposes of campaigning, which shall be made available equally to all candidates.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

Implementation of this Bylaws Amendment would presumably leverage existing election processes, so it does not demand significant staff time or financial resources beyond normal operations.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/44426 

NPC meeting minutes: April 2025 NPC Meeting Minutes - Member Copy

CB08: Remove References to National Director

Submitted by the National Political Committee. Qualified on Apr 27, 2025, by vote of the NPC (11-4), per Pre-Convention Rule 1.C.1.2. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This bylaws change allows for more flexibility in the staff structure. The existing language mandates a “National Director,” and DSA has not employed a National Director in over a year. The proposed changes would bring us into compliance and allow the next NPC (or Convention) some freedom in deciding whether to stick with the National Director structure and title, or to re-envision the role.

Full text

Constitutional Amendment:

Article VI. Officers and Staff

Section 1.

The officers of this organization shall be the Directors, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the members of the Steering Committee of the NPC. There shall be one or two Directors who shall be full time staff members as defined in Article IX of the DSA Bylaws. All of these officers shall perform the duties prescribed by this Constitution, the Bylaws, and the standing rules. As needed, the NPC shall appoint a President or other designation for legal compliance purposes.

Section 2.

The Director(s) shall be hired by the NPC according to the procedures set out in the DSA Bylaws. The Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected annually by a majority of the NPC and shall serve on the Steering Committee of the NPC until successors have been chosen.

Section 4.

The duties of the officers shall include the following:

The Director(s) shall be members of the full-time staff and shall be the official spokesperson(s) of the organization.

Article VIII. National Political Committee

Section 3.

The National Political Committee shall elect a Steering Committee (SC). It shall be constituted as follows:

It shall be composed of the five (5) people who shall be elected by the NPC from among its at-large members, and the Youth Section representative to the NPC. It shall include no more than three men and at least one person of color. The National Director and the Youth Section Organizer shall be ex officio members, without vote, of the SC.

Article IX. Staff

Section 1.

The NPC shall hire no more than two National at least one Directors, who shall be responsible for the functioning of the National Office(s) and staff, shall report on staff activities to the National Convention, and shall have specific duties as prescribed by the NPC. An announcement of any open directorship shall be published. Application shall be made to a Personnel Committee of the NPC. This committee shall make recommendations to the NPC, which shall have final approval for hiring.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

This recommendation does not mandate significant work or cost for staff or members at the national level.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/44434 

NPC meeting minutes: April 2025 NPC Meeting Minutes - Member Copy

CB09: Special Convention Overhaul

Submitted by Tom J (Twin Ports), Connell H (River Valley). Qualified on May 11, 2025, with 271 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

A Special Convention is the only mechanism available to DSA’s membership to overrule or exercise oversight of our elected leadership, but the high thresholds to call a Special Convention, the expense entailed by holding one, and the substantial disruption an irregular Convention could cause to DSA’s regular functioning all render the mechanism unusable in a practical sense. This amendment lowers the thresholds to call Special Conventions while restricting their scope and cost.

Full text

Whereas, the Special Convention is the only mechanism provided by the DSA Constitution and Bylaws by which chapters or the general membership may exercise meaningful oversight of the national organization between regular conventions.

And whereas, the requirements for calling a Special Convention are sufficiently demanding as to render it practically impossible to call a Special Convention, undermining its utility as a mechanism for democratic oversight.

And whereas, the National Convention constitutes DSA’s largest single expenditure, and holding an in-person, multi-day Special Convention along the lines of a regular National Convention would incur exorbitant and unnecessary costs.

And whereas, reducing the requirements for holding a Special Convention without also reducing the scope of Special Conventions would introduce significant uncertainty and instability into DSA’s internal political processes.

Therefore be it resolved, that DSA’s Constitution and Bylaws be amended as follows, with red, struck text being removed and green, underlined text being added:

DSA Constitution, Article V. National Conventions

Section 2.

National Conventions shall be held at least biennially. Special National Conventions may be called by a three-fourths (¾) vote of the National Political Committee, or by petition endorsed by Chapters representing two-thirds (⅔) one-half (½) of the membership, or by one-half (½) one-tenth () of the membership.

Section 3.

Representation shall be based upon dues-paying membership of the organization as of four months prior to the Convention. Apportionment of delegates shall reflect the one-member, one-vote principle, as shall be ordered by the NPC within the guidelines set forth in the Bylaws. However, all Chapters shall be entitled to at least one delegate. Apportionment of delegates for a Special Convention will be identical to apportionment for the most recent regularly scheduled National Convention.

Section 5.

No election for delegates to the a regularly scheduled National Convention shall be held more than four months, or less than forty-five days, prior to the opening of the National Convention. No election for delegates shall be conducted before the apportionment of delegates according to Section 3 of this Article. All Chapter elections of delegates shall be by secret ballot. Election of delegates may be by proportional representation within the conditions prescribed in the Bylaws. Elections for delegates to a Special Convention must be held at the earliest availability of Chapters following their receipt of a call for a Special Convention. Chapters may opt to send the same slate of delegates as were sent to the most recent regularly scheduled National Convention, or to elect a new delegation according to the processes used to elect delegates to the most recent regularly scheduled National Convention.

Section 7.

Calls to the National Convention shall be issued by the NPC at least one-hundred (100) days prior to the opening date of the Convention. Calls to Special Conventions shall be issued by the petition calling such Convention, providing that the date is set between thirty (30) and sixty (60) days from the issuing of the call. National Political Committee as soon as possible upon the receipt of a valid petition, which must be no more than thirty (30) days following the receipt of the petition. The Special Convention will take place thirty (30) days after the call is issued.

DSA Bylaws, Article VI. National Conventions

Section 2.

Elections for at-large delegates shall be conducted by the NPC. A call for candidates for at-large delegates shall be sent to all at-large members not less than three months and not more than five months prior to the opening date of the a regularly scheduled Convention, or as soon as possible upon receipt of a valid petition for a Special Convention. Two months prior to the a regularly scheduled Convention a ballot containing the names of the delegate candidates shall be sent to at-large members, or two weeks after receipt of a valid petition for a Special Convention. This ballot shall contain instructions regarding the number of delegates to be elected, voting procedures, and date for the counting of ballots. Ballots shall be counted at the National Office one month prior to the a regularly scheduled Convention, or one week after the ballots are sent in the event of a Special Convention. No more than one-half (½) of the available positions for at-large delegates may be available to men and one-fifth (⅕) of the available positions (all genders) must be reserved for members who identify as either a nationally marginalized race or ethnicity. Those candidates who have been elected shall be immediately informed of their election by the National Office. With the exception of the shortened timeline, the processes used to elect at-large delegates to a Special Convention should be the same as those used to elect at-large delegates to the most recent regularly scheduled National Convention.

Section 5.

Regularly-scheduled National Conventions shall be held in a location decided on by the NPC at least a year in advance of the convention, while continuing our practice of only patronizing union-staffed hotels or convention sites. Special Conventions shall be held virtually.

Section 6.

Special Conventions may each consider only one resolution, which must be included in the petition for the Special Convention, and amendments to that resolution, which must be submitted to the National Political Committee at least a week in advance of the Special Convention with a number of signatures from DSA members in good standing equal to at least one-tenth () the number of apportioned delegates. Special Conventions may not alter DSA’s Constitution or Bylaws.

Section 7.

Special Conventions may elect a new National Political Committee if the recall of the current National Political Committee is included in the Special Convention petition. The new National Political Committee will serve the remainder of the prior National Political Commitee’s term and will be elected with the same procedures used to elect the prior National Political Committee, except that any member in good standing with a number of nominating signatures from other members in good standing equal to at least one-twentieth ()  the number of the apportioned delegates may be a candidate.

Section 8.

A pending petition for a Special Convention is rendered void if it fails to reach either endorsement threshold specified in Article V, Section 2 of the DSA Constitution at least three months prior to the next regularly scheduled National Convention.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

This amendment may lead to increased frequency of Conventions. Each convention—though limited in scope and held virtually—will require substantial staff time for planning, delegate coordination, communication, and technical setup. While individual Special Conventions are expected to cost less than the 2021 virtual Convention ($146,183 combined, $95,000 for tech costs), and staff and the NTC will work to reduce costs, the potential for holding multiple in a cycle would likely result in total costs exceeding $50,000.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43876

Submitter’s source document: Special Convention Overhaul Amendment [REVISED]

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Resolutions (CR, R)

To be considered for debate at the Convention, resolutions must have a minimum of 250 signatures of support from DSA members who are in good standing. Resolutions submitted by the National Political Committee with two-thirds approval may be considered even if they do not receive 250 signatures. Proposals meeting the signature requirement also become eligible for amendment prior to convention.

A CR designation denotes a consensus resolution from a national committee, commission, or working group. An R designation denotes that the resolution is member submitted.

Any member or group of DSA members in good standing may propose amendments to political and organizational resolutions. To qualify for discussion and consideration, the amendment must have a minimum of 250 signatures from DSA members in good standing.

In all amendments to resolutions, proposed additions are green and underlined, proposed deletions are red and struck out, and omitted text is unaffected.

CR01: Democracy Commission DSA National & Chapter Affiliation Agreement Proposal

Submitted by Aaron B (Southeast MN), Connell H (River Valley), Ramsin C (Chicago), Allison K (New York City), Kristian H (North Texas). Qualified on Apr 23, 2025, with 519 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Once put into operation by the bylaws changes in CB01, this resolution establishes the chapter affiliation agreements for DSA. Along with expectations of chapters and national, this affiliation agreement establishes basic standards for DSA chapters. This includes a requirement for a minimum of one meeting per year with voting rights for all members in good standing, and a virtual discussion space for chapter members. It includes a requirement to have been in good standing for at least 30 days to vote for chapter leadership or convention delegates, or to be a chapter officer.

Full text

DSA National-Chapter Affiliation Agreement

Preamble

The purpose of this agreement is to ensure that the Democratic Socialists of America and its affiliated Chapters are working in partnership consistent with the organization’s democratic socialist principles, the policies of the organization, and in accordance with all applicable state and federal laws. While many of the practices addressed in this agreement are already commonplace within DSA, the intent of this agreement is to clearly define roles, responsibilities, and expectations for both DSA chapters and the National organization.

Section 1. Grant of Charter
  1. Charter. DSA hereby grants CHAPTER a charter to be a local Chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, conditioned on the terms and conditions of this Agreement. CHAPTER agrees to abide by this Agreement and all DSA governance documents, rules, policies, and procedures relating to Chapters as adopted in this agreement.
  2. Territory. CHAPTER shall represent DSA as DSA’s local affiliate in the boundaries defined in its charter (the “Territory”), in accordance with DSA’s mission and purposes as set forth in DSA’s Constitution and Bylaws, all national policies, and this Agreement. DSA agrees that CHAPTER shall be the sole and exclusive Chapter of DSA in the Territory during the term of this agreement. CHAPTER agrees that, except as approved in writing by the Officers of DSA, DSA shall be the sole and exclusive national association representing the interest of the chapter.
  3. Authorized Activities. DSA specifically authorizes CHAPTER to conduct activities within the Territory consistent with furthering the principles and values of democratic socialism, including but not limited to meetings, political education programs, local campaigns, fundraising, and all such other activities as directed by the National Convention or the NPC.
  4. Prohibited Activities. CHAPTER agrees to refrain from any and all such activities that conflict with DSA’s democratic socialist principles, that violate federal, state or local law, and/or that could incur liability or harm to DSA, including but not limited to supporting, by contributing funds or otherwise, for-profit corporations or law enforcement, using organizational funds to purchase weapons of any kind, or direct disbursement of funds to individuals without approval from the General Membership.

Section 2. Duties of DSA

DSA’s obligations to CHAPTER under this Agreement shall include:

  1. Provide up to date lists of members within the Territory to CHAPTER on a weekly basis;
  2. Provide regular and ongoing organizing support, training, and mentorship from, but not limited to, DSA staff;
  3. Provide access to DSA’s suite of national organizing and tech tools, currently including Action Network, Spoke, Zoom, HubDialer, and VAN;
  4. Provide access to DSA’s national training library as well as technical support in utilizing tech and organizing tools through DSA;
  5. Preside over any and all national expulsion and grievance appeals pursuant to the procedures laid out in Resolution 33 and DSA’s Non-Resolution 33 Expulsions Process;
  6. Notify CHAPTER of the chapter’s delegate apportionment for any and all DSA National Conventions.
  7. Distribute the dues share to incorporated chapters, and maintain the debit cards of unincorporated chapters.
  1. Dues share is set to:
  • 30% of the average monthly dues contribution from the first 50 chapter members
  • 25% of the average monthly dues share from the next 51-200 members
  • 20% of the next 201 members and up

Section 3. Duties of the Chapter
  1. Governing Documents. CHAPTER agrees that its governing documents are and shall remain consistent in all material respects with DSA’s governing documents, and that in any conflict between the two, the national requirement shall prevail.
  2. Leadership Elections. CHAPTER shall report the results of elections for officers and executive committee members, and of officers or executive committee members that have resigned or been removed within 30 days of any elections, appointments or changes.
  3. Programs and Activities. CHAPTER shall endeavor to organize programs and activities to advance democratic socialism in the Territory.
  4. Regular Contact. Chapter shall maintain regular contact with DSA on a monthly basis, through either meetings with elected NPC members, Field Organizers, or by attending monthly District Calls.
  5. Compliance with Laws. CHAPTER warrants that it is, and shall remain, in full compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and other legal standards.
  6. Compliance with DSA. CHAPTER agrees to conduct its activities in full compliance with all DSA policies, procedures, and regulations, including mandates of the National Convention and NPC.
  7. Recordkeeping, Reporting, and Inspection. CHAPTER shall maintain all records related to its corporate and tax-exempt status and shall forward to DSA copies of its Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, and tax exemption correspondence from the Internal Revenue Service, as well as any adverse notices, requests for information by law enforcement, or other correspondence received from any governmental agency (e.g., Internal Revenue Service, state Secretary of State, or corresponding agency). CHAPTER shall maintain reasonable records related to all of its programs, activities, and operations. CHAPTER shall annually submit to DSA a copy of its most recently filed Form 990, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax, as submitted to the Internal Revenue Service, within 30 days of such filing. If required to file, upon the written request of DSA and at DSA’s expense, CHAPTER will permit DSA or DSA’s designated agent(s) to review appropriate records of CHAPTER pertaining to its programs, activities, and operations. Alternatively, CHAPTER shall send to DSA copies of such records upon the request of DSA.
  8. Incorporation and Tax Status. CHAPTER warrants and represents that it is an incorporated nonprofit corporation, shall incorporate as a nonprofit corporation under state law within 6 months of the Effective Date of this Agreement, and/or that it will utilize DSA’s umbrella tax status if granted explicit permission by DSA. Further, CHAPTER warrants that it shall at all times be in good standing with its state of incorporation and operate in a manner consistent with CHAPTER’s tax-exempt purposes.
Section 4. Standards of Democracy

Chapters further agree to uphold the following standards in their practice of democracy.

  1. Members must be in good standing for 30 days to vote in elections for Chapter-wide leadership, to hold Chapter-wide office, or to vote in elections for delegates to national convention.
  2. Shall incorporate the national member code of conduct;
  3. Shall require the holding of at least one general decision-making meeting on an annual basis. A decision-making meeting is defined as a meeting or section of a meeting run under the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised or other parliamentary procedure authorized by chapter bylaws. The meetings are open to all members in good standing of the chapter who may propose business in order for it to be debated and voted upon. Decisions made at these meetings are binding at the chapter level. A delegated convention may count as one decision-making meeting in a year, provided delegates are directly elected by members in good standing through a proportional method.
  4. That there shall be no higher decision-making body than a time-bounded General Meeting or Convention open to all members in good standing;
  5. Branch Meetings shall have the following requirements
  1. The meeting or section of the meeting runs under the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised or other parliamentary procedure authorized by chapter bylaws.
  2. The meetings are open to all members in good standing of the given territory of a branch, who may propose business in order for it to be debated and voted upon. Should meet quarterly
  1. Shall require publishing to its members the Chapter’s budget at least on an annual basis;
  2. Shall require use of a national service or system for the handling of internal election of its officers and convention delegates;
  3. Shall require use of a national model form for the keeping of general meeting minutes and filing or reporting of those minutes.
  4. A means for members to notify the NPC or national office in cases of non-compliance with Chapters Agreements.
  5. Shall require an officer-level position for member engagement and orientation and political education, which can be a single officer or multiple officers;
  6. Every chapter of DSA is required to have a common digital platform to facilitate intra-chapter communication. This may be a Slack, Discord, forum, or other presence where individuals can communicate with other members directly.
Section 5. Amending the Chapter Charter

The contents of the charter may only be amended at the National DSA Convention. Compliance with any new contents of the charter only applies after a renewal of charter.

Section 6. Charter Term and Renewal

The charter granted by DSA to CHAPTER shall become effective on the Effective Date set forth above and shall remain in full force and effect for up to two years, or until revoked by DSA or by CHAPTER in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

  1. Charter application. The application to renew a chapter charter shall include the following items
  1. If you would like to add zip codes please list them here
  2. Current Chapter code of conduct and HGO process
  3. Certificate of good standing if chapter is incorporated
  4. If you have a bank, where is it located and what is the current balance?
  5. The last budget report to membership
  6. Please list any Political Action Committees associated with the chapter. Do they have bank accounts? What are their balances?
  7. Any disciplinary notices from state or city agencies within the last year.
  8. Chapter email, address, and socials
  9. The current bylaws of the chapter
  10. The current roster of officers
  11. The date of your last annual meeting / convention?
  1. Two (2) Year Grace Period. Chapters have up to two years after convention to apply for a new charter. Failure to do so may mean the chapter is not in compliance and appropriate action will be taken as outlined here.
  1. The NPC, or a delegated body will produce an omnibus approval block of charter renewals
  2. The NPC, or a delegated body will have the power to pull individual charters that are deemed problematic to be voted on individually by the NPC-SC
Section 7. Enforcement of Charter
  1. Request for investigation and appeal: The National Political Committee can place in trusteeship (meaning direct administration) any Chapter found to be in violation of chapter agreement, for a period of 3, 6, or 12 months, based on the severity and duration of the violation. No Chapter may be placed in trusteeship except by vote of ⅔ of the entire membership of the NPC.

The Steering Committee of the National Political Committee, or a delegate chosen for the purpose by the SC, may investigate Chapters suspected of non-compliance with the national Constitution and Bylaws, Chapter Agreements, or both.

A report detailing the suspected non-compliance shall be provided to the SC and the Co-Chairs of the Chapter in question, with specific reference to the rules or provisions being violated and the date(s), nature and extent of the violations.

The Chapter may provide a written response to the report no more than twenty-eight days after receipt of the report.

If the SC, after the twenty-eight day response period, by majority vote finds that the Chapter is not in compliance, the Steering Committee may withhold dues from that Chapter. Should the Chapter not remediate the violation(s) within ninety days, the Steering Committee may by simple majority vote deny the Chapter access to organization-wide tools and data.

Any decision imposing penalties on a Chapter must be communicated in writing to the Chapter’s Co-Chairs and members within five days of its adoption.

A Chapter may, by written request of any of its elected officers or by petition of five (5) percent of its members, appeal any imposed penalty to the full NPC which may by simple majority of a quorate vote confirm, reduce, or repeal the penalty(ies). Such appeal must be heard and acted upon in no more than forty days, but no less than ten days, of receipt by the NPC.

  1. Notice of Violation. DSA, through the NPC, shall be responsible for enforcing this Agreement and shall provide written Notice of Violations of this Agreement to CHAPTER with a minimum of (28) days to correct any breach of the Agreement. In the event that CHAPTER fails to correct any breach of the Agreement or to respond within the time period specified within the Notice, DSA through the NPC, may withhold resources to the chapter. If the breach of charter is still not correct after these actions, then the NPC may revoke CHAPTER’s Charter or establish Trusteeship over the Charter pursuant to the procedures specified in this Agreement.
  2. Withholding resources. DSA, through the NPC, shall have the authority to limit or completely withhold the dues share or suspend the chapter’s access to Org Tools.
  3. Trusteeship. DSA, through the NPC, shall have the authority to establish Trusteeship of CHAPTER if CHAPTER fails to comply with or respond to any Notice of Violation of this Agreement within the specified time period or in the event that half or more of the elected leadership of a chapter resigns. In the event that Trusteeship is established, the NPC or its designees shall act as Officers of CHAPTER until such time as new Officers may be democratically elected by the Membership but for a period no longer than 1 year.
  4. Revocation of Charter. DSA, through the NPC, shall have the authority to revoke the charter of CHAPTER if CHAPTER fails to comply with or respond to any Notice of Violation of this Agreement within the specified time period.
  5. Termination of Charter. CHAPTER may terminate this CHARTER and affiliation with DSA at any time. CHAPTER may initiate Termination of Charter through written notice of its intention to do so no less than thirty (30) days prior to the effective date of such termination. DSA reserves the right to all assets bearing DSA’s name and/or insignia and may request that they be surrendered by CHAPTER on the date of termination, including but not limited to email addresses, website domains, social media accounts, and publications.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores[5]

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 1: Less than $5000

The recommendation introduces a robust new compliance framework (chapter affiliation agreements) that requires substantial coordination from both staff and NPC members. Implementation involves training chapters on new requirements, conducting investigations, managing appeals, and overseeing enforcement actions such as dues withholding or access restrictions to organizational tools. Moving to a proactive trusteeship model represents a major increase in workload beyond current operations. Staff will need to support legal review, documentation, communications, and compliance monitoring, especially if multiple chapters require intervention.

Financial Impact is scored a 2 due to expected administrative costs such as document formatting, internal communications, compliance tracking systems, and potential legal advice requirements. While most activities rely on existing infrastructure and personnel, there may be moderate expenses related to training materials, platform adjustments, and increased tech or legal support needs. There are no major infrastructure investments or external contracts required, keeping costs within a manageable range despite the high time demand.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/42727

Submitter’s source document: Democracy Commission Structural Reform Proposal

CR02: Building an Internationalist Party

Submitted by the Steering Committee of the DSA International Committee. Qualified on May 5, 2025, with 292 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Given the declining state of US-led world imperialism, return of US expansionist policy, and DSA being the largest Socialist organization within the US, DSA IC has requested to continue being a Priority Committee, designating both Progressive International as our political international and all invited international observers to National Convention 2025 as DSA’s Priority International Partners, and expanding DSA’s national capacity to campaign against U.S. empire and for International solidarity.

Full text

WHEREAS, an international coalition of ruling class oligarchies led by the United States increasingly threaten the sovereignty of democratically elected governments and international structures.

WHEREAS, the Trump administration is reverting to the most belligerent forms of U.S. imperialism, including direct threats of conquest and imposition of widespread tariffs as a weapon of global economic warfare, creates further urgency to expand DSA’s internationalist organizing.

WHEREAS, DSA being the largest socialist organization within the United States is increasingly asked by socialist parties and movements in other countries for analyses of what is happening in the USA and for reciprocal solidarity against U.S. imperialist interventions.

WHEREAS, over the past 8 years, DSA has engaged in a variety of international solidarity efforts including organizing against the Cuban Embargo, BDS and Palestine solidarity campaigns, and immigrant justice organizing.

WHEREAS, since its reform in 2019, DSA IC has developed a broad swath of international diplomatic relations with parties abroad, particularly in Latin America through its membership in the São Paulo Forum since 2022.

WHEREAS, over the last two years the U.S.-Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people has led to a significant transformation of the American Left with an increased internationalist character.

Therefore, let it be resolved, DSA shall continue to designate the International Committee (IC) as the Priority Committee of the organization responsible for coordination of DSA’s diplomatic relations and reciprocal exchange programs with all organizations abroad, as well as international solidarity and anti-imperialist campaign work inside the United States.

Be it further resolved, DSA shall designate the Progressive International (PI) as the “Political International” it is a member of and will regularly participate in strategic PI activities including delegations, educational efforts, and joint campaigns.

Be it further resolved, DSA shall coordinate with PI a speaking tour across DSA chapters featuring progressive party leaders, parliamentarians, labor activists, and social movement activists by the 2027 DSA Convention.

Be it further resolved, DSA shall designate the international parties and other organizations invited to observe this convention as “Priority International Partners” for DSA as coordinated by the appropriate divisions of the International Committee.

Be it further resolved, DSA International Committee shall be responsible for building deep solidaristic bonds with Priority International Partners through joint political education projects and classes and joint campaigns. DSA IC will also strive to expand relationships with PIPs beyond the IC through the facilitation of meetings and programming with DSA National Committee leaders and chapter leaders.

Be it further resolved, the DSA International Committee will be responsible for maintaining an updated list of Priority International Partners with a priority on organizations from the Global South.

Be it further resolved, DSA IC recognizes that it has not successfully developed the chapter liaisons program, or strategic campaigns enough to coordinate a powerful national anti-imperialist campaigning apparatus that meets the current moment.

Be it further resolved, DSA IC commits to launching two official priority campaigns by the end of 2025 focused on Immigrant justice and Palestine Solidarity.

Be it further resolved, DSA chapters are encouraged to merge existing internationalist, anti-war, immigrant justice, and Palestine solidarity committees into unified chapter International Committees. If such a consolidation is not possible, then DSA chapters are encouraged to have a chapter liaison from each body responsible for internationalist work.

Be it further resolved, DSA International Committee will experiment with various mechanisms to integrate chapter International Committees such as regular convenings of chapter IC leaders, expedited member onboarding for chapter IC members, and training series on how to build chapter level internationalism.

Be it further resolved, DSA encourages At-Large members residing outside of the USA to engage with socialist organizations in their country of residence. DSA IC will track and develop these relationships through diplomatic support.

Be it further resolved, DSA IC shall develop a regular bulletin compiling updates about the International left, DSA internationalist organizing, and U.S. empire.

Be it further resolved, DSA IC will facilitate the creation of internationalist merchandise for the DSA store.

Cost Estimate

National Speaking tour: $2,000

One year of Immigrant Justice and Palestine solidarity priority campaigns: $4,000

Total: $6,000

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 2: $5000 to $10,000

This resolution received a Capacity Commitment score of 1 due to the fact that much of the work described builds upon its ongoing efforts within the IC. While there is some expansion in scope, the expectations fall within manageable limits for current staff involvement and members. It received a Financial Impact score of 2 , reflecting limited direct costs of $6,000 for key activities, with no indication of significant additional expenses beyond current capacity.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/42612 

Submitter’s source document: IC Consensus Resolution 2025

CR02-A01: Anti-Imperialism in the 21st Century (formerly R28)

Submitted by Ruy M (At-Large), Maria F (Miami), Emma B (Portland). Qualified on May 4, 2025, with 291 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This resolution outlines an anti-imperialist orientation for DSA’s international work, including opposition to votes for NATO expansion, opposition to funding the US war machine and the funding of genocide in Gaza, and collaboration and solidarity with socialist and workers’ organizations around the world towards an international revolutionary movement for democratic socialism.

Full text

[Deleted text red and struck through, added text green and underlined, omitted text unaffected.]

[...]

Therefore, let it be resolved, DSA establishes the principle of providing practical aid, organized solidarity, and political support to the international working class as the foundation of our international work.

Be it further resolved, we prioritize the defeat of our own country's imperialist aims, and in so doing fight to end all colonial and neo-colonial relations. We steadfastly oppose the US-backed genocide in Gaza, and support a single state from the River to the Sea. We oppose the neo-colonial funding of the war in Ukraine that is causing severe consequences for millions of Ukrainian and Russian workers, the sanctions regime starving millions of people around the world, stand against our country's militarization in the Pacific, and every other imperialist adventure the United States partakes in. While doing so, we affirm our position in favor of the international proletariat, not necessarily any nation which is an adversary of the United States, especially when they oppress their own working class.

Be it further resolved, DSA fights to build an international revolutionary movement for democratic socialism, which can only come about by the seizure of power by the working class in a decisive victory against the capitalist class. While recognizing the progress that social-democratic parties based in the working class represent, we affirm that there is a fundamental difference between our goals and theirs - especially in countries in the imperial core.

Be it further resolved, DSA establishes that in the context of meeting organizations from around the world, our role is not to offer uncritical diplomatic support for them, but to critically evaluate, work together, and exchange lessons with parties around the world.

Be it further resolved, DSA commits to supporting democracy and rank-and-file control within working-class organizations—trade unions and political parties—and the struggle of the working class against self-serving bureaucratic layers within these organizations.

Be it further resolved, DSA recognizes that many of DSA’s elected representatives have not adhered to the standards set here or in previous resolutions adopted by previous National Conventions on anti-imperialism. DSA firmly opposes any votes to expand NATO or strengthen the US war machine by DSA representatives in Congress, reaffirms our opposition to imperialist militarism, and considers failure to carry out these policies as a breach of DSA’s principles and anti-imperialist policy.

Be it further resolved, DSA shall continue to designate the International Committee (IC) as the Priority Committee of the organization responsible for coordination of DSA’s diplomatic relations and reciprocal exchange programs with all organizations abroad, as well as international solidarity and anti-imperialist campaign work inside the United States.

[...]

Be it further resolved, the DSA International Committee will be responsible for maintaining an updated list of Priority International Partners with a priority on organizations from the Global South.

Be it further resolved, we seek to learn from and stand in solidarity with parties and movements around the world fighting for socialism. DSA, through the IC, will take a ‘big tent approach’ to working with different credible workers' organizations within countries, including those that are not the largest organization of workers in their country or PIPs, and organizations like peasant movements or different trade union confederations. An example of this might be working with People Before Profit, a Marxist party in Ireland with a mass base, though not as large as Sinn Fein.

Be it further resolved, DSA IC recognizes that it has not successfully developed the chapter liaisons program, or strategic campaigns enough to coordinate a powerful national anti-imperialist campaigning apparatus that meets the current moment.

[...]

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

This amendment does not affect the overall capacity or cost requirements for the underlying resolution.

External Links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/41061

Submitter’s source document: Amendment to CR02 version of Anti-Imperialism in the 21st Century

CR02-A01-S01: Decolonial Anti-Imperialism (formerly R28-A01)

Submitted by Richard S (Greater Baltimore), Syjil A (Delaware), Fernando G (Central New Jersey), C.S. Jackson (San Diego). Qualified on Jun 29, 2025, with 266 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Strengthens DSA’s commitment to an anti-interventionist and decolonial international practice.

Full text

Be it therefore resolved, that CR02-A01: Anti-Imperialism in the 21st Century, is amended as follows, with added text purple, bolded, and underlined, text removed orange, bolded, underlined, and struck out, and omitted text unaffected or retaining the changes made in CR02-A01 in green and red.

[...]

Be it further resolved, DSA holds that while American imperialism has dominated the shape of international relations, other powers have influenced global and regional politics to lesser degrees. Their political and economic interests frequently intersect with those of Empire, to the ultimate detriment of the global working class. Imperialism establishes distinct structural relationships when perpetrated by nation-states at lower stages of economic development or less central positions of power within international relations. We oppose the oppressive structure of the current international order and aim to support movements to topple existing powers, build and sustain popular and socialist power, or otherwise gain counterpower and autonomy within the imperial system to the extent that those movements embody a liberatory vision. Organizing in the imperial core, we hold a key strategic position in the international struggle. As we seek to organize the marginalized and dispossessed, we agitate for the recognition of our shared struggle with the working classes of the global periphery. Resistance in both core and periphery against imperialism can threaten its foundations.

Be it further resolved, we prioritize the defeat of our own country's imperialist aims, and in so doing fight to end all colonial and neo-colonial relations. We steadfastly oppose the US-backed genocide in Gaza, and support a single state from the River to the Sea. DSA fundamentally supports the right of resistance of Palestinians and supports the ability of the organizations involved on the ground to carry out that liberatory vision. We oppose the neo-colonial funding of the war in Ukraine that is causing severe consequences for millions of Ukrainian and Russian workers, the sanctions regime starving millions of people around the world, stand against our country's militarization in the Pacific, and every other imperialist adventure the United States partakes in. While doing so, we affirm our position in favor of the international proletariat, not necessarily any nation which is an adversary of the United States, especially when they oppress their own working class.

Be it further resolved, DSA fights to help build an international revolutionary movement for democratic socialism, which can only come about by the seizure of power by the working class in a decisive victory against the capitalist class. While recognizing the progress that social-democratic parties based in the working class represent, we affirm that there is a fundamental difference between our goals and theirs - especially in countries in the imperial core.

Be it further resolved, DSA establishes that in the context of meeting organizations from around the world, our role is not to offer uncritical diplomatic support for them, but to critically evaluate, work together, and exchange lessons, and learn from with parties around the world.

Be it further resolved, in line with DSA’s commitment to indigenous liberation highlighted in the 2019 convention item Amendment 1 to Resolution 34, “Amendment on the Red Deal and Rejecting a Green Military,” DSA will seek to liaise and build ongoing working relations with indigenous organizations around the world. DSA will encourage bodies with which DSA coordinates to respect the rights of indigenous groups and to avoid conflicts which would divide the decolonial left. Further, the NPEC will create political education materials related to colonization and indigenous movements to further our commitment to principled internationalism.

Be it further resolved, DSA commits to supporting democracy and rank-and-file control within working-class organizations—trade unions and political parties—and the struggle of the working class against self-serving bureaucratic layers within these organizations.

Be it further resolved, that socialist solidarity is not conditional. Regardless of any differences DSA may have with any international left wing party or movement, DSA will always steadfastly oppose any military action by the United States, any attempt by the United States by covert or overt means to overthrow or undermine a foreign government, or any other intervention by the United States into the internal affairs of another nation.

Be it further resolved, DSA supports the free movement of all people and is committed to total solidarity with migrant workers threatened by government attack.

[...]

External Links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/44177

Submitter’s source document: Decolonial Anti-Imperialism

CR02-A02: Democratic Socialist Internationalism

Submitted by Ben D (Metro DC), Ashik S (At-Large), Liv M (Cincy). Qualified on Jun 29, 2025, with 324 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

DSA should build relationships with a diverse array of left parties and movements in other countries, including those in and out of government. DSA should learn from and stand in solidarity with movements in the Global South fighting for democracy and socialism against all governments that engage in the repression of democratic rights and side with capital over workers. Finally, DSA should re-affirm that the NPC is the highest decision-making body of the organization between Conventions.

Full text

Whereas,

  1. Internationalism is a core principle of democratic socialist politics. Capitalism is a global system that exploits and oppresses workers across the world to enrich a small capitalist minority in the Global North. The international working class transcends borders and must be united in its fight against exploitation and oppression and to replace capitalism with democratic socialism. Socialists stand in solidarity with workers and popular movements around the world in their struggle for socialism and democracy, and a world free from exploitation and oppression.
  2. The emancipation of the working class must be undertaken by the working class itself. Only the self-activity of workers can end capitalism and realize socialism. As such, socialists must support democracy and rank-and-file control within working-class organizations, trade unions and political parties. Only through a clear-eyed commitment to expansive political democracy and freedoms can democratic socialism be achieved and maintained. We must remain cognizant of the pressures of imperialism and the circumstances of socialist movements across the world and not dictate to mass socialist movements, but we also must not waver in our democratic principles.
  3. Over the past few years, DSA's international work has advanced and developed significantly, while at the same time, DSA's international work has been at times out of step with our membership and broader strategy. DSA should continue to oppose cynical attempts of the US and other western powers to undermine political figures and nations that do not fall in line with their imperial interests. The failure of western governments to stand up against the genocide in Gaza highlights how opposition to un-aligned countries and political movements are highly selective and motivated by ruling class interests, rather than any genuine commitment to human rights and international law.
  4. However, while remaining unwavering in our opposition to imperial interference, DSA’s international work should not reflexively and uncritically celebrate any such political figures and nations simply because of their opposition to United States imperialism. Our commitments to democratic socialist principles and nuanced political analysis cannot end at our own borders. Instead, DSA's international work should assess political figures and nations critically from the perspective of the interests of the international working class, and embrace the breadth and diversity of working class social movements, political formations, and labor unions around the world by making connections to a wide variety of working class organizations on the ground fighting for socialism and democracy across the globe, not just those with government-sanctioned power. Arming our working class base with an accurate balance sheet of the successes and shortcomings of international figures, movements, and governments can help build a broad and effective mass resistance to global imperialism in the United States, which is among our most crucial tasks.
  5. Furthermore, as a US-based organization our role is not to judge foreign political movements – whether to praise or denounce them - but to analyze their conditions and how we relate to them. Our international commentary must be laser focused on exposing, critiquing, and dismantling imperialism originating from the US and its allies.

Resolved, that new Resolved clauses are added at the end of the International Committee Consensus Resolution, with added text green and underlined, text removed red and struck out, and omitted text unaffected:

[...]

Be it further resolved, DSA will take a “big-tent” approach to building relationships with socialist movements, groups, organizations, and parties in other countries. This means meeting and building relationships with a diverse array of left parties and movements in other countries. This includes those in and out of government, as well as independent workers’ organizations and trade unions.

Be it further resolved, DSA recognizes and reaffirms our duty to learn from and stand in solidarity with movements in the Global South and around the world that are fighting for democracy and socialism against all governments that engage in the repression of democratic rights and side with capital over workers. This necessarily includes governments that ally with U.S. empire and governments that claim to oppose U.S. imperialism, but which continue to repress or exploit their own working class populations. By "democracy," we mean democratic rights including the rights to:

  • independently form and organize trade unions and political organizations;
  • to vote in meaningful political processes that choose government leaders;
  • free speech and expression, including the right to criticize and protest one's own government;
  • equality for all racial and ethnic groups, gender identities and expressions, and sexualities;
  • indigenous and national self-determination;

Be it further resolved, our main targets are our own government and the global structure of exploitation and imperialism that it maintains. However, as consistent anti-imperialists and internationalists, our starting point for establishing solidarity must be the rights of workers and peoples, not the balance of geopolitical power or the nominal political identities of different governments.

Be it further resolved, DSA opposes imperialist interventions that claim to support democracy or workers’ movements through broad economic sanctions and military intervention, intelligence operations, or state funding of opposition groups. We oppose all measures that act as collective punishment against a country’s population, harm workers, and deny national sovereignty. Anti-democratic, imperialist interventions by the United States and other capitalist countries undermine and delegitimize grassroots movements for democracy by associating them with foreign intervention, thereby providing cover for governments to suppress democracy in the name of anti-imperialism and national sovereignty. Principled criticisms of governments and policies that restrict democracy or attack the working class does equate to support for imperialist intervention or regime change, just as criticism of liberal or progressive politicians domestically does not imply support for their reactionary and conservative opponents.

Be it further resolved, DSA re-affirms that the National Political Committee, being the democratically elected leadership of our organization, is the highest decision-making body of the organization between meetings of the Convention. DSA re-affirms that the NPC has the authority to exert political oversight over the IC, and make final determinations about any statements or policy positions developed by the IC.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

This amendment does not affect the overall capacity or cost requirements for the underlying resolution.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/47263

Submitter’s source document: PUBLIC: Democratic Socialist Internationalism

CR03: 2025 GNDCC Convention Resolution

Submitted by Nicole M (NYC), Matthew H (Birmingham), Wren P (O’ahu), Claire M (Metro DC), Shay S (Cleveland), Jeff G (Austin), Batul H (NYC), Katie H (NYC), Joe F (Knoxville), Misha K (East Bay), Lori D (LA), Poornima T (WSIL), Patrick R (NYC). Qualified on May 5, 2025, with 482 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

The Green New Deal Campaign Commission shall continue Building for Power, authorized by 2023 Convention. Our work empowers chapters to run strategic campaigns to tackle the climate crises from legislative, electoral, and labor angles based on local conditions. We provide unified messaging, training, and political education to chapters and broader audiences.

Full text

Whereas the existential threat of the global climate and ecological crisis we face, unlike any in human history, requires socialists to make this a central terrain in our struggle for a better world and against a racialized capitalist system profiting from extraction, exploitation, and domination;

Whereas the Green New Deal (GND) is a flexible and popular framework for transformative state climate and environmental action, not a particular bill or predetermined set of policies;

Whereas, DSA adopted resolutions in 2019, 2021, and 2023 to prioritize fighting for an ecosocialist Green New Deal as defined by DSA’s democratically adopted GND Principles;

Whereas in 2023, the GNDCC launched the Building For Power (B4P) campaign to train and support DSA chapters to fight for state and municipal GND-style reforms in coalition with unions and other mass working-class organizations behind a common vision of an emancipated, democratic, and sustainable society;

Whereas, the GNDCC has provided dozens of trainings, workshops, mass calls, webinars, and policy briefs for at least 85 chapters in support of the B4P strategy;

Whereas, chapters around the country have adopted B4P campaigns and successfully built significant relationships with organized labor and propelled socialists in office, including Milwaukee’s Power to the People, Chicago’s Fix the CTA, Louisville’s Get on the Bus, NYC’s House the Future, and more;

Whereas, the GNDCC, as all national bodies, has submitted a report going into further detail on activity within the past two years;

Whereas by coaching chapters to run B4P campaigns, the GNDCC can help build DSA’s capacity to respond to a second Trump administration by developing strong chapters that can execute strategic campaigns;

Be it therefore resolved the GNDCC is rechartered as a national DSA priority commission until the 2027 DSA Convention, and is tasked with continuing its work training, coaching, and supporting chapters with Building for Power campaigns.

Resolved that the GNDCC will continue to train and organize DSA chapters to run and win legislative campaigns and labor and ballot demands for reforms that shift structural power to the working class by building public sector and organized labor capacity—like expanded mass transit, democratized and decarbonized public energy, green social housing, and green public spaces and facilities.

Resolved that the GNDCC will continue to support the development of chapter capacity by providing campaign-oriented training, coaching, resources, and educational materials and facilitating cross-chapter coordination as part of a larger unified strategy.

Resolved that the GNDCC will continue to emphasize collaboration with other DSA national bodies on overlapping campaign and policy areas, especially via mass political education events. Specifically, GNDCC will work with the NPC’s Trump Administration Response Committee (TARC) to incorporate, where strategic, B4P and the GNDCC’s ongoing work into the messaging and tactics of DSA’s national response to the Trump administration.

Resolved that the NPC will appoint the 11-member GNDCC within 60 days of the start of the NPC term, to serve a term of two years until the 2027 National Convention. The outgoing GNDCC will solicit applications and the NPC will appoint candidates based on the capacity, skills, and knowledge needed for carrying out this campaign.

Resolved that the GNDCC will maintain such subcommittees and processes as needed to fulfill the campaign’s objectives.

Resolved that the NPC will commit resources to the work of the campaign, particularly coaching, training and growing DSA chapters engaged in work within its umbrella. Such resources shall include, at least, the following:

  • Staff, technical, and other support for campaign fundraising and merchandise, as reasonably needed and requested by the GNDCC;
  • Budget funds necessary to support digital tools and resources for campaign organizing;
  • Access to DSA member data and other resources as reasonably needed and requested by the GNDCC.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

This resolution recharters an existing national priority commission (the GNDCC) and calls for the continuation of its current work. While it affirms a multi-year commitment, the resolution does not propose new programs or significantly expanded responsibilities. As such, it is scored as a continuation of existing efforts with no significant additional staff burden or financial cost beyond the current baseline.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/42699 

dCR03-A01: For a Radical and Resurgent Ecosocialist Working Group (formerly R14)

Submitted by Alex M (Seattle), Fernando G (Central NJ). Qualified on Apr 14, 2025, with 328 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Despite the efforts of the Green New Deal Campaign Coalition (GNDCC), DSA’s climate justice work has stagnated under a Congress that has no interest whatsoever in preventing climate apocalypse. Recognizing that the GNDCC’s efforts are not finding traction in the current political climate, this resolution will reorganize it into a reinstated Ecosocialist Working Group, allowing DSA members to collaborate on a revamped ecosocialist project to include strategies beyond just the Green New Deal.

Full text

Whereas, with many political questions within DSA, our ecosocialist politics are multitendency, as we seek to approach a sustainable future and halt the planet’s trajectory toward climate apocalypse in organizing across a variety of terrains;

And whereas, the Green New Deal, and thus the Green New Deal Campaign Commission (GNDCC), is no longer representative of the consensus of DSA membership in charting a path toward climate sustainability and ecosocialism;

And whereas, in the wake of the failed implementation of the Build Public Renewables Act in New York through its sabotage by the Hochul administration, and the failure to pass the Green New Deal in Congress by substantial majorities of both major parties, the politics of the Green New Deal faces substantial opposition by the pro-capital political establishment, and is thus infeasible through simple reformism within the present structure of the United States’ political system;

And whereas, per DSA’s 2019 endorsement of the Red Deal, we recognize the ultimate need to pursue climate justice through non-reformist reforms which are fundamentally at odds with the present political system or the participation thereof;

And whereas, the work of GNDCC has dwindled and failed to accomplish its aims as a priority campaign for DSA;

Therefore be it resolved, that CR03: 2025 GNDCC Convention Resolution is amended as follows, additions green and underlined, deletions red and struck out, and omitted text unaffected:

[...]

Be it resolved that the Green New Deal Campaign Commission (GNDCC) shall not be renewed for 2025;

Resolved that the GNDCC shall be rechartered as the Ecosocialist Working Group and any active work of that body shall be folded into that of the working group;

Resolved that the Ecosocialist Working Group is directed to expand the scope of their work beyond the Green New Deal alone, and not simply be a renaming of the existing body.

Be it therefore resolved the GNDCC is rechartered as a national DSA priority commission until the 2027 DSA Convention, and is tasked with continuing its work training, coaching, and supporting chapters with Building for Power campaigns.

Resolved that the GNDCCEcosocialist Working Group will continue to train and organize DSA chapters to run and win legislative campaigns and labor and ballot demands for reforms that shift structural power to the working class by building public sector and organized labor capacity—like expanded mass transit, democratized and decarbonized public energy, green social housing, and green public spaces and facilities while also expanding its work past the Green New Deal.

Resolved that the GNDCCEcosocialist Working Group will continue to support the development of chapter capacity by providing campaign-oriented training, coaching, resources, and educational materials and facilitating cross-chapter coordination as part of a larger unified strategy.

Resolved that the GNDCCEcosocialist Working Group will continue to emphasize collaboration with other DSA national bodies on overlapping campaign and policy areas, especially via mass political education events. Specifically, GNDCC will work with the NPC’s Trump Administration Response Committee (TARC) to incorporate, where strategic, B4P and the GNDCC’s ongoing work into the messaging and tactics of DSA’s national response to the Trump administration.

Resolved that the NPC will appoint the 11-member GNDCC within 60 days of the start of the NPC term, to serve a term of two years until the 2027 National Convention. The outgoing GNDCC will solicit applications and the NPC will appoint candidates based on the capacity, skills, and knowledge needed for carrying out this campaign.

Resolved that membership of the Ecosocialist Working Group shall once again be fully opened to any member of DSA in good standing who wishes to participate;

Resolved that the GNDCCEcosocialist Working Group will maintain such subcommittees and processes as needed to fulfill the campaign’sits objectives.

Resolved that the NPC will commit resources to the work of the campaignEcosocialist Working Group, particularly coaching, training and growing DSA chapters engaged in work within its umbrella. Such resources shall include, at least, the following:

  • Staff, technical, and other support for campaign fundraising and merchandise, as reasonably needed and requested by the GNDCCEcosocialist Working Group;
  • Budget funds necessary to support digital tools and resources for campaign organizing;
  • Access to DSA member data and other resources as reasonably needed and requested by the GNDCCEcosocialist Working Group.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 2: Low to Moderate Finances 1: Less than $5000

This amendment was scored a 2 for Capacity Commitment because it involves some staff coordination to transition the Green New Deal Campaign Commission into the Ecosocialist Working Group and requires member participation, but it does not demand significant ongoing time or major new projects. It received a score of 1 for Financial Impact because it does not involve any additional spending or use of resources beyond what is currently available, making the financial cost minimal.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/40938

Submitter’s source document: For a Radical and Resurgent Ecosocialist Working Group

CR04: National Political Education Committee Consensus Resolution – 2025

Submitted by the DSA National Political Education Committee. Qualified on May 5, 2025, with 286 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This resolution outlines NPEC’s intent to meet urgent demands on DSA to lead politically as a pre-party organization, by increasing its resources and capacity to better serve DSA members and the wider public. This is so crucial now, as we see educators and learners under attack, as liberal institutions fail their missions to defend free expression and knowledge and collaborate with the right. Socialists must answer fascistic repression with socialist humanism.

Full text

Whereas:

NPEC was founded in 2019, with a mission to “invest”–organize and expand–political education within DSA to contribute to the development of our members as socialist organizers and more broadly, as promoters of and participants in democracy;

NPEC has met and surpassed its ambit of work originally described in 2019, with the development of socialist night schools, a podcast, a newsletter, core trainings and curricula, and regular events; offshoots like Archives Workshops and the Capital Reading Group; and successful cross-collaborations with DSA committees and groups outside DSA, like the We Are the Union reading group with DSA Labor and EWOC;

Now, in the wake of huge political upheaval and membership surges, NPEC has found ourselves meeting more need than ever within DSA, as thousands of new socialists have come to us in search of meaningful political belonging, learning, and direction;

NPEC punches far above our weight given limited resources, due to the high level of dedication of our members, but administrative tasks constrain our capacity, and we could use more material support from the national organization to continue building the large, dynamic educative apparatus that befits DSA as a pre-party formation;

Education–the teachers, faculty, students, researchers, librarians, all workers who make learning and knowledge available to humanity–in the US is under heavy fire, from outside the school gates and from inside. Institutions touted as guardians of free expression and claimed as bulwarks of democracy attack their own students and censor their teachers as education, ever more costly, is turned into mere credentialism;

So-called “woke” and “Marxist” knowledge production and preservation have been the primary targets of the right, which brings within its scope of attack courses and materials about capitalism, climate change, racism, queerness, feminism, imperialism, social movements, and class struggle;

To meet this watershed moment, socialists must once again take up their traditional role as vigorous defenders of education, and build DSA to stand as a pillar of socialist humanism–the idea that knowledge is a social good, it must be universally available, and it must be directed to diverse human flourishing, and the collective uplift and freedom of the working class;

NPEC must be re-invested now so DSA can fully contribute to the crucial and expansive fight against fascistic censorship and authoritarian repression, by promoting pro-social knowledge production that defends education and strengthens our own organization as an institution of knowledge flow and production in its own right.

Resolved:

NPEC WILL INCREASE OUR CAPACITY:

NPEC continues its commitment to building a diverse, multi-tendency committee that can meet our urgent political moment, and expand our capacity. In addition to energetic outreach to all parts of our organization for recruitment to the main committee each application term, NPEC will revitalize our “Volunteers and Contributors” program for temporary and short-term work with NPEC by:

  • advertising V&C more frequently;
  • engaging in direct asks of national and chapter leadership and political educators to recruit and recommend members to NPEC;
  • creating more opportunities for shorter-term support projects to build skills across DSA and increase poli-ed cadre and capacity on the national and local levels.

Depending on an assessment of our successes and needs in this area by December 2025, V&C may become its own subcommittee by vote of NPEC.

NPEC WILL INCREASE OUR RESOURCES:

Resource commitments to the National Political Education Committee and its projects will increase in the following two ways:

  • Dedicated staff time, equivalent to up to 10 hours per week, to aid the steering committee and our rank and file members execute publication and distribution of our materials, archiving and web work, basic communications, scheduling, and other administrative tasks.
  • A political education allocation in the DSA budget of $20,000 in 2026 for materials and honoraria for events, technical equipment/software, reading group subsidies, reward swag, and other material investments to promote and expand DSA’s political education, with an increase of up to 50% for 2027’s budget, contingent on the previous year’s spending and impact assessments, in consultation with relevant DSA committees, leadership and national staff.

NPEC WILL INCREASE OUR OUTREACH:

The committee will continue to build on its successes in outreach, including the following increases:

  • The expansion and diversification of the Class podcast in content, frequency, personnel, and reach, with the goal of weekly podcasts by December 2025;
  • Improving the poli-ed reach of DSA’s YouTube channel with the support of DSA’s communications department, with a goal of increasing views of NPEC’s new video content double by December 2025;
  • Increased collaboration and crossover with other DSA committees to support those committees’ campaign or internal work with pedagogical and training support, and to create new avenues for poli-ed within DSA and outside of it, with a goal of three new crossover events or curricular projects by December 2025, six by December 2026, and three by August 2027;
  • Where NPEC presently hosts a yearly Educators’ Conference, three additional quarterly gatherings shall be organized to improve our connection with and foster collaboration between local chapters’ political education programs.

NPEC WILL INCREASE OUR CURRICULA:

NPEC commits to making an even larger and more dynamic set of curricula that strengthens our members’ intellectual muscles at every level and creates opportunities to build debate, critique and engagement skills that learners can take into their chapters, unions, and community organizing spaces. These curricula will be available to members via NPEC’s Moodle as they are created and as fully as possible.

  • The committee will assess current materials and resources and from that basis, create four new Socialist Night School series of 3-4 parts each, on the following topics, seeking the support and collaboration of the NPC and relevant committees, to be completed within one year of 2025 convention (ie, by August 2026), rolled out one per quarter, and advertised widely. After these SNSes are completed and used, they will be assessed, and a new program for four new SNS series will be proposed and executed by NPEC between August 2026-7. The first four shall be on the following topics:
  • Democracy, Civil Society, and Socialist Politics
  • What is Internationalism for Socialists?
  • Socialist Analyses of Nativism and Racism
  • Socialist Feminisms & Gender Liberation
  • The committee will partner with local chapters’ political education programs to compile informative content made by DSA members nationwide. The committee will select, review, and edit these materials where appropriate to prepare them for national distribution.
  • The committee will create a Party School program that will complement leadership training within the Growth and Development Committee.
  • The committee will create a basic Socialist Sprouts Curricula for parents, caregivers, and children.
  • The committee will run the Capital Reading Group at least once per year.
  • The committee will host other reading groups as proposed and approved as frequently as capacity allows, and will create channels for interested groups of members who wish to activate a reading group to petition for support and resources from NPEC, to encourage and expand reading capacity and skills in DSA and across the working class.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 3: $10,000 to $50,000

This resolution is scored 3 for Capacity Commitment because it involves a moderate to high level of staff coordination and member participation, including the expansion of volunteer recruitment, development of new national curricula, increased event planning, and the addition of dedicated staff time. The resolution is scored 3 for Financial Impact due to the proposed annual budget allocation of $20,000 (with potential increases) for materials, honoraria, technical resources, and program support.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/42560

Submitter’s source document: National Political Education Committee Consensus Resolution -- 2025

CR05: National Electoral Commission Consensus Resolution

Submitted by the National Electoral Commission. Qualified on May 6, 2025, with 302 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This resolution was democratically decided on by the membership of DSA’s national Electoral Commission. It contains proposals for running candidates as independents, changing our endorsement criteria, and Socialists in Office Committees.

Full text

Whereas: After the 2023 convention, DSA’s National Electoral Commission became an open commission whose job is to lead DSA’s national electoral work and to carry out electoral related DSA convention resolutions. Any DSA member in good standing with electoral experience is eligible to be an NEC member.

Whereas: While the NEC Steering Committee recommends national endorsements, leads sub-committees and implements NEC projects, the commission is governed by its membership, who democratically determine the leadership, structure, and political direction of the NEC.

Whereas: In this term, the NEC SC has recommended multiple candidates for national endorsement, launched a fundraising campaign for nationally endorsed candidates, raising over 25 thousand dollars, and provided training materials, education, and mentorship to chapters across the organization.

Whereas: The below resolved clauses were democratically written, debated, amended and approved by the NEC at-large membership. They are representative of the multi-tendency nature of this body and lay out a democratic vision for DSA’s electoral work for the next two years.

Section 1: Recruitment of Independent and Nonpartisan Candidates

Resolved: The NEC will form a subcommittee to recruit at least three socialists to run as independent or nonpartisan candidates in 2026-2028 local, state, or federal elections. These candidates will be considered for national endorsement by the NEC and NPC and only run if they are endorsed by the national organization. This subcommittee, the “Independent and Nonpartisan Candidates Subcommittee” will be composed of 2 NPC members selected by the body and 4 NEC members selected by the NEC and approved by the NPC. Within one month of the national convention they will present a timeline and work plan to the NPC for approval and select a committee chair to helm organizational work.

The role of this subcommittee will be to:

  • Identify strategic districts where a socialist candidate would be popular, and the race is non-partisan or advantageous for independent candidates. They should use factors such as:
  • The strength and interest of the local DSA chapters and use factors such as:
  • Willingness to run an independent campaign
  • Experience being the primary organization running previous campaigns
  • A large number of members with experience canvassing, fundraising, handling communications, compliance, volunteer recruitment and staff positions
  • Have the ability to set up an SIO committee
  • Past election results of previous socialist candidates including Bernie Sanders and voter registration statistics.
  • A district and constituency analysis and power mapping such as, but not limited to, median income, active labor unions with DSA member involvement, university student presence or active YDSA chapter, and number of tenants
  • Compliance and legal requirements
  • Work with chapter leaders and national committees to identify and recruit cadre DSA members to run for office as independents. They should use factors such as:
  • A demonstrated commitment to DSA through being an active leader and regularly participating in DSA events and debates
  • A commitment to building a socialist slate and political independence.
  • A history of activity and leadership in their unions, social movements and local communities
  • Willingness and ability to run an effective campaign and do tasks such as knock on thousands of doors, participate in debates, speak publicly and other routine campaign activities
  • Research the compliance and legal requirements of running as independents

All candidates who run on the socialist slate as independents must agree to the following:

  • Run only as an independents
  • Agree to run on a slate with all other nationally endorsed independent candidates and participate in the joint fundraising program
  • Prominently feature the term “democratic socialist” and discuss DSA on their literature, social media and in speeches
  • Agree to participate in the Socialists in Office Committee of the local chapter while campaigning and if elected
  • Agree with and campaign on our nationally agreed-on policy platform

These candidates will receive the following support from DSA, coordinated by the committee and executed by the NEC.

  • A robust fundraising campaign
  • National phone banks coordinated by the NEC
  • Being prominently featured in DSA communications and social media
  • The NPC will work with the NEC to create an “Independent and Nonpartisan Candidates Subcommittee” to coordinate these efforts
  • Other efforts organized by the Committee

After the conclusion of the campaign, the committee will conduct debriefs with the campaigns and compile the findings into strategy advice for future campaigns.

Section 2: Focused National Endorsements

Resolved: The criteria for National DSA Endorsements will be redefined so that national DSA endorsements should be strategically focused on electoral campaigns where DSA intends to make concerted national action to intervene in elections. These endorsement criteria may result in fewer endorsements, but will allow for more meaningful endorsements.

The criteria for national endorsement applications will ask that candidates:

  • Have a demonstrated history of leadership in their chapter, participation in DSA’s internal life, and attending DSA events.
  • Commit to uphold DSA’s national policy platform, Workers Deserve More, and DSA’s national priorities, campaigns and initiatives
  • View themselves as socialist organizers first, and legislators second
  • Openly and proudly identify with DSA and Socialism, including by:
  • Expressly encouraging people to join DSA
  • Identifying publicly as a “Socialist” or “Democratic Socialist,”
  • Aligning their branding, messaging, and/or color scheme with DSA.
  • Commit to grow their DSA chapter and develop DSA leaders through their campaign
  • Demonstrate interest in receiving a national endorsement
  • Commit to caucusing with fellow elected DSA endorsees and socialist-in-office committees, where applicable

National endorsements should also consider:

  • How DSA’s national endorsement would significantly impact the odds of success, through national fundraising, publicity, and volunteer support.
  • Opportunities to build DSA’s public profile and recruit more members through elections with national political significance.
  • The campaign’s stance on key political issues and strategic questions important to DSA, such as:
  • The Democratic Party, political independence and party-building
  • DSA’s path to power and the transition to a socialist society
  • Palestinian liberation

National endorsements will authorize DSA to provide candidates with the following support:

  • DSA communications will prioritize highlighting the candidates social media and sharing their posts
  • The NEC will host national phone banks and encourage nearby DSA chapters to journey to canvass for these candidates
  • DSA and NEC will prioritize fundraising support, when allowed by compliance, prioritizing national donations from members to the campaigns
  • At least one of DSA’s national co-chairs will be encouraged to visit the chapter of the candidate, meet with the chapter and candidate, do public facing communications for the campaign, and engage in chapter and campaign building activities, including canvass for the campaign
  • DSA’s NEC will support the campaign through all relevant logistical infrastructure available at the time, including mentorship, electoral academy, and more
  • DSA’s national committees will provide logistical and policy support

The NPC may at their discretion consider endorsing candidates who do not meet the national endorsement criteria established in this resolution, if they believe that the endorsement will meaningfully contribute to working-class political activity or the advancement of the socialist movement in broader society. The NPC and NEC will establish a communications policy for DSA and the NEC which allows for, but does not prioritize, national communications about chapter electoral campaigns and initiatives which are locally endorsed but not nationally endorsed.

Section 3: Hold Electeds Accountable with a DSA Socialists-In-Office Network

Resolved:

  • Creation
  • DSA will establish the DSA Socialists-In-Office (SIO) network no later than January 31st, 2026
  • Purpose
  • The SIO network will be dedicated to supporting, organizing, and collaborating with DSA members who hold elected government office towards the goal of promoting Democratic Socialism.
  • Admissions
  • Membership in the SIO network shall be open to
  • All elected officials who are DSA members endorsed by their local DSA chapter.
  • DSA members who are representatives or staff for elected official SIO network members
  • DSA members who are representatives of local chapter SIO committees
  • The NEC and SIOC may establish minimum terms and rules of decorum governing behavior of elected officials in relation to the SIO network, which prospective members may be required to agree to in order to join.
  • Elected officials may not join the SIO network without the support of their local chapter.
  • Elected officials shall have their membership in the SIO network expire at the end of any term of office, such that continued membership requires renewal by the local chapter for the next successive term of office.
  • Programming
  • The SIO network will hold an in-person founding conference no later than September 1st, 2026, funded and facilitated by DSA.
  • The SIO network will strive to establish formal DSA caucuses in municipal and state legislatures across the country.
  • Discipline
  • The NPC and SIO network will establish a formal due process to address when elected officials take actions or make statements which diverge from DSA’s policies, principles or values.
  • Elected officials may be censured, suspended, or expelled from the SIO network by the NPC. Suspension or expulsion from the SIO network will require a two-thirds vote of the NPC, as well as the formal support of the local chapter for any actions taken.
  • Consequences for elected officials resulting from political actions or statements may impact their standing and membership in the SIO network separately from their personal membership in DSA generally.
  • Structure
  • The NEC Socialists-In-Office Committee (SIOC) will be established as a subsidiary body under the National Electoral Commission for the purpose of overseeing and organizing the SIO network.
  • The SIOC will be led by an organizing committee consisting of at least 5 members, including at least 1 NPC member.
  • An open application to join NEC SIOC leadership will be published and advertised to the national membership no later than September 15th, 2025.
  • The NPC will appoint the leadership of the SIOC no later than October 15th, 2025.
  • The SIOC will hold its first meeting no later than November 1st, 2025
  • The SIOC will be tasked with:
  • Overseeing the SIO network admissions process and membership roster
  • Corresponding with SIOs through a national email listserv
  • Establishing a framework for SIOs to communicate with each other to discuss political strategy and share legislation
  • Planning an in-person founding conference for the SIO network
  • Developing guidelines and resources for local chapters and SIOs to establish local SIO committees and legislative caucuses
  • Holding national webinars and discussion meetings featuring SIOs

Section 4: Recommendations for Chapters to End Paper Endorsements

Resolved:

  • The National Convention affirms the following best practices for local chapters when considering endorsing candidates:
  • Endorsements are voted on at least 6-8 months in advance of a candidate’s primary.
  • Requiring submission of candidate questionnaires and/or endorsement resolutions 6-8 weeks in advance of an endorsement vote to provide adequate time for vetting and deliberation of endorsement materials amongst membership.
  • Only issuing endorsements of candidates when the local chapter is or will be substantially involved in campaigning for a candidate. and discontinuing the practice of issuing paper endorsements of candidates, where a candidate is presented as representing DSA’s principles and values without DSA playing a significant role in the campaign.
  • Where chapters have a need to put forward a political position on an election in which they are not campaigning or actively involved, they will be encouraged to do so through statements and voter guides rather than through paper endorsements.
  • The National Electoral Commission deliberates and votes on any further recommendations for best endorsement practices before the National DSA Convention.
  • The National Electoral Commission will be tasked with educating, persuading, and organizing chapters towards these recommendations, via mass calls and distributing an endorsements best practices guide
  • Staff will integrate all recommendations into electoral training workshops for chapters.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 3: $10,000 to $50,000

This resolution outlines a multi-faceted electoral strategy that includes forming a national subcommittee to recruit independent socialist candidates, redefining national endorsement criteria, establishing a Socialists-in-Office (SIO) network with a mandatory in-person founding conference, and promoting best practices for chapter-level endorsements. While many tasks align with existing capacities, such as campaign coordination and chapter communications, the creation of new infrastructure and the logistics of a national in-person event elevate the overall demand on staff and members. The formation of the Independent and Nonpartisan Candidates Subcommittee and the SIOC requires not only staffing for recruitment, coordination, and oversight but also the development of new workflows, training, and internal communications. These responsibilities will fall primarily on the NEC, organizing staff, and operations staff, especially for planning and executing the mandatory SIO founding conference. Financially, while exact figures are not specified, the costs associated with hosting a national in-person conference - including travel, venue, and logistical support - place this resolution in the $10,001–$49,000 range.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43611 

Submitter’s source document: NEC Consensus Resolutions-Passed

CR05-A01: Red Lines for DSA Endorsements (formerly R16)

Submitted by Tom J (Twin Ports DSA), Syjil A (DE DSA). Qualified on May 2, 2025, with 284 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This raises the bar for eligibility for DSA’s national endorsement, establishing red lines for candidates seeking DSA’s national endorsement relating to public affiliation with DSA and a series of policy requirements. It also changes the national endorsement process such that candidates’ campaigns will themselves apply for endorsement, rather than receiving a referral from a chapter, and requires that all red lines for endorsement be communicated to candidates as part of the endorsement process.

Full text

Whereas, DSA is attempting to construct a definite socialist political identity distinct from and opposed to the capitalist parties.

And whereas, DSA’s national endorsement is a key tool for developing a party-like identity and political practice for DSA, a goal which was affirmed in Consensus Resolution Amendment 6-1, “Act Like an Independent Party,” at the 2023 DSA Convention..

And whereas, candidates who receive the DSA national endorsement are broadly taken to be representative of DSA’s politics.

And whereas, although DSA encompasses a wide range of political positions, there are basic standards of political conduct which are broadly intuitive to DSA members, the violation of which by endorsed candidates has caused significant internal conflict in the past.

And whereas, the DSA national endorsement is intended not only to provide additional resources for a local campaign, but identify exemplary candidates capable of enthusiastically representing the entirety of DSA's program.

And whereas, nationally endorsed DSA candidates can only represent DSA’s politics accurately if those politics are clearly communicated, ideally in advance of their endorsement, and no candidate can reasonably be expected to abide by unstated standards of conduct.

And whereas, the practice of fast-tracking endorsements undermines the ability of DSA’s membership to set consistent standards for national endorsement or otherwise exercise democratic oversight of the national endorsement process.

Be it therefore resolved, that CR05: NEC Consensus Resolution is amended as follows, with added text green and underlined, text removed red and struck out, and omitted text unaffected.

Section 1: Recruitment of Independent and Nonpartisan Candidates

[...]

Applicants for the National DSA Endorsement will be encouraged but not required to run on an independent ballot line. All candidates who run on the socialist slate as independents must agree to the following:

  • Run only as an independents
  • Agree to run on a slate with all other nationally endorsed independent candidates and participate in the joint fundraising program
  • Prominently feature the term “democratic socialist” and discuss DSA on their literature, social media and in speeches
  • Agree to participate in the Socialists in Office Committee of the local chapter while campaigning and if elected
  • Agree with and campaign on our nationally agreed-on policy platform

[...]

Section 2: Focused National Endorsements

Resolved: The criteria for National DSA Endorsements will be redefined so that national DSA endorsements should be strategically focused on electoral campaigns where DSA intends to make concerted national action to intervene in elections. These endorsement criteria may result in fewer endorsements, but will allow for more meaningful endorsements. All candidates applying for the national endorsement will go through the same process, regardless of prior endorsement status. No candidate may be endorsed without explicitly affirming that they understand the endorsement requirements and are seeking the national endorsement, and no candidate endorsed by their local chapter who affirms their intent to seek the DSA national endorsement may be prevented from applying.

The criteria for national endorsement applications will ask that candidates:

  • Have a demonstrated history of leadership in their chapter, participation in DSA's internal life, and attending DSA events.
  • Commit to uphold DSA’s national policy platform, Workers Deserve More, and each point in DSA’s current platform or program, as well as the platform or program as a whole, and to support DSA's national priorities, campaigns and initiatives. In the absence of a current platform or program, candidates will be asked to uphold the following points:
  • The candidate must support democratic control of the economy and the right of the working class to organize in pursuit of the same, and must oppose any measure which would ban a strike, bust a union, or otherwise hinder the self-organization of the working class.
  • The candidate must support the provision of universal healthcare as a human right, including abortion and gender-affirming care.
  • The candidate must support the provision of universal housing as a human right and oppose any measure which would restrict the rights of tenants.
  • The candidate must support the abolition of the police and the U.S. empire and oppose any measure which would increase the scope or budget of the U.S. military or police.
  • The candidate must support the BDS movement and the creation of a single, secular, integrated, and democratic Palestinian state in the whole of historic Palestine, and must oppose any measure which would legitimize the Israeli state, transfer funds or arms to the Israeli state, or restrict the right of any person to organize for a free Palestine.
  • The candidate must support the right of all people to freedom of movement and oppose any measure which would increase deportations or funding for U.S. border control agencies.
  • The candidate must support a rapid and just transition to a carbon-free economy and oppose any expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure.
  • The candidate must support decolonization and the return of land to indigenous communities and oppose any measure which would infringe upon the civil rights or autonomy of indigenous people and nations.
  • View themselves as socialist organizers first, and legislators second
  • Openly and proudly identify with DSA and Socialism, including by:
  • Expressly encouraging people to join DSA
  • Identifying publicly as a "Socialist" or "Democratic Socialist," rather than a “Democrat”
  • Aligning their branding, messaging, and/or color scheme with DSA.
  • Commit to grow their DSA chapter and develop DSA leaders through their campaign, including by asking supporters to join DSA
  • Demonstrate interest in receiving a national endorsement
  • Commit to caucusing with fellow elected DSA endorsees and socialist-in-office committees, where applicable, and to meeting with DSA’s leadership when requested
  • Commit to not endorsing any candidate running against a DSA-endorsed candidate
  • Commit to declining endorsements from groups broadly opposed to DSA’s political project, including but not limited to real estate interest groups, other corporate lobby groups, Zionist lobby groups, or groups affiliated with the United States military, law enforcement, or prisons

These requirements are not exhaustive and may be supplemented by other resolutions of the Convention, NPC, or NEC. The NPC is encouraged to issue more detailed supplemental guidance for recipients of the national endorsement where necessary, in particular on questions where DSA’s position differs substantially from a position common among self-described progressives. The NPC, NEC, relevant local chapters, and other liaison bodies will work actively with endorsed candidates and members in office as necessary to assist them in upholding the criteria for national endorsement.

The NPC may at their discretion consider endorsing candidates who do not meet the national endorsement criteria established in this resolution, if they believe that the endorsement will meaningfully contribute to working-class political activity or the advancement of the socialist movement in broader society. The NPC and NEC will establish a communications policy for DSA and the NEC which allows for, but does not prioritize, national communications about chapter electoral campaigns and initiatives which are locally endorsed but not nationally endorsed.

[...]

Section 4: Recommendations for Chapters to End Paper Endorsements

[...]

  • The National Electoral Commission deliberates and votes on any further recommendations for best endorsement practices before the National DSA Convention.
  • Chapters are not required to adopt endorsement criteria similar to those established in Section 2: Focused National Endorsements, but the NEC may encourage them to do so. A model resolution for chapters establishing local endorsement criteria consistent with the national endorsement criteria will be published to the general membership.

[...]

Capacity & Financial Impact Score

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

This amendment places responsibilities on candidates and chapters rather than on national DSA.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/40922 

Submitter’s source document: CR05-A: Red Lines for DSA National Endorsements

CR05-A02: One DSA, Toward a Unified Endorsement Process (formerly R41)

Submitted by Skye O (LA), Ethan E (NYC), Ahmed H (NYC), Viv S (Philadelphia), Austin B (Philadelphia), Nayef A (SF), Francesca M (Connecticut), Andrew T (Denver). Qualified on May 7, 2025, with 386 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

DSA’s electoral project is one of our greatest assets – but when our electeds, chapters, and national organization are unable to move with one voice, we are unable to act. This resolution establishes a unified endorsement process whereby candidates endorsed by their chapter will be considered endorsed by DSA. This will standardize endorsement criteria across chapters, establish a consistent endorsement revocation process, and make all candidates eligible to benefit from the full power of DSA.

Full text

[Deleted text red and struck out, added text green and underlined, and omitted text unaffected]

[...]

Whereas: The below resolved clauses were democratically written, debated, amended and approved by the NEC at-large membership. They are representative of the multi-tendency nature of this body and lay out a democratic vision for DSA’s electoral work for the next two years.

Whereas: the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) affirmed at its 2023 National Convention, per Consensus Resolution Amendment 6-1, “Act Like an Independent Party”, that its long term organizational goal is to create an independent workers party;

Whereas: DSA presently has two tiers of electoral endorsement: a local endorsement conferred by a chapter and a national endorsement conferred by the NPC through a burdensome review process that discourages chapters from applying;

Whereas: the local endorsements of DSA chapters reflect not just on a given local chapter but on DSA as a whole;

Whereas: when a DSA chapter endorses a candidate that is in contradiction with the wider organization’s program and strategy, their endorsement has a serious disorganizing effect on the entire organization;

Whereas: at present, the DSA National Political Committee (NPC) has little to no ability to reign in chapters endorsing candidates who are in contradiction with the wider organization’s program and strategy, despite its status as the organization’s highest governing body between national conventions;

Section 1: Toward a Unified Endorsement Process

Resolved: DSA’s ‘national endorsement process,’ as outlined in the NEC 2023 Consensus Resolution, is hereby repealed, and electoral candidates endorsed by their local chapter will be considered endorsed by DSA as a whole.

DSA chapters must to endorse candidates who demonstrate political alignment with DSA, agree to fight for DSA’s democratically-approved national platform, and fulfill whatever local strategic considerations are deemed important to the local chapter;

The NPC will, by no later than November 4, 2025, circulate to all chapters copies of a new national candidate questionnaire and campaign dossier formulated by the NEC with the input of local chapters;

DSA chapters endorsing a candidate for office are directed to obtain from the campaign:

  • A copy of the nationally-distributed candidate questionnaire and campaign dossier,
  • A copy of whatever questions, if any, the chapter asked of the campaign in addition to the national questionnaire,
  • Any additional information pertaining to the endorsement decision, campaign, or electoral race deemed useful by the chapter

and submit it to the NEC and NPC for record-keeping as a condition of the endorsement’s validity.

The updates to the DSA endorsement process outlined by this resolution will go into effect by no later than November 4, 2025.

Section 12: Recruitment of Independent and Nonpartisan Candidates

Resolved: The NEC will form a subcommittee to recruit at least three socialists to run as independent or nonpartisan candidates in 2026-2028 local, state, or federal elections. These candidates will be considered for national endorsement by their chapter, with the support of the NEC and NPC and only run if they are endorsed by their chapter the national organization. This subcommittee, the “Independent and Nonpartisan Candidates Subcommittee” will be composed of 2 NPC members selected by the body and 4 NEC members selected by the NEC and approved by the NPC. Within one month of the national convention they will present a timeline and work plan to the NPC for approval and select a committee chair to helm organizational work.

[...]

All candidates who run on the socialist slate as independents must agree to the following:

  • Run only as an independents
  • Agree to run on a slate with all other DSA nationally endorsed independent candidates and participate in the joint fundraising program
  • [...]

Section 23: Focused National Engagement on DSA Elections Endorsements

Resolved: National DSA may choose to highlight a select number of DSA campaigns through focused national engagement. The criteria for such campaigns National DSA Endorsements will be redefined so that national DSA will endorsements should be strategically focused on electoral campaigns where DSA intends to make concerted national action to intervene in elections. These endorsement criteria may result in fewer endorsements, but will allow for more meaningful endorsements.

DSA Chapters can request focused national engagement for a campaign by submitting a request to the NEC. The NEC will assess their request based on the information submitted by the chapter described in Section 1 of this resolution and pass it to the NPC by majority vote. The NPC will then vote to approve focused national engagement on the campaign by a majority vote.

The criteria for focused national engagement will be based on the following information as obtained from the process described in Section 1 of this resolution, asking national endorsement applications will ask that candidates:

  • Have a demonstrated history of leadership in their chapter, participation in DSA’s internal life, and attending DSA events.
  • Commit to uphold DSA’s national policy platform, Workers Deserve More, and DSA’s national priorities, campaigns and initiatives
  • View themselves as socialist organizers first, and legislators second
  • Openly and proudly identify with DSA and Socialism, including by:
  • Expressly encouraging people to join DSA
  • Identifying publicly as a “Socialist” or “Democratic Socialist,”
  • Aligning their branding, messaging, and/or color scheme with DSA.
  • Commit to grow their DSA chapter and develop DSA leaders through their campaign
  • Demonstrate interest in receiving focused DSA national engagement on their campaign a national endorsement
  • Commit to caucusing with fellow elected DSA endorsees and socialist-in-office committees, where applicable

Campaigns asking for focused national engagement National endorsements should also consider:

  • How DSA’s national support endorsement would significantly impact the odds of success, through national fundraising, publicity, and volunteer support.
  • Opportunities to build DSA’s public profile and recruit more members through elections with national political significance.
  • The campaign’s stance on key political issues and strategic questions important to DSA, such as:
  • The Democratic Party, political independence and party-building
  • DSA’s path to power and the transition to a socialist society
  • Palestinian liberation

Focused national engagement National endorsements will authorize DSA to provide candidates with the following support:

  • DSA communications will prioritize highlighting the candidates social media and sharing their posts
  • NEC-hosted The NEC will host national phone banks and encouragement for encourage nearby DSA chapters to journey to canvass for these candidates
  • DSA and NEC prioritization of will prioritize fundraising support, when allowed by compliance, prioritizing national donations from members to the campaigns
  • At least one of DSA’s national co-chairs will be encouraged to visit the chapter of the candidate, meet with the chapter and candidate, do public facing communications for the campaign, and engage in chapter and campaign building activities, including canvass for the campaign
  • DSA’s NEC will support the campaign through all relevant logistical infrastructure available at the time, including mentorship, electoral academy, and more
  • DSA’s national committees will provide logistical and policy support

All candidates receiving focused national engagement will receive the following support. Other DSA-endorsed candidates can request any of the following support from national DSA upon approval by consent agenda of the NEC Steering committee. If three or more members of the NEC Steering committee object to providing this support, the request for a decision will be forwarded to the NPC to be conducted by majority vote within one week on Loomio. This support shall include:

  • National DSA communications announcing the endorsement of the candidate, including a release to press contacts
  • DSA communications highlighting the campaign and sharing social media posts
  • DSA national staff time
  • NEC support of the campaign through all relevant logistical infrastructure available at the time, including mentorship, electoral academy, and more
  • Consideration for feature in the NEC’s rotating slate fundraising program; and
  • Consideration for disbursement of a campaign grant from the NEC, upon completion of the NEC’s grant application process.

All DSA endorsed candidates and chapters running electoral campaigns, regardless of whether they requested focused national engagement, are eligible to receive the following resources from DSA National:

  • Electoral 101, Electoral 201, or other national trainings by the NEC, GDC, or relevant DSA staff members;
  • Facilitation of direct connections with other DSA campaigns;
  • Access to organisational tools and digital infrastructure;
  • Policy support from relevant national DSA committees and subcommittees, facilitated by the NEC (e.g. information on anti-Zionist local policy from the IC Palestine Subcommittee);

The NPC may at their discretion consider endorsing candidates who do not meet the national endorsement criteria established in this resolution, if they believe that the endorsement will meaningfully contribute to working-class political activity or the advancement of the socialist movement in broader society. The NPC and NEC will establish a communications policy for DSA and the NEC which allows for, but does not prioritize, national communications about chapter electoral campaigns and initiatives which are endorsed by local chapters locally endorsed but not nationally endorsed.

Section 34: Hold Electeds Accountable with a DSA Socialists-In-Office Network

[...]

Section 5: National Accountability for our Endorsements

Resolved: A chapter may choose to rescind a candidate’s endorsement at any point and is directed to inform the NEC and NPC of any such decision;

A request for the NPC to consider rescinding the DSA endorsement of any given candidate may be submitted by either:

  • A simple majority of the NEC Steering Committee, or
  • A public letter signed by eight percent of the members in good standing of that candidate’s local chapter.

Upon receipt of a request or motion made by a member of the NPC, the NPC will proceed with a simple majority vote to rescind the DSA endorsement of any candidate that engages in any of the following actions:

  • Casting a vote in their position as an elected official that directly and unambiguously contradicts one or multiple policies outlined in DSA’s democratically-approved national platform;
  • Publishing or signing onto a public statement that directly and unambiguously contradicts one or multiple policies outlined in DSA’s democratically-approved national platform or political program;
  • Attending or co-hosting an event by an organization or group in substantial political disagreement with DSA’s political program or national platform;
  • Endorsing another candidate for office that is either in substantial political disagreement with DSA’s program or is running against another DSA-endorsed candidate; or
  • Involvement in any extenuating circumstances that substantially threaten the organizing capabilities of DSA (e.g. the candidate is found to be a law enforcement officer, landlord, etc.)

The NPC must comply with the following process prior to any decision rescinding a DSA endorsement:

  • Engage in a good faith effort to obtain consensus with the endorsed candidate’s local chapter surrounding the necessity of revocation, and, if consensus cannot be reached, ensure that the chapter is given clear justification;
  • Provide written notice to DSA membership on the national discussion board outlining and substantiating the violation that warrants revocation; and
  • Provide notice to the NEC, National Communications Committee, and other relevant national bodies, instructing them to remove or update public social media highlights and press correspondence pertaining to the candidate.

If after having been informed of the NPC’s decision to rescind a DSA endorsement, chapters continue to knowingly execute a coordinated field, administrative, or communications program for the campaign in question, the NPC shall take the following actions:

  • Engage in a bilateral consultative process between the NPC and the chapter on the topic of rescinding the endorsement, and should this process fail to build alignment between the NPC and the local chapter, the NPC shall
  • Take additional action to protect DSA’s platform including, but not limited to, making a public announcement that the DSA endorsement has been rescinded, and restricting chapter access to DSA resources.

Section 46: Recommendations for Chapters to End Paper Endorsements

[...]

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 2: Low to Moderate Finances 3: $10,000 to $50,000

This amendment is scored a 2 for Capacity Commitment because the workload scales with the number of endorsed candidates but remains manageable within existing staff and volunteer capacity. National staff and committee members will coordinate the distribution of a candidate questionnaire, maintain endorsement records, facilitate trainings, and manage logistics like press releases and campaign grant applications. These tasks are largely reactive and proportional to the number of active endorsements, rather than fixed or intensive across the board.

It scored a 3 for Financial Impact. While campaign grant funding will flow mostly through external finance structures (PAC's etc) and not come directly from DSA’s general budget, there will be additional financial commitments tied to the resolution’s implementation, including  digital infrastructure, design work, and communications support, potential travel, etc.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43123

Submitter’s source document: One DSA, Toward a Unified Endorsement Process

CR05-A03: Towards Deliberative Federal Endorsements

Submitted by Chanpreet S (Seattle). Qualified on Jun 27, 2025, with 305 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Towards Deliberative Federal Endorsements amends CR05, requiring more deliberation prior to endorsement. This includes meetings between candidates/chapter leaders and NPC, a debate/vote amongst NEC RNF for endorsement recommendations, and more. It aims to help build stronger relationships with federal candidates and deeper buy-in amongst NEC members to scale our electoral infrastructure. NPC can still consider candidates who do not meet these criteria as per the last paragraph of Section 2.

Full text

Whereas: A more deliberative federal endorsement process builds stronger relationships between national DSA and federal candidates, normalizing direct communication between national DSA’s leaders, local chapter leaders, and candidates as soon as possible.

Whereas: A more deliberative federal endorsement process grows national DSA’s electoral infrastructure, as it builds the necessary buy-in from DSA’s leaders and members to dedicate volunteer time and energy to supporting the campaign.

Whereas: The National Electoral Commission will be the primary national DSA body tasked with supporting a nationally endorsed federal campaign. Its recent expansion to a more open and accessible member body has led to its growth to 340+ members from 70+ chapters with a diverse set of electoral skill sets, making it a crucial body to engage in this process.

Whereas: This amendment seeks to enrich our federal endorsement process by updating our federal endorsement criteria with additional deliberative requirements while maintaining the option for exemptions at NPC’s discretion as per the original consensus resolution.

Therefore, be it resolved: Section 2 of CR05, NEC Consensus Resolution, is amended as follows, with additions green and underlined, and omitted text unaffected:

Section 2: Focused National Endorsements

[...]

National endorsements should also consider:

  • How DSA’s national endorsement would significantly impact the odds of success, through national fundraising, publicity, and volunteer support.
  • Opportunities to build DSA’s public profile and recruit more members through elections with national political significance.
  • The campaign’s stance on key political issues and strategic questions important to DSA, such as:
  • The Democratic Party, political independence and party-building
  • DSA’s path to power and the transition to a socialist society
  • Palestinian liberation

National endorsements for federal candidates require the following additional criteria:

  • Elected leadership of the chapter(s) requesting endorsement must meet with the NPC to discuss the chapter’s role in the campaign, how the candidate aligns with the chapter’s political and strategic priorities, how the chapter will support the campaign operationally, and how national DSA and the chapter will coordinate around the campaign. This requirement is not applicable for presidential candidates.
  • Candidates must meet with the NPC to discuss their questionnaires and stances on key political and strategic questions important to DSA. This meeting is observable by any NEC member in good standing. NPC may extend the meeting under executive session at their own discretion.
  • After the endorsement meeting(s) with the NPC, an endorsement recommendation to the NPC will be debated and voted on by NEC rank and file members at an NEC all-member meeting, observable by any DSA member in good standing.
  • The NPC will hold at least one open membership discussion event regarding the candidate's endorsement, open to all DSA members in good standing.
  • NPC votes on federal candidate endorsements will take place only in synchronous NPC meetings, observable by any DSA member in good standing.

NPC’s meetings with chapters and candidates may not be combined, the candidate must meet with the NPC individually. NEC SC members may attend and participate in both meetings. NEC’s Endorsements Subcommittee must prepare summaries of both meetings available to NEC members in good standing prior to NEC’s recommendation vote.

In line with DSA's existing national endorsement practices, NEC recommendations are non-binding. While an affirmative NEC recommendation immediately forwards endorsement requests to NPC, a negative NEC recommendation does not prohibit NPC from considering a candidate for endorsement.

The NEC SC may call a special meeting for endorsement votes if the scheduled quarterly NEC General Meeting does not work with the endorsement timeline.

National endorsements will authorize DSA to provide candidates with the following support: [...]

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 3: $10,000 to $50,000

This amendment increases the Capacity Commitment required for the national endorsement process of federal candidates, raising the score from 3 to 4, while maintaining a Financial Impact score of 3. The amendment introduces a structured and highly coordinated endorsement process for federal candidates, which includes multiple mandatory meetings and events involving the NPC, NEC, and chapters, all of which require sustained staff and member involvement. While the exact capacity demands will vary depending on the number of candidates seeking endorsement, the amendment significantly increases the workload for national staff, committee members, and chapter leaders.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/45890 

Submitter’s source document: Towards Deliberative Federal Endorsements

CR05-A04: Carnation Program Amendment to the NEC Resolution

Submitted by Abdullah F (Los Angeles), Olivia K (New York City), Sumter A (Atlanta), Tej B (Los Angeles), Griffin M (Metro DC).  Qualified on Jun 29, 2025, with 364 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

DSA needs a clear strategy. To build the power needed at the federal level to end genocidal wars and fight climate change, chapters should use local priority campaigns about day-to-day issues that affect the working class. These campaigns can build support for socialism among organized workers and develop the leaders and base needed to run DSA members for Congress. Read the Carnation program here.

Full text

Resolved, the following text will be added to the resolution:

[...]

Therefore be it resolved, that DSA will have a goal of running 5 DSA members for Congress in 2028. These candidates will run on a platform of the following broad issues.

  1. Medicare for All
  2. Bring Down the Cost of Living
  3. End Political Corruption
  4. Unions for All, and
  5. End U.S. Militarism.

To build a base of DSA members, organized workers, and potential campaign donors and to develop organizers and leaders for these Congressional campaigns, the NPC will work with the NEC and NLC to develop organizing plans with chapters to:

  1. support local unions in their area during their contract campaigns and new organizing drives, leveraging connections with union members and politicians to craft shared strategy and demands where possible, and
  2. identify and launch campaigns around winnable local issues connected to the above five-point platform.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 3: $10,000 to $50,000

This amendment increases the Capacity Commitment of the underlying resolution, raising the score from 3 to 4, while maintaining a Financial Impact score of 3. The amendment requires DSA to set a goal of running five DSA members for Congress in 2028, representing a significant shift in DSA’s electoral focus from local and down-ballot races to federal-level campaigns . This would require an increase in coordination demands across multiple national bodies and chapters, particularly to build infrastructure and capacity in areas where DSA currently has limited electoral presence.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/47207

Submitter’s source document: Carnation Program Amendments for 2025 DSA Convention

CR05-A05: Invest in Cadre Candidates and Political Independence

Submitted by Nate K (Atlanta), Phil B (Detroit), Ashik S (At-Large). Qualified on Jun 29, 2025, with 367 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

DSA should seize our unique moment by making strategic investments in local party-building to challenge the political establishment at the grassroots level. Over the next two years, DSA should prioritize running cadre candidates for state and local legislative office, expand on the NEC’s fundraising efforts for endorsed candidates, and build out a campaign organizing department to support these priorities.

Full text

[Added text green and underlined, omitted text unaffected]

[...]

Whereas

  • DSA chapters across the country have had increasing successes in drafting DSA leaders and activists to run for down ballot office as “cadre” candidates, where campaigns communications and operations are closely intertwined with local chapter organizing. While political conditions vary heavily across the country, down ballot races for state and local office are often winnable for local chapters given our movement’s current scale and resources.
  • The Democratic Party faces an unprecedented crisis of disapproval and distrust among working-class voters across the country, creating new openings for insurgent socialist challengers and oppositional politics. DSA could seize our unique moment by making strategic investments in local party-building to challenge the political establishment at the grassroots level.
  • DSA has encountered debate and controversy with questions of candidate accountability when endorsing candidates who go on to take positions or actions which are out of alignment with DSA’s platform or priorities. Investing in running more cadre candidates would ensure that going forward, DSA is running more candidates who are in strong political alignment with our organization’s political perspective, and who will stay closely connected to local chapters as well as the national organization.
  • Over the past year, the NEC launched a nationwide fundraising push “Socialist Cash Takes Out Capitalist Trash!” which raised tens of thousands of dollars to support nationally-endorsed DSA candidates running for state and local office around the country. The success of this initiative proves what DSA can accomplish when acting like a party: together, we can make interventions in local elections which are politically coherent, materially impactful, democratically organized and member-led.
  • To move towards developing a real working-class political party, DSA must reject an NGO-aligned, top-down or service model of staffing, towards a politicized and bottom-up model where member-leaders are empowered to take on political work in full-time positions to share lessons and skills with fellow members across the country and work directly with local chapters to plan their campaigns.

[...]

Resolved

  • Over the next two years, DSA will build political independence from the Democratic Party establishment by prioritizing running cadre candidates for state and local legislative office who:
  • Have backgrounds as activists and organizers within DSA, the labor movement, and aligned organizations.
  • Publicly identify as Democratic Socialists and use their campaigns to overtly and proudly promote and advocate for Democratic Socialism.
  • Work in deep collaboration and coordination with their local DSA chapter, both in their campaigns as a candidate and once in office as an elected official.
  • DSA will reaffirm and continue the NEC’s successful fundraising push through continued fundraising campaigns oriented around future political cycles.
  • The NEC and national staff are encouraged to continue experimenting with innovative forms of collective and joint fundraising as well as member-to-member relational fundraising.
  • The NEC will explore developing programs to assist chapters with slate fundraising and member-to-member relational fundraising modeled after this work.
  • DSA will allocate funding for additional staff time to support local chapter electoral and campaign work, and build out a campaign organizing department with at least two additional full-time staff organizer positions.
  • Additional capacity will be primarily directed towards supporting chapters in identifying promising districts to contest in elections, planning issue-based and pressure campaigns that train chapter organizers and build a multiracial working-class base, drafting chapter members to run for office, developing field campaigns, and facilitating Socialists in Office relationships for co-governance.
  • When filling any positions for this work, DSA will prioritize applicants who have organizing experience as member-leaders in DSA-endorsed campaigns.

[...]

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

This amendment increases the cost score of the underlying resolution to a 4 due to the significant personnel costs associated with hiring at least two full-time staff organizers, estimated at $119,000 per position annually, including salary, benefits, and overhead. These staffing additions represent a major increase in expenditures and place the resolution in the above $50,000 annual range.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/47260

Submitter’s source document: Cadre Candidates Amendment

CR05-A06: Only Independents on the Independent Socialist Slate

Submitted by Daniel C. (Rhode Island). Qualified on Jun 29, 2025, with 290 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This amendment makes clear that only independent socialist candidates, not Democrats who happen to run in nonpartisan races, will be part of the independent socialist slate. It also adds language emphasizing the party-building purpose of these independent campaigns.

Full text

Whereas: An independent socialist slate is an opportunity for DSA to advocate for political independence from the capitalist parties and experiment with an important electoral tactic;

Whereas: It’s common for Democrats to run in non-partisan elections while still identifying as Democrats and not being independent of the Democratic Party in any meaningful way;

Whereas: The NEC Consensus Resolution calls for DSA to recruit at least three independent or nonpartisan candidates, which allows the “independent slate” to simply be composed of three Democrats in non-partisan races;

Resolved: Section 1 of the NEC Consensus Resolution is amended as follows, with additions green and underlined, deleted text red and struck out, and omitted text unaffected:

Section 1: Recruitment of Independent and Nonpartisan Candidates

Resolved: The NEC will form a subcommittee to recruit at least three socialists to run as independent or nonpartisan candidates in 2026-2028 local, state, or federal elections. These candidates will be considered for national endorsement by the NEC and NPC and only run if they are endorsed by the national organization. This subcommittee, the “Independent and Nonpartisan Candidates Subcommittee” will be composed of 2 NPC members selected by the body and 4 NEC members selected by the NEC and approved by the NPC. Within one month of the national convention they will present a timeline and work plan to the NPC for approval and select a committee chair to helm organizational work.

The role of this subcommittee will be to:

  • Identify strategic districts where an independent socialist candidate would be popular could win significant support, and the race is non-partisan or advantageous for independent candidates. They should use factors such as:
  • The strength and interest of the local DSA chapters and use factors such as:
  • Willingness to run an independent campaign
  • Experience being the primary organization running previous campaigns
  • A large number of members with experience canvassing, fundraising, handling communications, compliance, volunteer recruitment and staff positions
  • Have the ability to set up an SIO committee
  • Past election results of previous socialist candidates including Bernie Sanders and voter registration statistics.
  • A district and constituency analysis and power mapping such as, but not limited to, median income, active labor unions with DSA member involvement, university student presence or active YDSA chapter, and number of tenants
  • Compliance and legal requirements
  • Work with chapter leaders and national committees to identify and recruit cadre DSA members to run for office as independents. They should use factors such as:
  • A demonstrated commitment to DSA through being an active leader and regularly participating in DSA events and debates
  • A commitment to building a socialist slate and political independence from the capitalist parties
  • A history of activity and leadership in their unions, social movements and local communities
  • Willingness and ability to run an effective campaign and do tasks such as knock on thousands of doors, participate in debates, speak publicly and other routine campaign activities
  • Research the compliance and legal requirements of running as independents

All candidates who run on the independent socialist slate as independents must agree to the following:

  • Run only as an independents
  • Agree to run on a slate with all other nationally endorsed independent candidates and participate in the joint fundraising program
  • Prominently feature the term “democratic socialist” and discuss DSA on their literature, social media and in speeches
  • Advocate for a new party of the working class, and expose the anti-worker activities of both the Democratic and Republican parties
  • Agree to participate in the Socialists in Office Committee of the local chapter while campaigning and if elected
  • Agree to take direction from the local chapter on votes and political messaging
  • Agree with and campaign on our nationally agreed-on policy platform

These candidates will receive the following support from DSA, coordinated by the committee and executed by the NEC.

  • A robust fundraising campaign
  • National phone banks coordinated by the NEC
  • Being prominently featured in DSA communications and social media, which will emphasize that the candidates are running as independent socialists in order to build a working-class alternative to the Democrats and Republicans
  • The NPC will work with the NEC to create an “Independent and Nonpartisan Candidates Subcommittee” to coordinate these efforts
  • Other efforts organized by the Committee

After the conclusion of the campaign, the committee will conduct debriefs with the campaigns and compile the findings into strategy advice for future campaigns.

[...]

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 3: $10,000 to $50,000

This amendment does not affect the overall capacity or cost requirements for the underlying resolution.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/47110

Submitter’s source document: Only Independents on the Independent Socialist Slate

CR06: 2025 DSA Housing Justice Commission Consensus Resolution

Submitted by Alex S (DSA Los Angeles), Eden E (San Antonio DSA), Esther B (New York City DSA), Harrison L (DSA Los Angeles), Laurel G (New York City DSA), Sebastian FG (Triangle DSA), Steven O (Seattle DSA). Qualified on May 7, 2025, with 304 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This is the consensus resolution from the Housing Justice Commission Steering Committee laying out the work we see the commission performing in the next couple of years. It includes affirmation of the four principles of social housing, support for the Emergency Tenant Organizing Committee, support for chapter’s housing work, support for our weekly Spanish practice sessions, and a campaign for DSA members to organize at work and at home.

Full text

Whereas, DSA has repeatedly affirmed our commitment to housing justice and the mission of the Housing Justice Commission in 2021 and 2023 through R21 and CR 1 respectively,

Whereas, DSA has adopted “The 4 Principles of Social Housing” as our organizational definition of social housing and recognizes that only the replacement of the private housing market with social housing can achieve housing justice,

Whereas, DSA recognizes the creation of an organized, nationwide movement of militant tenant unionists as the prerequisite for achieving social housing so defined,

Whereas, The tenant movement across the United States has grown rapidly in strength and is increasingly conscious of its place at the leading edge of the class struggle;

Whereas, the tenant movement remains geographically fragmented and has yet to coalesce around a national program or plan of action;

Whereas, DSA chapters across the country generally do not yet promote the formation of new socialist tenant unions capable of running themselves and growing our base for social housing;

Whereas, growing DSA’s collective engagement with tenant organizing will deepen our connection to a multi-racial working class that is already struggling against predatory rent, unlivable housing, and gentrification,

Whereas, the Housing Justice Commission ran the Emergency Tenant Organizing Committee from 2023 to 2025, training nearly 300 volunteers in tenant organizing practices and contributing to the formation of 8 tenant unions during that period,

Whereas, some DSA chapters have developed model tenant organizing initiatives that have engaged DSA members in deep organizing at the building and neighborhood levels, built partnerships with existing independent tenant unions, and founded new tenant unions,

Whereas, the Housing Justice Commission has the capacity as a national body to continue the work of the Emergency Tenant Organizing Committee and to disseminate through this program successful tenant organizing methods developed in these chapters to DSA members nationwide,

Be it therefore resolved, DSA affirms the Housing Justice Commission Statement on Social Housing as the foundation for our housing justice organizing. DSA categorically rejects so-called “market-based solutions” to the housing crisis that reify the ownership of land and shelter by landlords and private developers. We recognize social housing as defined by these four Principles without exception,

  1. Redistributed from Landowners
  2. Democratically Controlled
  3. Sustainable and High Quality
  4. Universally accessible

Be it resolved, DSA affirms that the purpose of our tenant organizing activities is to create and strengthen tenant unions led democratically by rank-and-file tenants and not NGOs. The Housing Justice Commission will incorporate training and technical assistance into the ETOC program to aid new tenant unions in developing points of unity and democratic processes consistent with a rank-and-file orientation.

Be it resolved, the HJC will work with chapters to create draft resolutions setting disclosure standards around tenant organizing work. These resolutions will set expectations around disclosing when a member is a landlord, works in real estate, or holds leadership roles in housing-related nonprofits when engaging in work or running for leadership in housing-related bodies.

Be it resolved, DSA recognizes the importance of language justice within the tenant movement by encouraging members to learn Spanish and other languages through the expansion of the HJC’s language exchange project. As a part of onboarding new members into DSA, DSA will ask members what languages they speak and the next membership survey will include a question on what languages members speak. The list of members who speak languages included in the language exchange project will be shared with the project leadership.

Be it resolved, DSA reauthorizes the Housing Justice Commission as a priority commission until 2027.

Be it resolved, HJC will create a nationwide “Socialists: Organize your workplace, Organize your Building” campaign that will educate DSA members on the importance of organizing both at work and at home. In doing so, members will commit to building independent, democratic, militant and class struggle oriented organizations of the working class. For those members with tenant unions already established in their neighborhoods, they will commit to joining and building their neighborhood tenant union.

Be it resolved, DSA will increase HJC’s capacity to support tenant organizing projects in all DSA chapters by:

  • Completing a mapping assessment of tenant organizing capacity in DSA including
  • Finding current chapters with tenant organizing working groups or projects specifically dedicated to organizing and supporting existing and new Tenant Associations and Tenant Unions
  • Asking new members what tenant union they are a members of during the join process
  • Asking members what tenant union they are a members of as part of any membership survey
  • Sharing this information with the HJC who will connect members to ETOC and/or existing chapter-based tenant organizing projects like NYC-DSA’s Independent Working Class Organizing initiative (IWCO)
  • Supporting outreach to chapters to gauge their interest in creating a tenant organizing project or working group. Create a learning space for chapters interested in building tenant organizing projects and those with existing tenant organizing projects to come together and learn how these projects are started, structured and implemented
  • The HJC will renew the ETOC training program for the next two years. HJC will expand mentorship and skill sharing opportunities available to ETOC cohort graduates by establishing a defined mentorship period of two months for graduating tenant unions. The HJC will create a routine office hours program for tenant organizers to share skills and strategies. The HJC will compile an accessible database of tenant organizing training available to all ETOC graduates.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 1: Less than $5000

The Capacity Commitment score of 3 reflects the moderate-to-high time investment required from both staff and members. Key components driving this score include the expansion of ETOC with structured mentorship and ongoing office hours, the creation of new campaign materials and training resources, the implementation of language justice initiatives, and the coordination of data collection across chapters. These tasks require consistent involvement from staff and members, above current staff capacity, particularly in chapters with existing or emerging tenant organizing projects.

The Financial Impact score of 1 indicates minimal non-personnel costs. Most activities — such as internal training programs, database development, and virtual office hours — rely on existing infrastructure and volunteer labor. While there may be minor expenses related to translation tools or outreach materials, the resolution does not propose significant expenditures.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/42329 

Submitter’s source document: Housing Justice Commission Consensus Resolution

CR07: Young Democratic Socialists of America: Building DSA for the Future

Submitted by Aron A-M (At-Large), Carlos C. (Los Angeles), Daniel S-C (Miami), Callynn J. (Orlando), Jeffrey C. (Detroit), Sean B. (Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky), Uma C. (Santa Barbara), David L. (Eugene-Springfield), Steven R. (At-Large). Qualified on May 9, 2025, with 322 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This is the consensus resolution of the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), reaffirming that youth and students remain key to building DSA for the future. Through calling for further integration with DSA, building towards an independent party, and continuing successful YDSA budget programs, DSA’s student-youth section can continue to organize generations of youth to build a socialist world.

Full text

WHEREAS, the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), the youth and student section of DSA, is a dynamic, vibrant, and growing section of over 2,000 socialist organizers organized into over 100 chartered chapters,

WHEREAS, since 2023, YDSA has run several successful mass national campaigns, including the Trans Rights & Abortion - Never Surrender! (T.R.A.N.S.) campaign in 2023-24, a national priority, ‘Disclose! Divest! Boycott!’ focused on divestment from Israeli apartheid in 2024-25, and the Sanctuary Campus Campaign in 2025, each of which has reached thousands of students and dozens of campuses,

WHEREAS, since 2023, YDSA has committed to building robust structures to ensure continuity of our project and push the boundaries of member-led national organizing, such as chartering the Youth Growth and Development Committee (YGDC), which has coached dozens of pre-chapter formations, and engaged YDSA chapters in dues drives and recruitment drives, and hosted dozens of skills trainings on topics from basic organizing skills to deep, mass organizing,

WHEREAS, YDSA, through our Youth Labor Committee, continues to play a pivotal role in labor organizing efforts, including deep collaboration with Starbucks Workers United and their campaign to kick Starbucks off campuses, mentoring and building twenty new student labor union drives at public and private universities, building organic connections with United Auto Workers through our union drives, and building out a Rank-and-File Pipeline.

WHEREAS, in the spring of 2024, YDSA emerged as a national leader of the encampment movement for Palestine, with dozens of YDSA chapters leading their encampments directly, or in coalition with other organizations,

WHEREAS, this work, including consistent and direct mentorship by the National Coordinating Committee (NCC) of 70%+ of chapters is enabled by a successful program of paid political leadership, established in 2023, and deeply supported by YDSA’s full-time staff member and member-volunteers,

WHEREAS, the expression of the Trump regime’s fascism has come through attacks on students and youth, including but not limited to the violent abduction of pro-Palestine protestors, austerity regimes targeting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs such as trans-inclusive housing, and the defunding of research across multiple disciplines,

WHEREAS, as the United States spirals into far-right madness consisting of unprecedented fearmongering and extreme austerity, we must build DSA into the organization and political force that can defeat Trumpism for good.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that in the 2025-2027 term, YDSA remains a core political priority of DSA,

DSA-YDSA Integration & Party Building

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, YDSA and DSA committees will continue to collaborate, and expand collaboration where possible, with such examples being collaboration between YDSA’s Youth Labor Committee and DSA’s National Labor Commission, YDSA’s Communications Committee and DSA’s Communications Committee, and the integration of YDSA’s international work into the Youth International Committee of DSA’s International Committee,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, during the 2025-2027 term, the NCC will emphasize and expand collaboration between YDSA’s Youth Growth and Development Committee and DSA’s Growth and Development Committee, encouraging quarterly meetings between the leadership of both bodies in order to coordinate and develop opportunities for collaborative growth and development programs,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the DSA and YDSA co-chairs will meet regularly, at least once per quarter, in order to discuss collaborative efforts between each other’s work.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, in order to carry forward the best successes of YDSA’s program of paid political leadership, DSA will prioritize transforming the NPC into an organizing body by replicating the NCC’s chapter mentorship model, consisting of:

  • Regular meetings between members of the NPC and DSA chapters to assess the status of chapter campaigns and organizing practices, advise chapters on how best to grow and develop their membership through class-struggle campaigns, and set actionable goals with chapter leadership; with the assistance of DSA organizing staff
  • A DSA National Chapter Tracker with which to assign DSA chapters to NPC point people, track up-to-date information about chapters’ organizing work, and maintain a record of NPC chapter check-ins and goals set with chapter leaders;
  • Time set aside on the agenda of every regular meeting of the full NPC for members to report back on the chapters they have been assigned to liaise with and discuss strategic next asks for their chapters.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, during check-ins and/or regional calls with chapters NPC members and DSA regional field organizers will give a training on incorporating YDSA chapters

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this training shall include details on how and why to implement the following reforms:

  • Establishing a chapter lead YDSA to DSA pipeline process including chapter mentors, tracking of YDSA graduation dates, and onboarding of graduating YDSAers
  • Explain and plug chapters into the Mentorship Coordinating Committee to ensure DSA members mentoring YDSA chapters are well equipped

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that DSA chapters will guide active students into YDSA campaigns, and help facilitate the creation of YDSA chapters on their campus,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the NPC will send a memo to DSA chapters about the importance of meaningfully connecting local YDSA chapters within their DSA chapter, including information about the following provisions:

  • Prioritize the creation of a YDSA coordinator position and if needed a deputy YDSA coordinator position whose task is to facilitate the on-the-ground support and mentorship of YDSA chapters in a DSA chapter’s jurisdiction.
  • Give the YDSA coordinator a voting position on the chapter’s steering committee The coordinator position must be held by a YDSA member, if available, while the deputy position can be held by either a local YDSA or DSA member.
  • YDSA representatives will be elected by YDSA members within the geographic boundaries of the DSA chapter
  • YDSA representatives will primarily serve to represent the perspectives of YDSA members on the body and connect the work of YDSA chapters and the DSA chapter, but they are able to take on further responsibilities as full members of the body.
  • YDSA representatives will primarily serve to represent the perspectives of YDSA members on the body and connect the work of YDSA chapters and the DSA chapter, but they are able to take on further responsibilities as full members of the body.
  • Every DSA chapter with a chartered YDSA chapter within its geographic boundaries will commit to helping plan and matching funds raised for two YDSA fundraisers each year. These fundraisers will assist YDSA members in attending the annual Winter Conference and Summer Convention.
  • Chapters may establish limitations on the amount of funds for sharing based on their particular conditions.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, DSA & YDSA affirms that the working class needs an independent political party of its own, that it is DSA’s central task in the coming years to play a leading role in the creation of this party, and that the first step to creating a party is to act like a party.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, as there is no existing consensus on the question of party-building in DSA, and generally there is a gap between YDSA members and DSA members on the necessity of an independent political party for the working class, the National Political Education Committee (NPEC) in collaboration with the Youth Political Education Committee (YPEC) shall collaborate on creating a political education series on the party question. With the ultimate goal of acclimating YDSA members into the DSA ecosystem, this political-education series will be created with the goal of chapters running these series locally, in addition to a virtual series for at-large DSA members and YDSA chapters without a local DSA chapter. This political-education series shall explore various party-related topics, consisting of readings and study guides assembled by NPEC & YPEC. The modules shall explore topics such as, but not be limited to:

  • The different strategies in how we relate to the Democratic party (e.g. realignment, the party-surrogate, the dirty break, the clean break).
  • The form which the party takes (e.g. a socialist party vs a labor party).

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, with labor being a major priority of YDSA members and YDSA being committed to the rank-and-file strategy, the Youth Labor Committee (YLC) and the National Labor Committee (NLC) will collaborate on creating a political education series about the rank-and-file strategy, the importance of labor as a vehicle of class struggle, and deepen members understanding of the nuances of the labor movement and labor organizing. In collaboration with Workers Organizing Workers (WOW), the goal of this program will be to help inform young people about the RFS and encourage young people to consider industrializing into strategic sectors like teaching, nursing, and logistics.

YDSA Budget

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the National Treasurer of YDSA will be seated as a voting member of the Budget & Finance Committee,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, YDSA’s effective program of paid political leadership for the NCC be continued, with all nine NCC members in the 2025-26 and 2026-27 terms receiving $1,150 per month of their term, with both YDSA co-chairs receiving an additional $1,000 per month through the NPC Steering Committee stipend program,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the program of paid YDSA interns will be re-established, with two interns, paid at $22 per hour, working 10-15 hours per week or as needed by the YDSA Organizer, being appointed for 6 month tenures in order to support the NCC and national YDSA projects,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the program of YDSA paid committee co-chairs will be re-established , with co-chairs of the YDSA committees in good-standing and the editor-in-chief of The Activist receiving a stipend of $350 a month (roughly equivalent to $2,000 per semester)

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NCC shall receive $3,000 for material creation and distribution such as printing and for printed editions of The Activist.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NCC receive $15,000 to distribute amongst YDSA committees in accordance with the projects they take on and for NCC travel.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NCC will have a $10,000 budget for chapter grants which chapters may apply for in order to support specific local organizing projects

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Operations Department shall prioritize the hiring of a second YDSA staffer position and include the NCC in the hiring process including interviews and decisions about candidates.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, staffers will delegate the focus of growth and administrative work between each other,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, relevant staff departments will work with the NCC to create a process for YDSA chapters to receive a share of their members’ dues, subject to the same terms as DSA chapters, with the following exceptions:

  • That DSA members paying monthly dues and belonging to both a DSA and YDSA chapter be permitted to choose with which chapter their dues will be shared or to split their dues-share evenly between both chapters.
  • That YDSA chapters may decline to receive a share of their members’ dues if doing so would endanger their access to funds provided by their school, be an excessive administrative or logistical burden for the chapter, be redundant due to an existing dues-sharing relationship with a local DSA chapter, or for another reason deemed appropriate by the chapter’s membership or leadership.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NCC will meet with the DSA Finance and Budget staff once per quarter to discuss the YDSA national budget, ensure funds are distributed, and communicate any questions or issues that arise.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

This resolution received a score of 4 for Time Commitment due to its sustained and complex demands on both staff and member time over the 2025–2027 term. It outlines frequent collaboration between YDSA and DSA national bodies, including quarterly meetings between the NCC and relevant DSA committees, regular check-ins between NPC members and chapters, ongoing mentorship of YDSA chapters, and the implementation of new leadership pipelines and chapter integration roles. Staff are expected to coordinate national-level tracking of chapter development, assist in training, and help manage implementation of new structures, such as chapter mentorship programs and shared dues processes. Member involvement spans national leadership, chapter-level roles (e.g., YDSA coordinators), and sustained participation in multi-session political education series. The volume and regularity of these activities exceed what existing staff and volunteer capacity could typically support without major reprioritization or added resources.

It also received a score of 4 for Financial Impact, as the projected non-personnel costs for one year exceed $50,000. Key additional allocations for one year include:

  • $124,200 in additional stipends for the NCC (9 members at $1,150 per month)
  • $119,700 for a second YDSA staffer, which would likely include salary, benefits, onboarding, and support costs at a minimum of $119,700.
  • $8,400 for paid YDSA committee co-chairs and The Activist editor ($350/month × 2 semesters × ~4 positions)
  • $7,200 for two part-time interns at $22/hour (average 12.5 hours/week × 26 weeks × 2 interns)
  • $10,000 for local chapter grants
  • $3,000 for printed materials and distribution (e.g., The Activist)

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/42623 

Submitter’s source document: YDSA Consensus Resolution

CR08: Unified Grievance Policy

Submitted by the National Political Committee. Qualified on Apr 29, 2025, by vote of the NPC (11-2), per Pre-Convention Rule 1.C.1.2. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

As recommended by the National Grievance Panel, this resolution compiles all of the known grievance policies into a single document and codifies the DSA practice of treating harassment and non-harassment grievances the same way under existing policy.

CR08 Table of Contents

UNIFORM GRIEVANCE POLICY        90

1. General Provisions        90

2. Behavior and Conduct.        90

3. Harassment/Grievance Officers.        91

4. Privileges of Membership.        91

5. National Structures.        92

6. Local Structures.        96

7. Grievances.        97

8. Discipline.        100

9. Appeals.        102

10. Confidentiality.        103

11. Retaliation.        105

12. Alternative Dispute Resolution.        106

Full text

Whereas, DSA has produced several documents and policies related handling internal grievances, including 2017 Resolution 33, 2021 Resolution 28, 2023 NPC Rec 7, NPC motion to create NGP, National Code of Conduct, Meeting Code of Conduct, Paula’s document of NPC grievance related decisions, and “Dear Comrade” guidance (2017).

Whereas, this resolution attempts to compile all of the known grievance authority in a single place and codify the DSA practice of treating harassment and non-harassment grievances the same way under existing policy.

Resolved,

  1. Resolution 33 passed by the 2017 DSA National Convention and all amendments to Resolution 33 and decisions related to Resolution 33, whether passed by convention, the NPC, or otherwise, are rescinded.
  2. DSA adopts the following Uniform Grievance Policy:

UNIFORM GRIEVANCE POLICY

Democratic Socialists of America is committed to creating a space that is welcoming and inclusive to members of all genders, races, and classes. The following policy provides guidelines to ensure that everyone is able to organize without fear of harassment, abuse, or harm.  We further recognize that interpersonal conflict can arise within our organization and manifest itself within and without our political processes.  The processes created by this policy are designed not only to address harassing conduct, but also conduct that may interfere with our core political work.

  1. General Provisions

  1. Any investigation or proceeding by any DSA body, including but not limited to a chapter, a chapter steering committee (“SC”), or the National Political Committee (“NPC”), which may result in a member being disciplined by the organization, whether permanently, temporarily, or otherwise, must follow the procedures laid out in this policy.
  2. This policy does not apply to simple moderation of online resources, though a member’s conduct in online spaces may give rise to a complaint under this policy.
  3. This policy does not restrict a chapter meeting’s ability to remove a member from said meeting where said member’s behavior during the meeting violates this policy or DSA’s Meeting Code of Conduct.
  4. “Conflict of interest” as used in this policy means a member’s inability to participate in a grievance-related proceeding without preconceived judgment or opinions..  The mere knowledge of circumstances surrounding a grievance does not, in itself, give rise to a conflict of interest.
  5. All DSA and YDSA chapters will follow this policy.  Provisions of chapter bylaws or policies that directly contradict this policy are superseded by this policy.

  1. Behavior and Conduct.

  1. Prohibited behavior. Members shall not engage in harassment on the basis of sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, physical appearance, disability, race, color, religion, national origin, class, age, or profession. Conduct, such as unwelcome attention, inappropriate or offensive remarks, slurs, or jokes, physical or verbal intimidation, stalking, inappropriate physical contact or proximity, and other verbal and physical conduct constitutes harassment only when one or more of the following occurs:
  1. Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of a member’s continued affiliation with DSA;
  2. Submission or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for organizational decisions affecting such individual; or,
  3. Such conduct has the purpose or effect of creating a hostile environment interfering with an individual’s capacity to organize within DSA.
  1. A “hostile environment” is created only where the conduct is sufficiently severe or pervasive as to alter the conditions of membership in DSA and create an abusive organizing environment.
  2. Conduct will be presumed “sufficiently severe or pervasive” where a reasonable person would be offended by the conduct.
  1. Member conduct.  Members are expected to abide by the National Code of Conduct, the Meeting Code of Conduct, and any applicable bylaws provisions or code of conduct passed by their local chapter.
  2. Online conduct.  Expectations regarding the conduct of DSA members are enforceable for online behavior, including but not limited to conduct on social media, as well as offline behavior.

  1. Harassment/Grievance Officers.

  1. DSA will have harassment/grievance officers (“HGOs”) at both the local and national levels.  HGOs will assist members in making complaints, investigate complaints, report the results of investigations to the appropriate body, and educate members on this policy.

  1. Privileges of Membership.  

  1. Members of DSA are vested with the privilege of being treated with fundamental fairness during any investigation or proceeding under this policy.
  2. Specifically, members are entitled:
  1. To notice, in writing, of any allegations made against them.
  2. To an opportunity to respond, in writing, to any allegations made against them.
  3. To have complaints they make or that are made against them investigated by HGOs.
  4. To the confidentiality of information they may share during an investigation or proceeding under this policy, with the understanding that any information provided during an investigation or proceeding under this policy may be shared with the Steering Committee and may be reviewed at the national level.
  5. To a written final adjudication on complaints they make or that are made against them, including factual findings based on evidence, when an outcome is reached.
  6. To appeal final adjudications and/or discipline to which the member is a party and which is adverse to that member to the NPC.  There is no privilege of appeal from any decision of the NPC.

  1. National Structures.

  1. National DSA will:
  1. Have and maintain a Committee of Grievance Officers (“CGO”) as described in subsection c of this section.
  2. Have and maintain a National Grievance Panel (“National Grievance Panel”)  as described in subsection d of this section.
  1. The National Political Committee (“NPC”) will:
  1. Assign at least one at minimum part-time staff member to serve as National Grievance Coordinator and devote adequate resources to ensure that grievances are being timely decided and to support local chapters in maintaining healthy organizing atmospheres through training and other methods.  Said staff member(s) need not be assigned solely to this work, but it is expected that at least 20 hours of staff time per week will be devoted to support of grievance work at the national level..  The National Grievance Coordinator has the following responsibilities:
  1. Serving as the first point of contact for complaints and appeals at the national level.  To accomplish this, the National Grievance Coordinator will maintain a national grievance submission and appeal systems, and monitor a national grievance email to accept appeals and receive complaints.
  2. Tracking the status of national grievances or appeals, triaging grievances/appeals and referring them to the NGP, forwarding one-off process questions to the CGO, compiling finalized NGP investigations to present to the NPC, delivering notice of NPC case adjudications to all involved parties, and collecting grievance reports from chapters.
  3. Supporting the CGO’s training sessions, including but not limited to maintaining RSVPs to events, sending emails to the membership on behalf of the CGO, and texting reminders to event attendees.
  4. Maintaining a list of expelled members.
  5. Maintaining a list of active HGOs and the local chapter(s) they serve
  6. With assistance from CGO, conducting an annual survey of chapter HGOs in December of each year and providing anonymized results and statistical data to the CGO, NGP, and NPC.
  1. Maintain and revise as necessary the National Code of Conduct and Meeting Code of Conduct.
  2. Ensure that chapters are in compliance with this policy by maintaining a list of chapter HGOs and training they attend.
  3. Refrain from using any independent contractor, other than attorneys hired to represent DSA and provide DSA with legal advice, to effect the terms of this policy.
  4. Have ultimate and sole authority to make decisions on complaints or appeals that may come before it.  For complaints appropriately directed to the NPC, the NPC is the Steering Committee as that term is used in this policy.
  5. Ensure that NGP members have access to past NPC grievance decisions while adequately protecting all potentially sensitive member data.
  6. Individual members of the NPC will recuse themselves from any matter under this policy in which they have a conflict of interest, or in which a conflict of interest is likely to arise.
  1. Committee of Grievance Officers.  The Committee of Grievance Officers (“CGO”) will work to formalize connections between HGOs in local chapters and in YDSA for the purpose of ongoing skillshares and collaboration, and to provide HGOs support for their work.
  1. Membership on the CGO is open to DSA and YDSA members in good standing who are interested in the harassment and grievance process, able to contribute to the work of the committee, and who are invited by the Steering Committee of the CGO.  Members will be invited on an “as-needed” basis by the Steering Committee of the CGO.
  2. The Steering Committee of the CGO will be composed of one member of the NPC, who shall chair the Steering Committee, up to ten current or former chapter HGOs selected by the NPC, and a representative of the YDSA Chapter Health and Intersectionality Committee  Other members of the NPC may act as non-voting liaisons.  The Steering Committee may recommend candidates for addition to the Steering Committee to the NPC.
  3. The CGO Steering Committee may draft and pass bylaws to govern its work and may, at its discretion, create subcommittees to carry out its work.
  4. The CGO will:
  1. Determine appropriate training requirements for HGOs.
  2. Organize meetings open to all DSA members interested in the grievance process, which may include skillshares, training, and breakout sessions for consultation and mutual support of chapter HGOs.
  3. Seek input from chapter HGOs about existing community accountability and mediation programs, and will provide support to chapter HGOs in developing and implementing such programs.
  4. Develop materials to assist chapter HGOs and, with the assistance of the National Tech Committee (NTC), work to ensure that materials related to the grievance process are accessible by members on the DSA website.  Said materials will include template forms for reporting and responding to complaints and appeals.
  5. Assist the National Grievance Coordinator in conducting an annual survey of chapter HGOs in December of each year.
  6. Review this policy from time to time and draft proposed revisions as necessary.
  1. The CGO chair will:
  1. Work to develop the HGO community by facilitating opportunities and a space for HGOs to discuss chapter situations, seek support and feedback, and review plans of action.
  2. Collaborate with the NGP on training for HGOs.
  3. With the National Grievance Coordinator, maintain a list of chapter HGOs.
  4. Identify and work to develop HGOs in chapters without identified HGOs.
  1. National Grievance Panel.  The National Grievance Panel (“NGP”) consists of DSA’s national HGOs.  The NGP will investigate national complaints and appeals and make recommendations on complaints and appeals to the NPC.
  1. The NGP will consist of a panel of members appointed by the NPC.
  1. NGP members will serve terms not to exceed two years and will be appointed the January following an NPC election.
  2. The NGP chair will be selected from its membership by the NPC.
  3. The roster of all NGP members will be available to DSA members, but which members may be assigned to individual cases will only be known to the chair, the NPC, and other panel members.
  4. Members will be appointed or removed from the NGP only with a supermajority of NPC (12 votes).
  5. Members of the NGP will recuse themselves from any matter under this policy in which they have a conflict of interest, or in which a conflict of interest is likely to arise.  No NGP member will review a matter originating from their local chapter.
  1. The NGP will:
  1. Serve as HGOs at the national level.
  2. Review appeals to the NPC in accordance with this policy.
  3. Investigate complaints made to the NPC in accordance with this policy.
  4. Review requests for national expulsion made to the NPC in accordance with this policy.
  5. Identify complaints and appeals which may require guidance from legal counsel.
  6. Assist the National Grievance Coordinator in monitoring the national grievance email address to function as a confidential reporting “hotline.”
  7. Advise the NPC regarding proposed revisions to this policy.
  1. The NGP chair will:
  1. Coordinate intake of appeals complaints and assign members of the NGP to investigate complaints made to the NPC and to consider appeals under this policy.
  2. Conduct a review of each case finalized by NGP members before NPC review to ensure consistency in practice and recommended resolutions.
  3. Maintain records of complaints, investigations, expelled members, and other relevant information regarding membership status.
  4. Develop standardized forms for reports, investigations, and procedural recommendations for use by NGP members.
  5. In conjunction with the CGO, provide for training of NGP members and HGOs in best practices, conflict resolution, investigations, mediation, and other practices.

  1. Local Structures.

  1. Each DSA chapter will:
  1. Have at least one member designated as harassment/grievance officer(s) (“HGO”), who may be elected by membership or appointed by the chapter steering committee, at the chapter’s discretion.  HGOs may not simultaneously be members of the chapter’s Steering Committee.
  2. Chapters with more than one hundred members will have at least two HGOs.
  3. Determine term limits for chapter HGOs and develop methods for removing HGOs for cause.
  4. Establish and monitor an email address to function as a confidential reporting “hotline” that is only accessible by the HGOs.
  5. Maintain forms both for reporting and responding to complaints and grievance appeals.
  6. Determine which HGO(s) will be responsible for each complaint that comes to its attention.
  1. A chapter’s Steering Committee will have sole authority to adjudicate complaints that may come before it as described in this policy.  This will not be construed to abrogate the authority of the NPC as the highest decision making body of DSA between conventions.
  2. Chapters may pass local codes of conduct in accordance with their chapter bylaws.
  3. Unless a chapter’s bylaws state otherwise, the chapter’s Steering Committee will make determinations of member discipline under this policy.  
  4. Chapters will provide the names and email addresses for the HGOs to the National Grievance Coordinator and the Committee of Grievance Officers on an annual basis.
  5. Chapter HGOs and Chapter Steering Committee Members will recuse themselves  from any matter under this policy in which they have a conflict of interest, or in which a conflict of interest is likely to arise.
  6. If a chapter receives a complaint and all HGOs recuse themselves from the matter, the Steering Committee will appoint a member to serve as HGO to address that complaint.

  1. Grievances.

  1. Complaints.  Any member that has been harassed by another member or believes another member’s conduct violates an applicable code of conduct or their chapter’s bylaws may make a complaint about the conduct of the other member to a chapter HGO.
  1. A complaint arising from online behavior of a member made by a member of a separate chapter may be made either to the accused member’s chapter HGOs or to the NPC.
  2. Chapter HGOs will maintain and monitor an email address accessible only to the HGOs to receive complaints and other communications regarding complaints.
  3. The National Grievance Coordinator and NGP will maintain and monitor an email address accessible only to the National Grievance Coordinator and NGP co-chairs to receive complaints to the NPC or other national communications regarding complaints.
  4. Complaints will be made in writing, preferably to the applicable HGO email address.
  5. There is no time limit for making a complaint.
  6. Except as provided in subsection i of this section, if a member contacts the National Grievance Coordinator, the NGP, or the NPC regarding a complaint without first having had the matter adjudicated at the local level, their complaint will be referred to the local chapter.  Not having a chapter HGO will not be considered a reason for the NGP and/or NPC to agree to accept a complaint.
  1. Disciplinary Referrals.  Where a member has allegedly violated this policy, any applicable member code of conduct, or other authority, a Steering Committee or HGO may issue a disciplinary referral against a member, which will be made in the same manner as a complaint and will be treated as a complaint under this policy.
  2. Preliminary Procedures.  
  1. Upon receipt of a complaint, the responsible HGO(s) will provide notice of the complaint to the accused member within a reasonable time, ideally within seven (7) days of receiving the complaint.  Notice will include either a copy of the complaint or a summary which includes the specific conduct alleged to have violated this policy, an applicable code of conduct, or other authority.
  2. At any time following the receipt of a complaint, an HGO may notify the Steering Committee of the complaint and request from the Steering Committee temporary discipline as necessary to protect the health and safety of members and the integrity of the organization.
  3. An HGO may recommend that a complaining member and an accused member do not communicate with each other or with specific other persons for the duration of the grievance process.
  4. With consent of the complaining member and the accused member, an HGO may refer a matter for alternative dispute resolution where appropriate.
  5. Once notified, the accused member will have seven (7) days to respond to the complaint.  If the accused member requests additional time to respond, it should be freely given, but in no circumstances will the accused member be given more than fourteen (14) days to respond unless extraordinary circumstances justify the delay.
  6. If an accused member fails to timely respond or request additional time, the HGO will recommend the Steering Committee take appropriate disciplinary action.
  7. If an accused party denies the substance of the complaint, the HGO will conduct an investigation under Section 7(d) of this policy.
  8. At any stage of a process under this policy, an accused member may name another member as an advisor or support person, provided the named member agrees to serve as advisor or support person. The advisor or support person may be any member who is not otherwise a party involved in the incident or a witness to the conduct stated in the complaint.
  1. The advisor or support person’s role is to provide guidance and/or emotional support, and may not speak on behalf of a member or disrupt any meeting or proceedings in any manner.
  2. Advisors or support persons may be excluded from participation if they fail to adhere to restrictions outlined here.
  3. Conduct by an advisor or support person which constitutes retaliation under Section 11 of this policy will be the subject of a separate complaint under this policy.
  1. Investigation.  An HGO may investigate a complaint by interviewing people with direct knowledge of the substance of the complaint, requesting appropriate documentation from the complaining member, accused member, or other person in possession of relevant documents or by any and all other necessary means.
  1. An HGO will complete the investigation in a reasonable time, ideally within ten (10) days of receiving the accused member’s written response.
  1. Report.  Following investigation, the HGO will create a report determining whether the complaint is credible, whether the alleged conduct violates this policy, and whether the alleged conduct more likely than not occurred.
  1. Grievance reports are confidential and will not be disseminated outside of the HGOs, the Steering Committee, the complaining member, and the accused member.
  2. A report may contain disciplinary recommendations to the Steering Committee.
  3. Reports will be transmitted to the Steering Committee, the complaining member, and the accused member in a timely fashion. Grievance reports are ideally transmitted within thirty (30) days of the complaint being filed.  If an HGO requires more than sixty (60) days to complete the report, the HGO must communicate the need for additional time to the Steering Committee, the complaining member, and the accused member.
  1. Adjudication.  The Steering Committee has sole decision making authority as to whether conduct more likely than not occurred and whether conduct violated this policy.  The Steering Committee has authority to determine matters of member discipline under this policy, in accordance with any applicable bylaws.
  1. The Steering Committee will follow processes described in the chapter  bylaws in adjudicating a complaint, provided those bylaws provisions do not contradict this policy.
  2. Each complaint will be assessed on a case-by-case basis by the Steering Committee
  3. To adjudicate a complaint, the Steering Committee will determine:
  1. Whether the alleged conduct more likely than not occurred;
  2. Whether the conduct violated this policy or an applicable chapter policy; and,
  3. Whether the accused member’s conduct warrants discipline.
  1. The Steering Committee will make all necessary decisions on complaints in a timely fashion, not to exceed thirty (30) days from the receipt of the HGO’s report.
  2. The Steering Committee will not delegate its decision on adjudications or discipline to any committee, subcommittee, or person; provided, however, that a chapter’s bylaws may require certain disciplinary matters to be considered by a chapter meeting.
  3. The adjudication of a grievance will be in writing, and will contain findings based on the HGO report and any other evidence considered by the Steering Committee.
  4. The Steering Committee will notify the complaining member, the accused member, and the HGOs of any adjudication and of the right to an appeal within three (3) days of a decision.  This communication will include a copy of the written adjudication.

  1. Discipline.  

  1. The Steering Committee has authority to issue both temporary and final remedies during any processes under this policy.  Chapters also have authority to issue final remedies during processes under this policy according to their bylaws.
  2. Temporary Discipline.  Upon notice of a complaint to the Steering Committee by an HGO, at request of the HGO or on its own, the Steering Committee may issue a temporary remedy as necessary to protect the health and welfare of members and the integrity of the organization.
  1. No temporary discipline will continue beyond the adjudication of the complaint.
  2. No temporary discipline will continue beyond one hundred and twenty (120) days from the date the member was notified of the temporary discipline, unless extended by the NPC.
  3. Nothing in this policy should be construed to limit the Steering Committee from removing members from online spaces as temporary discipline.  The Steering Committee may delegate the authority to remove members from online spaces to moderators at its discretion.
  1. Final Discipline.  A final remedy will only be issued following adjudication of the complaint where the Steering Committee determines that the conduct more likely than not occurred, that the conduct violated this policy or an applicable chapter policy, and that the accused member’s conduct warrants discipline.
  1. If a local chapter has established suspension or expulsion procedures, the Steering Committee is authorized to enforce these remedies and penalties in accordance with those procedures.
  2. If the local chapter does not have established suspension or expulsion procedures, they will adopt the procedures outlined in Article III, Section 4 of the DSA Constitution and Article I, Section 3 of DSA bylaws, substituting the NPC majority required with a Steering Committee majority.
  1. Determinations.  In determining temporary or final discipline, the following will be considered:
  1. The request of the complaining member.
  2. The facts of the case and the severity of the offense.
  3. The response of the accused member.
  4. Any history of relevant behavior by the accused member.
  5. The recommendation of the HGO.
  1. Time. All decisions regarding member discipline determined by the Steering Committee will be made within thirty (30) days of the receipt of the HGO’s report.  Determinations of member discipline by a chapter meeting, where permitted or required by a chapter’s bylaws, will be made within forty-five (45) days of the receipt of the report at a special meeting called specifically for that purpose.
  2. Remedies.  Remedies may include:
  1. A formal discussion between the disciplined member and the Steering Committee to develop a plan to change the offending behavior(s).
  2. Censure of the disciplined member.
  3. Suspension from committee meetings and other organizational events.
  4. Removal from committees.
  5. Removal from shared resources or communications platforms.
  6. Suspension from DSA.
  1. No suspension from a DSA will be effective for a period longer than three (3) years.
  2. A member’s suspension may contain conditions for re-integration at the end of the suspension period.
  1. Expulsion from DSA.
  1. Expulsion from a chapter is effective for that chapter.
  2. A chapter seeking national expulsion of an expelled member will request national expulsion from the NPC.  The NPC will address requests for national expulsion as a complaint under this policy.
  3. A nationally expelled member may petition to return to DSA after five (5) years have passed from the date of initial expulsion.  All petitions to return to DSA will be made to the NPC.
  1. Any combination of remedies deemed appropriate.
  2. Any and all other relief deemed necessary and just by the Steering Committee or the chapter.

  1. Appeals.  

  1. Right to Appeal.  A complaining member, an accused member, or a chapter HGO may appeal a chapter Steering Committee’s adjudication to the NPC.  An adjudication by the NPC may not be appealed.
  2. Appeal of Temporary Discipline.  Temporary discipline pending the outcome of a grievance decision is not appealable until the final adjudication of the complaint or the expiration of one hundred twenty (120) days from the date the member was notified of the temporary discipline, whichever is sooner.
  3. Grounds.  The limited grounds for appeal are:
  1. The behavior did not violate this policy.
  2. Procedural errors, misconduct, or conflicts of interest affected the fairness of the outcome.  Error that did not affect the fairness of the outcome will not warrant the overturning of an adjudication.
  3. The discipline determined by Steering was grossly disproportionate to the conduct.
  1. Time.  There is no specific time limit for the filing of an appeal; however, the NPC may choose to reject as moot an appeal which does not have an ongoing impact on a member’s status.
  2. Form.  An appeal to the NPC will be initiated by contacting the National Grievance Coordinator, who will provide the party with the appropriate appeal forms, which will then be referred to the NGP.
  3. Determination.  The NPC has sole and ultimate decision-making authority on all appeals.  The NGP may assist the NPC in reviewing grievance appeals and making recommendations to the NPC.  Decisions of the NPC are not appealable.
  4. Remedies.  The NPC may affirm or reverse a chapter Steering Committee’s adjudication and/or a chapter Steering Committee’s decision on member discipline, in whole or in part.  Chapters are bound by the NPC’s decision on an appeal.  The NPC may also choose to remand an appeal to the chapter for further action.  Upon remand, chapters are obligated to follow the recommendations of the NPC.

  1. Confidentiality.  

  1. General Policy.  The grievance process under this policy is confidential.  However, DSA leaders can often find themselves in difficult situations where they are trying to build trust with their comrades through transparency, but are fearful of disclosing private information.  DSA leadership and HGOs will follow this  guidance to protect the confidentiality of members:
  1. A complaining member will not be silenced.  HGOs can explain that maintaining confidentiality may help expedite the investigation, preserve the integrity of the process, and de-escalate conflict. A complaining member who agrees to confidentiality should understand that the confidentiality request is only for the period of the investigation.
  2. Accused members will not be punished for making a good-faith effort to produce evidence for the consideration of HGOs and/or the Steering Committee.  Communications regarding a complaint that violate any temporary discipline of a member and/or an HGO’s recommendations under Section 7(c)(iii) of this policy (if any) will not be considered as being in good-faith.
  3. Accused members will not be punished for seeking advice or emotional support from a person they designate as an advisor or support person under this policy.
  4. Anyone involved in the investigation, including the complaining member and the accused member, must understand that disclosure of information regarding the complaint can escalate conflict.  Escalation of conflict by a complaining member, an accused member, or a third-party may constitute retaliation under this policy.
  5. HGOs and chapter leaders will refrain from conveying any information provided to them in confidence without the express permission of the party who gave them that information, except as necessary to effect the adjudication of the complaint.
  6. Chapters and Steering Committees will keep grievance deliberations confidential and discuss such matters only in executive session.  All votes must be a matter of record.
  7. In order to prevent additional harm and/or the spreading of misinformation, chapter leaders will work with the NGP before releasing information about a complaint at the chapter level.  A chapter is not in any way restricted from confirming or denying a person’s membership status to members.
  8. The NPC, National Grievance Coordinator, and NGP will abide by these confidentiality requirements.
  9. Chapter leadership and HGOs will work through the National Grievance Coordinator and the NGP and not contact the NPC directly about grievance matters. Chapters and/or parties are not permitted to “lobby” the NPC about their desired outcome on appeal, and efforts to do so may be considered retaliation.
  10. When the Steering Committee has adjudicated a  grievance matter, the ruling will be privately conveyed to the parties in a manner that ensures the safety of survivors and fairness to the accused.
  1. The National Grievance Coordinator and staff responsible for maintaining membership records will maintain a list of expelled members. A chapter may inquire if a specific individual has been expelled and is ineligible for membership, and the National Grievance Coordinator or National staff will ONLY confirm or deny that specific individual’s presence on the list. Requests for additional information may be made to the NPC through the NGP.  Chapters will not be provided access to additional information regarding expelled members unless the NPC determines that a particular chapter request merits an exception.
  2. No confidential grievance information will be disclosed to law enforcement or any party to a civil lawsuit without a valid and enforceable subpoena requesting said information.  Any HGO or chapter receiving a subpoena or informal request for information or evidence from anyone outside of the parties or in relation to any legal, judicial, administrative or other kind of action should contact the National Grievance Coordinator immediately.

  1. Retaliation.  

  1. Retaliation prohibited.  Retaliation for making a complaint or assisting a member in making a complaint under this policy is prohibited. Retaliation against HGOs for investigating and reporting complaints is prohibited.  Retaliation against Steering Committee members for adjudicating complaints and/or making decisions on member discipline is prohibited.
  2. If any party to the complaint, HGO, or Steering Committee member believes there has been retaliation, they should inform the HGO, who will treat the allegation of retaliatory conduct as a separate complaint under this policy.
  3. The following behaviors may be considered retaliatory and will be considered the subject of a new complaint involving any person(s) engaged in retaliatory conduct:
  1. Intentionally exposing confidential information outside of the grievance process in a manner calculated to target the complaining member, the accused member and/or other individuals involved in the process.
  2. Filing complaints under this policy in bad faith with no merit against individuals they want to be suspended or expelled for political or personal reasons, or to invoke confidentiality where none is warranted.
  3. Organizing to avoid accountability among friends, supporters, and others inside and outside DSA to foster support and degenerate the grievance process and/or to enlist support from outside organizations.
  4. Publicly disparaging a  complaining member or others involved in the investigation by directly and/or indirectly targeting participants with profanity, slurs, or other language prohibited by this policy.
  5. Vigilantism/self-help measures that include public shaming, contacting employers, community groups, family members, and romantic/relationship partners, and other harmful public actions.
  6. Escalation of conflict while the grievance is pending by using social media, personal contacts, publications, organizing efforts, social networks, or any other way that results in an escalation of the conflict.
  7. Manipulating chapter election processes to unfairly prevent parties involved in grievances from assuming leadership positions.
  8. Failing to reveal a conflict of interest or failure to recuse by those involved in investigation or decision-making with regard to a complaint, including HGOs who do not reveal actual conflicts of interest and/or do not recuse themselves from matters where such a conflict is likely to arise.
  9. Taking other adverse action against those involved in the process, including piling on additional work for people in leadership positions to make them look bad, and subjecting them to continuing retaliation as described above for the way they conducted the investigation and/or decisions which impacted the grievance outcome.
  1. Retaliation reported during the grievance process is treated as a separate complaint, but evidence of retaliatory conduct may be considered by the NPC as part of any decision on appeal..
  2. Refusal by the chapter to implement a final appeal ruling may be considered retaliation.  The NPC may also take action against chapter leadership to ensure its decisions are honored.

  1. Alternative Dispute Resolution.  

  1. Use of Alternative Dispute Resolution.  In certain circumstances, an alternative dispute resolution based on restorative practices and the principles of transformative justice may be preferable to a formal investigation and adjudication of a complaint.  Where the complaining member and accused member agree and the HGO determines there is no risk of further harm from communication between the parties, an HGO may recommend that the complaint be referred for alternative dispute resolution under this section.
  2. Nothing in this policy should be construed as limiting the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution or other informal practices to resolve conflict where no complaint has been filed.
  3. Chapters will work to ensure that local bylaws, codes of conduct, and policies permit restorative practices, mediation, and/or other transformative remedies.
  4. All alternative dispute resolution is voluntary and no alternative dispute resolution may be imposed upon the parties.
  5. Alternative dispute resolution will only be used where the complaining member is demonstrably comfortable with that approach and the accused member is ready to acknowledge responsibility for the harm caused.
  6. Alternative dispute resolution may include:
  1. Mediation.
  2. Talking or Discussion Circles.
  3. Requesting a training from national committees
  4. Other restorative practices.
  1. Any information shared as part of an alternative dispute resolution is subject to the same confidentiality as information shared during an investigation.
  2. An HGO will report the outcome of any alternative dispute resolution to the Steering Committee, whether successful or unsuccessful.
  3. If an HGO refers a matter for alternative dispute resolution and the resolution is unsuccessful, the HGO will investigate according to the terms of this policy and make the appropriate report to the Steering Committee.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 2: Low to Moderate Finances 3: $10,000 to $50,000

This resolution received a 2 for Capacity Commitment because it primarily consolidates and formalizes existing grievance policies into a unified, organization-wide framework. The work largely builds on existing structures and processes rather than introducing new systems that would require significant implementation or training beyond what DSA already manages. Some moderate member coordination will be needed to support the formalization of the grievance infrastructure, including onboarding the National Grievance Coordinator and ensuring chapter compliance with the new policy, but these tasks fall within manageable capacity given existing structures.

It received a 3 for Financial Impact due to the moderate financial outlay associated with hiring a National Grievance Coordinator at $25/hour for 20 hours per week , which amounts to approximately $26,000 annually. This is the primary new cost introduced by the resolution and places the overall financial impact in the $10,001–$49,000 range. The resolution also anticipates some additional administrative and logistical support for grievance-related trainings, surveys, and coordination with chapters, which may contribute to ongoing costs, though these are expected to remain limited and manageable within existing resources.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/44470 

Submitter’s source document: Unified Grievance Policy - proposed CGO final

NPC Loomio vote: Approve Unified Grievance Policy _ Loomio.pdf

CR08-A01: Member Expulsion Policy (formerly CB01-3)

Submitted by Aaron B (Southeast MN), Connell H (River Valley), Ramsin C (Chicago), Allison K (New York City), Kristian H (North Texas). Qualified on Apr 23, 2025, with 519 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Members of DSA may be expelled for undemocratic or disruptive conduct or for substantial political disagreement with DSA. While rare, expulsion on the basis of political disagreement should be transparent to membership.

Full text

Preamble:

A member of DSA may be expelled for one of two primary reasons: poor conduct, or substantial political disagreement with DSA. Expulsion on the basis of the former criterion is a conduct expulsion, and expulsion on the basis of the latter criterion is a political expulsion.

In cases of expulsion on the basis of conduct, there is a general policy of confidentiality and privacy for the involved parties, which prohibits DSA mediators, grievance officers, or elected leadership from publicly discussing or disclosing details of the grievance in question which are not otherwise publicly available without the permission of all involved parties.

In cases of expulsion on the basis of political disagreement, there is a general policy of transparency, which requires DSA’s elected leadership to disclose to the general membership the pertinent political information used to justify the expulsion.

As long as membership in a self-described democratic centralist organization is considered a legitimate basis for expulsion by the DSA Constitution and Bylaws, expulsion on this basis is considered to be a political expulsion, and is subject to the same transparency requirements as expulsion on the basis of political disagreement.

Expulsion on either basis is not intended as a general purpose tool to resolve disagreement.

Political expulsions are under the sole purview of DSA’s elected political leadership, and the DSA grievance process is not intended to be used to adjudicate political disputes between members.

Effective text:

Therefore, be it resolved, the preamble and Article 1a of CR08: Unified Grievance Policy, are amended as follows, with additions green and underlined, deletions red and struck out, and omitted text unaffected:

UNIFORM GRIEVANCE POLICY

Democratic Socialists of America is committed to creating a space that is welcoming and inclusive to members of all genders, races, and classes. The following policy provides guidelines to ensure that everyone is able to organize without fear of harassment, abuse, or harm.  We further recognize that interpersonal conflict can arise within our organization and manifest itself within and without our political processes.  The processes created by this policy are designed not only to address harassing conduct, but also conduct that may interfere with our core political work to address inappropriate personal conduct by members, and not political conduct which may nevertheless interfere with DSA's core political work.

  1. General Provisions
  1. Any investigation or proceeding by any DSA body, including but not limited to a chapter, a chapter steering committee (“SC”), or the National Political Committee (“NPC”), which may result in a member being disciplined by the organization on the basis of their personal conduct, whether permanently, temporarily, or otherwise, must follow the procedures laid out in this policy.

Be it finally resolved, that CR08 is further amended to add a new Article 13, to immediately follow the existing Article 12:

13. Political Discipline

  1. Expulsion of a member under the above policies and processes constitutes a “conduct expulsion,” or a finding that the member engaged in “undemocratic, disruptive behavior,” permitting expulsion under the second criterion of Article I, Section 3 of DSA’s Bylaws.
  2. A “political expulsion” is defined as an expulsion on the basis of the first criterion of Article I, Section 3 of DSA’s Bylaws, “substantial disagreement with the principles or policies of the organization.”
  3. With the exception of Article 13, no article of this policy applies to political expulsions or to any other disciplinary processes for which the subject is the political rather than personal conduct of the accused.
  4. With the exception of Article 13, this policy may not be used to adjudicate a political expulsion, nor may it be used to apply other discipline to a member on the basis of political disagreement or otherwise adjudicate political disagreement between DSA members.
  5. DSA’s political decision-making bodies, namely the National Political Committee, chapter Steering Committees, chapter general bodies, and the National Convention, have sole authority over political expulsions.
  1. A member expelled on political grounds may appeal their expulsion. Political expulsion by a chapter Steering Committee may be appealed to the chapter general body. Political expulsion by a chapter general body may be appealed to the National Political Committee. Political expulsion by the National Political Committee may be appealed to the National Convention.
  2. Members facing political expulsion must receive specific written notice of the charges against them and must be given the opportunity to be heard before the body responsible for adjudicating the charges.
  3. HGOs and bodies which are primarily responsible for components of the grievance process, such as the NGP and CGO, have no role in the investigation or adjudication of a member’s political conduct.
  1. There is a general policy of transparency for all political disciplinary processes. The pertinent political information used to justify any political expulsion must be disclosed to the general membership.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

This recommendation does not mandate significant work or cost for staff or members at the national level.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/42727

Submitter’s source document: CB01-3 Amendment - Unified Grievance Policy

CR08-A02: For a Member-Led Grievance Response

Submitted by Matt N (East Bay), Sarah M (Pittsburgh). Qualified on Jun 25, 2025, with 422 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This amendment, written by two National Grievance Panelists, would:

  1. Move the responsibilities of the “National Grievance Coordinator” position to the NGP chairs.
  2. Put the responsibility for providing review and recommended revisions to the grievance process with the NGP, as the front-line responders to grievance issues and challenges.
  3. Develop the NGP chair roles and responsibilities.

Full text

Be it resolved, CR08, Unified Grievance Policy, Article 5 is amended as follows, with deletions red and struckout, additions green and underlined, omitted text unaffected, and sections renumbered as needed:

  1. National Structures.

  1. National DSA will:
  1. [...]
  1. The National Political Committee (“NPC”) will:
  1. Assign at least one at minimum part-time staff member to serve as National Grievance Coordinator and devote adequate resources to ensure that grievances are being timely decided and to support local chapters in maintaining healthy organizing atmospheres through trainings and other methods.  Said staff member(s) need not be assigned solely to this work, but it is expected that at least 20 hours of staff time per week will be devoted to support of grievance work at the national level..  The National Grievance Coordinator has the following responsibilities:
  1. Serving as the first point of contact for complaints and appeals at the national level.  To accomplish this, the National Grievance Coordinator will maintain a national grievance submission and appeal systems, and monitor a national grievance email to accept appeals and receive complaints.
  2. Tracking the status of national grievances or appeals, triaging grievances/appeals and referring them to the NGP, forwarding one-off process questions to the CGO, compiling finalized NGP investigations to present to the NPC, delivering notice of NPC case adjudications to all involved parties, and collecting grievance reports from chapters.
  3. Supporting the CGO’s training sessions, including but not limited to maintaining RSVPs to events, sending emails to the membership on behalf of the CGO, and texting reminders to event attendees.
  4. Maintaining a list of expelled members.
  5. Maintaining a list of active HGOs and the local chapter(s) they serve
  6. With assistance from CGO, conducting an annual survey of chapter HGOs in December of each year and providing anonymized results and statistical data to the CGO, NGP, and NPC.
  1. [...]
  1. Committee of Grievance Officers.  The Committee of Grievance Officers (“CGO”) will work to formalize connections between HGOs in local chapters and in YDSA for the purpose of ongoing skillshares and collaboration, and to provide HGOs support for their work.
  1. Membership on the CGO is open to DSA and YDSA members in good standing who are interested in the harassment and grievance process, able to contribute to the work of the committee, and who are invited by the Steering Committee of the CGO.  Members will be invited on an “as-needed” basis by the Steering Committee of the CGO.
  2. The Steering Committee of the CGO will be composed of one member of the NPC, who shall chair the Steering Committee, up to ten current or former chapter HGOs selected by the NPC, and a representative of the YDSA Chapter Health and Intersectionality Committee  Other members of the NPC may act as non-voting liaisons.  The Steering Committee may recommend candidates for addition to the Steering Committee to the NPC.
  3. The CGO Steering Committee may draft and pass bylaws to govern its work and may, at its discretion, create subcommittees to carry out its work.
  4. The CGO will:
  1. Determine appropriate training requirements for HGOs.
  2. Organize meetings open to all DSA members interested in the grievance process, which may include skillshares, trainings, and breakout sessions for consultation and mutual support of chapter HGOs.
  3. Seek input from chapter HGOs about existing community accountability and mediation programs, and will provide support to chapter HGOs in developing and implementing such programs.
  4. Develop materials to assist chapter HGOs and, with the assistance of the National Tech Committee (NTC), work to ensure that materials related to the grievance process are accessible by members on the DSA website.  Said materials will include template forms for reporting and responding to complaints and appeals.
  5. Assist the NGP chairs National Grievance Coordinator in conducting an annual survey of chapter HGOs in December of each year.
  6. Review this policy from time to time and draft proposed revisions as necessary.
  1. The CGO chair will:
  1. Work to develop the HGO community by facilitating opportunities and a space for HGOs to discuss chapter situations, seek support and feedback, and review plans of action.
  2. Collaborate with the NGP on training for HGOs.
  3. With the NGP chairs National Grievance Coordinator, maintain a list of chapter HGOs.
  4. Identify and work to develop HGOs in chapters without identified HGOs.
  1. National Grievance Panel.  The National Grievance Panel (“NGP”) consists of DSA’s national HGOs.  The NGP will investigate national complaints and appeals and make recommendations on complaints and appeals to the NPC.
  1. The NGP will consist of a panel of members appointed by the NPC. The NGP will be chaired by two co-chairs, selected from its membership by the NPC.
  1. NGP members will be appointed for serve terms not to exceed two years and will be appointed the January following an NPC election. Additional members may be appointed by the NPC upon recommendation from the NGP chairs.
  2. The NGP chair will be selected from its membership by the NPC.
  3. [...]
  1. The NGP will:
  1. Serve as HGOs at the national level.
  2. Review appeals to the NPC in accordance with this policy.
  3. Investigate complaints made to the NPC in accordance with this policy.
  4. Review requests for national expulsion made to the NPC in accordance with this policy.
  5. Identify complaints and appeals which may require guidance from legal counsel.
  6. Strive for consistency in practice in applying DSA grievance procedures, policies, and provide support for chapters to support chapter-level consistency with those same provisions.
  7. Assist the National Grievance Coordinator in monitoring the national grievance email address to function as a confidential reporting “hotline.”
  8. Advise the NPC regarding proposed revisions to this policy. Prepare a report for Convention on the grievance process, up to and including recommendations for revisions.
  1. The NGP chairs will:
  1. Monitor the national grievance email address and respond to queries, concerns, complaints, and any other matters, serving as the first point of contact for complaints and appeals at the national level.  The NGP chairs will maintain a national grievance submission and appeal systems, and monitor a national grievance email to accept appeals and receive complaints.
  2. Track the status of national grievances or appeals, triaging grievances/appeals, compiling finalized NGP investigations to present to the NPC, delivering notice of NPC case adjudications to all involved parties, and collecting grievance reports from chapters.
  3. Lead and coordinate meetings of NGP members at minimum monthly.
  4. Coordinate intake of appeals complaints and assign and manage members of the NGP to investigate complaints made to the NPC and to consider appeals under this policy.
  5. Conduct a review of each case finalized by NGP members before NPC review to ensure consistency in practice and recommended resolutions.
  6. Maintain records of complaints, investigations, expelled members, and other relevant information regarding membership status.
  7. Develop standardized forms for reports, investigations, and procedural recommendations for use by NGP members.
  8. In conjunction with the CGO, provide for training of NGP members and HGOs in best practices, conflict resolution, investigations, mediation, and other practices.
  9. Collaborate with the CGO in the creation of a survey for chapter HGOs, covering reports of harassment, code of conduct violations, and areas that chapters identified need more support from the NGP, CGO, or national DSA to fulfill their obligations under this policy.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 1: Less than $5000

This amendment removes the paid Coordinator and moves its duties over to non-paid NGP co-chairs. This removal of a paid NGP coordinator results in the cost scoring for this resolution to be reduced to a 1. For capacity, removing a paid staff role increases the coordination burden on volunteers and committees to ensure consistent, reliable execution of grievance processes. This places the resolution in the moderate to high time commitment range, particularly due to the need for ongoing recruitment, training, and oversight of member leadership and volunteers.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/46140 

Submitter’s source document: For a Member-Led Grievance Process

CR08-A03: Fix the At-Large Loophole in Grievance Policy

Submitted by Colin M (North Jersey). Qualified on Jun 27, 2025, with 328 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This clarifies the Grievance policy to make expulsions organization wide to not allow the “At-Large” loophole to exist for locally expelled members to work on National Committees. Members expelled from their chapters due to conduct should be seen as a sign that someone is unable to be a good member Nationally in DSA/participate in DSA spaces. This also re-orients the expulsion proceedings to allow for National Grievance Panel members to review expulsion cases prior to the NPC voting on them.

Full text

Whereas, Expulsions in DSA have operated as a two-tiered system where local expulsions do not necessarily ensure that comrades that are bad actors and have harmed other comrades or organizing efforts, are removed from the National organization instead moving them to “At-Large” status.

Whereas, If someone is bad enough that they’re unable to organize locally in their communities leading to an expulsion, they shouldn’t be able to interact with or work with comrades on the National level in Working Groups/Committees or on shared National DSA platforms (e.g. Discussion Forum).

Therefore, be it resolved, Unified Grievance Policy Article 8.f.vii.1-2 are amended as follows, with deletions red and struck out, additions green and underlined, and omitted text unaffected:

  1. Expulsion from DSA.
  1. Expulsion from a chapter is effective for that chapter. treated immediately as a full suspension and immediately forwarded up to the NGP to begin the national expulsion process.
  2. A chapter seeking national expulsion of an expelled member will request national expulsion from the NGP will review the expulsion notes and proceedings to ensure expulsions are for conduct and not politically related expulsions before forwarding to the NPC.  The NPC will address requests for national expulsion as a complaint under this policy.
  3. [...]

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 2: Low to Moderate Finances 3: $10,000 to $50,000

This amendment does not affect the overall capacity or cost requirements for the underlying resolution.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/46092 

Submitter’s source document: Ending At-Large Loophole in Grievance Policy

CR09: 2025 TRBA Consensus Resolution

Submitted by Brynn L. (Denver), Genevieve R. (At-Large), Chiara C. (Pensacola), Saya C. (North Texas) for the TRBA Steering Committee. Qualified on May 9, 2025, with 332 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

The 2025 Consensus Resolution (CR) for the Trans Rights and Bodily Autonomy Campaign Commission (TRBA) would:

  • Reauthorize TRBA through the 2027 Convention with a new mandate to focus on supporting chapter legislative campaigns.
  • Request that the NPC hire a dedicated TRBA Campaign Organizer.
  • Mandate the SC hold an election 60 days after Convention, with voter eligibility based off of registering as a TRBA member no later than 30 days after Convention and having engaged in TRBA work.

Full text

WHEREAS, the 2023 DSA National Convention mandated the creation of what came to be known as the Trans Rights and Bodily Autonomy Campaign Commission (TRBA).

WHEREAS, the NPC Implementation Resolution which created TRBA states that the TRBA Steering Committee shall “draft a resolution for the 2025 DSA convention outlining either a rationale and plan for its reauthorization or a rationale and plan for its dissolution”.

WHEREAS, TRBA’s initial mandate was largely made up of short-term goals, which TRBA quickly fulfilled by holding a successful Kickoff Mass Call and a Day of Action on Trans Day of Visibility 2024 with dozens of chapters across the country participating.

WHEREAS, over two dozen chapters have run campaigns based off of TRBA’s Trans Sanctuary City Toolkit in the past two years, successfully passing Trans Sanctuary Resolutions in jurisdictions such as but not limited to Ithaca, NY; Columbia, MO; Sacramento, CA; Akron, OH; Dallas County, TX; and Washington DC, cumulatively covering several million people.

WHEREAS, DSA chapters such as but not limited to Los Angeles, Metro DC, Chicago, and New York City have carried out pressure campaigns against academic medical centers that caved to the Trump administration by suspending pediatric gender-affirming care.

WHEREAS, TRBA has outgrown its 2023 mandate and chapters have embarked on extensive trans and abortion rights campaigns, intervening in state legislative fights across the country, stopping anti-trans bills and passing landmark trans rights legislation such as the Kelly Loving Act in Colorado, and trans and abortion rights campaigns are now the most common legislative work for DSA chapters.

WHEREAS, the TRBA Steering Committee has seen significant turnover as leaders have been torn between their local campaigns in this issue area and their national work. While growing leadership from trans people leading campaigns in this area has been a political benefit for TRBA, the consistent bottlenecks in the function of the national body have been operational capacity for tracking chapter campaigns, promotion and turnout for mass calls, interfacing with DSA’s org tools, and other day-to-day operations work, leading to diminished campaigns capacity for a national body facilitating work between dozens of chapters and nearly nonexistent capacity to participate in any national legislative processes.

WHEREAS, the Republican Party’s fascist assault on trans life, carried out through the vector of state power and regulations, is not only an existential threat to trans people but also represents an attack on the broader working class’ capacity for solidarity, and Democratic Socialists of America is uniquely positioned to fight for trans liberation as a grassroots organization with hundreds of elected officials, a network of labor militants, and an extremely high proportion of trans leaders.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Trans Rights and Bodily Autonomy Campaign Commission (TRBA) be renewed through the 2027 DSA National Convention with a new mandate of:

  1. Being an organizing hub for trans rights and bodily autonomy campaigns in the organization, with a primary focus on legislative campaigns, by stitching together chapter campaigns into a national strategic framework.
  2. Providing toolkits, resources, and mentorship to support chapters in their trans rights and bodily autonomy campaigns.
  3. Collaborating with other DSA national bodies (e.g. National Labor Commission, National Electoral Commission) when overlap in organizing work necessitates it.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the National Political Committee (NPC) hire a full-time TRBA Campaigns Organizer who will aid in TRBA’s work by:

  1. Aiding chapters in creating and carrying-out trans rights and bodily autonomy campaigns, with a primary focus on legislation.
  2. Administering the TRBA field budget and matching-funds programs at the direction of the Steering Committee.
  3. Maintaining central informational resources such as TRBA’s Legislative Index in coordination with the Steering Committee and Commission members to monitor the activities of state and federal legislatures and agencies.
  4. Help TRBA monitor and intervene in national legislative and administrative actions and in resisting the Trump administration.
  5. Running legislative campaigns and civics trainings and helping chapters intervene in the legislative process, with a focus on trans rights and bodily autonomy.

And who possesses the following qualifications in addition to any others decided by the NPC:

  1. Comprehensive, demonstrated understanding of the legislative process in federal, state, and local legislative bodies.
  2. Experience drafting and campaigning for legislation in the style of DSA’s volunteer-member-driven structure.
  3. Experience in running distributed campaigns across multiple geographies with their own chapters, demographics, organizing cultures, legislative structures, and home rule regimes.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the TRBA Steering Committee shall, 60 days after Convention adjournment, hold elections for the 2025-27 TRBA Steering Committee according to the following criteria for voter eligibility:

  1. Has applied to the TRBA national body within 30 days of Convention adjournment.
  2. Has substantively engaged in organizing a local, state, or national TRBA campaign in the past two years, to be attested along with specification of said campaign(s) in a form sent to all existing applicants to the TRBA national body and made available on trba.dsausa.org within 30 days of convention adjournment.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

This resolution received a Capacity Commitment score of 4 due to the sustained and complex coordination required from both staff and members over multiple years. The resolution mandates national campaign coordination, legislative tracking, chapter mentorship, elections administration, and collaboration with other national bodies, all of which demand significant ongoing involvement.Even with the proposal to hire a full-time TRBA Campaigns Organizer, the implementation involves substantial work around hiring, onboarding, supervision, and integrating this role into DSA’s infrastructure. If the hire does not materialize, the workload remains and would need to be distributed between existing volunteers and staff.

It also received a Financial Impact score of 4, as the creation of a new full-time staff position implies annual costs exceeding $50,000. Additional costs include field budgets, matching-funds programs, training development, and campaign tools.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/44130

Submitter’s source document: 2025 TRBA Consensus Resolution

CR09-A01: Amendment for the Organizational Merger of QSWG and TRBA (formerly R38)

Submitted by C.S. Jackson (San Diego). Qualified on May 6, 2025, with 318 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This resolution would merge the Trans Rights and Bodily Autonomy Campaign Commission and the Queer Socialist Working Group. Both groups have overlapping work which has created confusion and competition among our members for their time and attention. This resolution would consolidate those efforts into a single body for better coordination.

Full Text

Be it resolved: CR09, 2025 TRBA Consensus Resolution, is amended as follows, with additions green and underlined, deletions red and struck out, and omitted text unaffected.

[...]

WHEREAS, having two different bodies, the Queer Socialist Working Group (QSWG) and the Trans Rights and Bodily Autonomy (TRBA) pursuing overlapping work has created confusion, and competition for member time and attention, and increased the administrative burdens on members of the National Political Committee (NPC); and

WHEREAS, combining the membership lists of the two groups streamlines the management of membership information, improves data security, creates less contact duplication, and consolidate membership asks; and

WHEREAS, the Republican Party’s fascist assault on trans life, carried out through the vector of state power and regulations, is not only an existential threat to trans people but also represents an attack on the broader working class’ capacity for solidarity, and Democratic Socialists of America is uniquely positioned to fight for trans liberation as a grassroots organization with hundreds of elected officials, a network of labor militants, and an extremely high proportion of trans leaders, necessitating a coordinated strategy for trans liberation and bodily autonomy for all; so

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the QSWG and TRBA, shall merge their membership and leadership bodies under the existing QSWG bylaws;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Trans Rights and Bodily Autonomy Campaign Commission (TRBA) be renewed through the 2027 DSA National Convention with a new mandate of:

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, TRBA shall operate as a standing committee of QSWG, open to any member of the working group in good standing, with its work determined and driven by members with a suggested focus on the following;

  1. [...]

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the TRBA Steering Committee shall, 60 days after Convention adjournment, hold elections for the 2025-27 TRBA Steering Committee according to the following criteria for voter eligibility:

  1. Has applied to the TRBA national body within 30 days of Convention adjournment.
  2. Has substantively engaged in organizing a local, state, or national TRBA campaign in the past two years, to be attested along with specification of said campaign(s) in a form sent to all existing applicants to the TRBA national body and made available on trba.dsausa.org within 30 days of convention adjournment.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a new steering committee shall be elected no later than January 31st 2026, with nominations opened by December 1, 2025, and a 21-day voting notice period as required by QSWG bylaws, with two seats reserved for trans/nonbinary members.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

This amendment mandates a merger that consolidates overlapping work, reducing administrative burden without adding new resource demands.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/41204

CR09-A02: Removal of the Staffer Requirement

Submitted by C.S. Jackson (San Diego). Qualified on Jun 28, 2025, with 296 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This simply removes the staffer requirement from the CR and empowers members to develop each other as organizers.

Full Text

Be it resolved: CR09, 2025 TRBA Consensus Resolution, is amended as follows, with additions green and underlined, deletions red and struck out, and omitted text unaffected.

[...]

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the National Political Committee (NPC) hire a full-time TRBA Campaigns Organizer who will aid in TRBA’s work by:

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that members of TRBA will take on the responsibilities listed below, helping to alleviate capacity issues:

  1. Aiding chapters in creating and carrying-out trans rights and bodily autonomy campaigns, with a primary focus on legislation.
  2. Administering the TRBA field budget and matching-funds programs at the direction of the Steering Committee.
  3. Maintaining central informational resources such as TRBA’s Legislative Index in coordination with the Steering Committee and Commission members to monitor the activities of state and federal legislatures and agencies.
  4. Help TRBA monitor and intervene in national legislative and administrative actions and in resisting the Trump administration.
  5. Running legislative campaigns and civics trainings and helping chapters intervene in the legislative process, with a focus on trans rights and bodily autonomy.

And who possesses the following qualifications in addition to any others decided by the NPC:

  1. Comprehensive, demonstrated understanding of the legislative process in federal, state, and local legislative bodies.
  2. Experience drafting and campaigning for legislation in the style of DSA’s volunteer-member-driven structure.
  3. Experience in running distributed campaigns across multiple geographies with their own chapters, demographics, organizing cultures, legislative structures, and home rule regimes.

[...]

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 2: $5000 to $10,000

This amendment removes the requirement to hire a staffer and therefore reduces the cost score to a 2 ($5,000-$10,000) - to include field budgets, matching-funds programs, training development, and campaign tools.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/44913

CR10: DSA National Labor Commission Consensus Resolution: Building A Worker-Led Labor Movement

Submitted by 2025 Steering Committee, National Labor Commission. Qualified on May 9, 2025, with 269 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This consensus document drafted by the DSA Labor Steering Committee and amended by members presents an overview of NLC work over the past two years and lays out goals for the future. These include the continued investment in new organizing, solidarity work and the rank and file strategy. We also lay out goals for increasing member participation and building organizing infrastructure in the lead up to May Day 2028.

Full text

WHEREAS, since the 2023 convention adopted the last consensus resolution drafted by the National Labor Commission, the uptick in labor action has continued and spread. We are proud to say we have begun executing several of the actions laid out in that document and intend to continue the work that it laid out in the years to come.

WHEREAS, the National Labor Commission was renewed in the 2023 DSA Convention.

WHEREAS, since the 2023 Convention, the National Labor Commission has continued to support labor work within chapters and through national campaigns.

WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic transformed the terrain we organize on. While many of these effects were negative, the mass adoption of key digital tools and the necessity of organizing to survive triggered an uptick in labor activity that has continued in the years since.

WHEREAS, the international ruling class continues to grow its power and increasingly threatens the sovereignty of democratically elected governments and international structures. While commerce operates in a global system, workers are constrained by borders and laws that in many cases punish rather than protect them.

WHEREAS, the climate crisis is escalating rapidly and organized workers are the agent of change that can transform our world.

WHEREAS, the current US Presidential administration has made a priority of dismantling essential structures that serve its populous and specifically targeted unionized workers who provide these services. Furthermore, the rightward shift within the NLRB means workers and unions cannot rely on friendly rulings and processes, the labor movement must continue to focus on shop-floor power and struggle.

WHEREAS, US unions in large part failed to seize on the opportunities that arose in the past five years including a friendly NLRB, a tight labor market and uptick in militancy on the shop floor. In many cases these unions sit on large sums of money that can and must be used to grow the labor movement. Forcing these unions into motion will take organized effort from the rank and file.

WHEREAS, some unions, mostly those with a more robust internal democracy, have seized on the opportunities of the moment, engaging in aggressive, militant, member-driven contract and new organizing campaigns, most notably the UAW’s Stand Up Strike in the fall of 2023.

WHEREAS, at the conclusion of that strike, UAW President Shawn Fain called for mass worker action around May Day 2028 and lined up the Big 3 Automaker contracts to expire on that date and called on other unionists to line up their contracts to end that date, a call that has resonated through the broader working class.

WHEREAS, DSA has modeled what it looks like to empower workers to organize and lead in their unions and workplaces. Through its joint project with UE, the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee has aided the formation of dozens of new union shops. Through its solidarity work during key strikes at the Big Three Automakers, the University of California System, Starbucks and more it has enabled workers in struggle to remain on the line one day longer and stronger. Through its ongoing work educating and connecting members to further their organizing and their political analysis it has helped to cohere a movement of socialists focused on transforming the labor movement.

WHEREAS, as instructed by the last convention DSA Labor has begun the process of standing up local EWOC formations and a national salt training program. Through local EWOCs and the “Workers Organizing Workers” training series we are building our repertoire and capacity to train worker organizers on essential skills that will contribute to their short term projects and long term capacity for shop floor organizing.

WHEREAS, Reform movements in major unions have continued to be an important part of our political project but one in which we have only engaged thus far in unofficial individual capacities.

WHEREAS, DSA is currently the largest socialist organization in the country and intends to continue growing and developing toward representation of the working class as a whole. Our mission remains the development of organizing skills amongst worker leaders, the building of democratic structures in the workplace, and ultimately the establishment of democratic socialism in our lifetimes.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that this convention commits to continue its work of uniting the socialist and labor movements with the near term goal of turning May Day 2028 into a demonstration of bottom up worker power.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that in in the years to come the National Labor Commission will continue our efforts around the following areas of work:

1. Connecting current union members in our ranks and encouraging their organizing on the shop floor

Socialism’s true home is in the workplace and in the labor movement. In order to overcome the historic divide between the socialist and labor movements in this country, DSA must continue to reconnect the two at the level of the rank and file. DSA recommits to the Rank and File Strategy that has led our successful labor work for the last 6 years.

DSA will continue to encourage its comrades to take jobs in unionized workplaces for the long haul, and will continue to prioritize recruiting existing shop floor leaders into DSA. Comrades that work together should organize to build solidarity, win material gains for themselves and their coworkers, oppose all forms of oppression in the workplace, and build a more militant, democratic labor movement.

The National Labor Commission will continue to prioritize building relationships with rank-and-file union members, including providing them resources for bottom up organizing and supporting them in efforts to run for union leadership. Additionally the NLC will encourage the organic development of DSA industrial networks and will continue supporting members’ attendance at the biannual Labor Notes Conference and local Troublemakers Schools.

We will encourage chapter labor formations to serve as a home for DSA members organizing in their workplace, both in bringing together the broader socialist movement to support them in their organizing and in being a place they can bring their coworkers to introduce them to DSA and the socialist movement. The NLC will continue toward previously stated goals of 1) developing an organization more deeply rooted in the organized segment of the multi-racial US working class, 2) developing a cadre of dedicated socialist organizers rooted in the workplace, and 3) winning more workers to the cause of democratic socialism.

2. Promoting Salting and New Shop Organizing

DSA will continue to encourage members and supporters to take jobs in strategic not-yet-union workplaces where they can support and lead campaigns to win union recognition and collective bargaining rights. Through EWOC and the Workers Organizing Workers program, we will train the next generation of shop floor militants through hands-on training led by experienced volunteer organizers.

DSA will provide the necessary resources to ensure the DSA Labor “Workers Organizing Workers” training program can continue to recruit salts, conduct its quarterly trainings, support organizers with mentorship and political education, and expand to meet the growing need for knowledgeable shop floor leaders.

3. Spreading Our Politics Through Solidarity Actions

DSA has taken significant steps toward transforming the image that workers on strike have of socialists on their picket line. Through our approach of leading with material support and following up with relationship building we have forged strong bonds between our members and a wide array of worker leaders. This has been made possible by the continued gathering of our members to share tactics as well as our Labor Solidarity Fund. In order to provide even more support directly to workers as well as chapters who are engaging in solidarity work, DSA will commit to growing the Solidarity Fund through national fundraising efforts, as well as giving chapters the tools and training to fundraise locally. We will also expand the scope of the fund to allow it to provide for the needs that militant organizers require beyond direct service.

The Solidarity Captains’ Network will continue to build structures to enable every DSA chapter to support workers in motion, by developing leaders, providing trainings, and equipping DSA with the means to support emerging labor struggles.

4. Organizing Amazon

In 2023 we committed to prioritizing logistics organizing and saw the power that came from workers at UPS hubs across the country coming together to threaten a nationwide strike. In 2024 the National Labor Commission voted to shift our focus to the logistics giant Amazon. Through our #OrganizeAmazon campaign we are honing in on the new organizing taking place among Amazon warehouse workers and delivery drivers and continuing to build a strong, active network of shop floor militants.

5. Seizing the May Day 2028 Moment

The UAW call for a May Day 2028 general strike is ambitious and aspirational - and DSA recognizes the organizing in the lead up to the date as a potential breakthrough for our class. The UAW and other unions have the goal of aligning a range of contracts in the months surrounding May 1. DSA committed to organizing with rank and file activists across unions in cities across the country to build connections and strategy in the lead up to May Day 2028. We will ally with a range of unions and organizations to create a plan for moving towards 2028 with actions, events, and ongoing organizing in 2026 and 2027. The NLC, along with the NPC, shall anchor DSA efforts to build towards 2028.

6. Developing a concrete program to advance union democracy

While we have made significant progress on many of the tasks we laid out in 2023, our union democracy efforts were in large part put on the back burner. This year we renew our commitment to building militant, class-struggle unions.

We also re-affirm the set of democratic principles adopted at the last convention to guide DSA members when these issues arise within existing and future unions which include:

  1. The right of members to vote on all collective bargaining agreements
  2. All members to receive a copy of the CBA; prior to any contract vote, a complete copy (not just “highlights”) of proposed changes to the CBA will be available to all members, with time to review
  3. Bargaining committees to include rank and file members
  4. Direct election of officers at all levels – local and national
  5. Officer salaries should be set close to that of the people they represent
  6. Meetings, CBAs, constitutions, etc, to be translated (or conducted) into the languages spoken by 5% of members

7. Growing and expanding NLC organizing projects and campaigns

Going into the 2025-2027 term the NLC as outlined above will continue to build upon our success of the past. The fight for socialism means our projects such as EWOC, WOW, and the solidarity captain network must grow. This requires commitment, time, and people power. These projects will only be successful if we build capacity for them. In order to meet the moment and build power through these projects we must organize ourselves.

The NLC through the work of its Membership Committee will focus on engaging rank-and-file DSA members in our nationwide projects. We further reaffirm the decision, made by the 2023 DSA Convention, that the NLC Co-chairs must be paid positions so that these political leaders have the capacity to do this vital work.

Additionally, the NLC will establish a new regular Labor section in Democratic Left, which will principally be populated by reports from NLC campaigns, industrial sections, and chapter-level labor formations in our organization, in addition to hosting broader debates on labor strategy and tactics. Building robust internal infrastructures, such as but not limited to, an on-boarding process, shared discussion spaces, a collective calendar, and other resources are vital in building capacity for our work.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

This resolution commits significant financial and staffing resources to a multi-year national labor strategy culminating in a major mobilization around May Day 2028 . It includes hiring two full-time NLC Co-Chairs and expanding key labor programs like EWOC, WOW, and the Solidarity Fund. These efforts require substantial ongoing staff coordination and active participation from chapters and members nationwide. While the resolution does not specify exact figures beyond the salary of NLC co-chairs ($119.7k per full time employee per year), the scope of work indicates a high time commitment and significant financial investment.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43301

Submitter’s source document: Labor Consensus Resolution - 2025.pdf

CR10-A01: A Partyist Labor Strategy

Submitted by Echo N (Philadelphia), Emma B (Portland), Henry DG (Boston), John S (Metro DC), Lavender C (Olympia), Matthew J (Salt Lake), Rashad X (San Francisco), Sarah M (Portland), Suraj P (Central New Jersey), Tyler B (Central New Jersey), Venu M (Portland). Qualified on Jun 17, 2025, with 314 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

The authors of this amendment to the NLC Consensus Resolution wanted to put forward a partyist vision for the NLC. We believe only an independent socialist party can provide the basis for an independent labor movement, establishing practical links among the rank-and-file both in and between workplaces and coordinating our actions between the economic and political spheres. The following presents practical changes to inform the NLC Consensus Resolution towards this direction.

Full text

WHEREAS, workers unite into trade unions in order to win material concessions in the workplace, including improvements to wages and working conditions, as well as dignity and control over our lives.

WHEREAS, under capitalism, no reform or concession can be durably won if not defended and expanded upon by revolutionary methods and class struggle.

WHEREAS, unions are institutions which are meant to express the interests of workers in opposition to the interests of against capital.

WHEREAS, the ultimate task of socialists organizing in the trade unions is to win the working class to the cause of socialism.

WHEREAS, the US has a long history of labor leaders accepting business unionism, “plain and simple unionism”, or “free trade” unionism which utilize undemocratic methods to maintain cooperative relations with capitalist interests.

WHEREAS, the labor movement and its leaders tend towards economism, an ideology that sacrifices the political struggle for full working class liberation in exchange for temporary economic gains for small sections of workers.

WHEREAS, economism disengages and disempowers workers, and explicit political struggle brings more energy into the labor movement.

WHEREAS, with the election of Trump, immigrants, women, queer and trans people, and workers in the US and around the world are under increased attack, and the labor movement has a key role to play in the struggle against the right wing and the capitalist system, a role it will only be able to fulfill through its politicization, democratization, and increased militancy.

WHEREAS, DSA has a key role to play in promoting robust democratic reforms, developing the political activity of the rank and file, and spearheading the opposition to the oppression and exploitation of all working and oppressed peoples.

WHEREAS, although reform movements in unions like the UAW and the Teamsters have won union leadership elections and have succeeded in implementing crucial democratic reforms within their unions, serious fractures have opened up within these movements over how to win political power for the working class. In the absence of a clear political alternative, leadership in these movements has largely continued the discredited strategy of supporting Democrats and even Republicans in exchange for short-term political favors for their individual sectors, at the cost of the labor movement’s political independence, and cross-sector and international solidarity between workers.

WHEREAS, only an independent socialist party can provide the basis for an independent labor movement, establishing practical links among the rank-and-file both in and between workplaces and coordinating our actions between the economic and political spheres–between our labor organizers’ attacks on workplace dictatorship and our elected officials’ attacks on the authoritarian power of the owning class and undemocratic labor law, and between the working class of this country and the working class internationally.

Be it therefore resolved, that CR10: NLC Consensus Resolution is amended as follows, with added text green and underlined, text removed red and struck out, and omitted text unaffected.

[...]

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that this convention commits to continue its work of uniting the socialist and labor movements by committing DSA to a partyist labor strategy—that is, a strategy for strengthening the party coordination of DSA members in the labor movement—with the near term goal of turning May Day 2028 into a demonstration of bottom up worker power.

[...]

1. Leading With Politics

Two political strategies currently predominate among socialists in the labor movement: a sectarian approach, where socialists engage in agitation as part of a permanent campaign of pure opposition within their unions, and a economistic approach, where socialists tend to avoid raising socialist politics in the labor movement, instead deferring uncritically to reformist leaders. However, neither of these strategies offers a real solution to the crisis of political leadership in the labor movement.

In pursuit of DSA’s wider goal of securing working class political independence, the NLC will lead and coordinate DSA members in the labor movement to organize against the Democratic Party, against the Republican Party and the authoritarian right wing, and for socialist politics. To build the socialist wing of the labor movement, the NLC will also coordinate the mass recruitment of union members into DSA.

DSA members in the labor movement should always lead by example in our fights against workplace dictatorship and business unionism, and should take every opportunity to connect workplace struggles and union reform movements to the class struggle in general—to tenant struggles and housing justice, to the fight for universal healthcare, to the fight to extend suffrage and other democratic rights, to anti-imperialist solidarity and struggles for national self-determination, and ultimately a new democratic socialist society.

12. Connecting current union members in our ranks and encouraging their organizing on the shop floor

Socialism’s true home is in the workplace and in the labor movement. In order to overcome the historic divide between the socialist and labor movements in this country, DSA must continue to reconnect the two at the level of the rank and file. DSA recommits to the Rank and File Strategy that has led our successful labor work for the last 6 years while recognizing that in order to organize workers as a class—to unite workers across sectors and across borders—we must put forward a positive party program for coordinating the labor movement with every other social and political movement where workers are fighting for a better world.

To thrive as a body for supporting and coordinating our labor struggles, and to develop a more systematic party organization of DSA members in the labor movement, the National Labor Commission will prioritize forming coordinating sections for the industries that DSA members are working in. Furthermore, while industrial sections do currently exist for a few major industries that DSA members are currently organizing in (e.g. Starbucks, Amazon), their work has so far been limited by a lack of general organizational and political guidance for their work.

The primary task of industrial sections will be building union organization at the grassroots level through, for example, rank-and-file organization, shop steward networks, and activating union and labor-management committees. Industrial sections will also assist in running campaigns for union office or supporting democratic reformers. Additionally, industrial sections will provide political education for fellow union members both within union organization (e.g. trainings, COPEs) and autonomously.

In order to facilitate this labor strategy and to thrive as a body for supporting and coordinating our labor struggles, the National Labor Commission will prioritize forming coordinating sections within the industries and major unions that DSA members are working in, and establishing a central communications platform to organize the work of these sections.

DSA will continue to encourage its comrades to take jobs in unionized workplaces for the long haul, and will continue to prioritize recruiting existing shop floor leaders into DSA. Comrades that work together should organize to build solidarity, win material gains for themselves and their coworkers, oppose all forms of oppression in the workplace, and build a more militant, democratic labor movement. To support these aims, DSA will prioritize coordinating and supporting members in rank-and-file organizations, such as reform caucuses, that have robust internal participatory democracies and are committed to militant class struggle unionism.

The National Labor Commission will continue to prioritize building relationships with rank-and-file union members, including providing them resources for bottom up organizing and supporting them in efforts to run for union leadership. Additionally the NLC will encourage the organic development of DSA industrial networks and will continue supporting members’ attendance at the biannual Labor Notes Conference and local Troublemakers Schools and will develop a chapter toolkit and training on forming industrial sections.

[...]

23. Promoting Salting, and New Shop Organizing, and Cross-Union Training

[...]

DSA will provide the necessary resources to ensure the DSA Labor “Workers Organizing Workers” training program can continue to recruit salts, conduct its quarterly trainings, support organizers with mentorship and political education, and expand to meet the growing need for knowledgeable shop floor leaders.

Additionally, the NLC will begin to compile resolution templates, contract language, grievance and steward trainings, etc. into a centralized library curated by DSA members organized in the labor movement, while continuing to use and promote resources from union reform organizations like Labor Notes.

34. Spreading Our Politics Through Solidarity Actions

As union leadership faces increasing pressure to support reactionary politicians, DSA and the NLC will be openly critical of any nationalist, xenophobic, or imperialist rhetoric from union leadership, including but not limited to promotion of tariffs, war production and funding, Zionism, further militarization of the border, increased incarceration and police funding, anti-trans bigotry, “loyalty tests”, etc.

[...]

The Solidarity Captains’ Network will continue to build structures to enable every DSA chapter to support workers in motion, by developing leaders, providing trainings, and equipping DSA with the means to support emerging labor struggles. In addition, the Labor for Arms Embargo working group and Mask Off Maersk campaign will continue to work in solidarity with the Palestinian liberation movement to end military support for Israel.

The NLC will explore developing further resolution templates that are similar to the Solidarity Resolution Template to pass in union locals. These resolutions could be developed in coordination with the International Migrant Rights Working Group and the Trans Rights and Bodily Autonomy Campaign Commission. The NLC will encourage the coordination of DSA members in each union to pass resolution templates where conditions are favorable in particular locals.

45. Organizing Amazon

In 2023 we committed to prioritizing logistics organizing and saw the power that came from workers at UPS hubs across the country coming together to threaten a nationwide strike. In 2024 the National Labor Commission voted to shift our focus to the logistics giant Amazon. Through our #OrganizeAmazon campaign we are honing in on the new organizing taking place among Amazon warehouse workers and delivery drivers and continuing to build a strong, active network of shop floor militants. We are not only organizing against modern day robber barons like Jeff Bezos, but also against chauvinist, faux-militant, performative trends in the labor movement itself, as exemplified by Teamsters leader Sean O’Brien’s embrace of anti-migrant rhetoric and praise of right wing politicians -who attempt co-opt radical organizing efforts while failing to organize with the scale and intensity required to win. Sean O’Brien will not organize Amazon. Rather, the left will be the driving force.

56. Seizing the May Day 2028 Moment

The UAW call for a May Day 2028 general strike is ambitious and aspirational - and DSA recognizes the organizing in the lead up to the date as a potential breakthrough for our class. The UAW and other unions have the goal of aligning a range of contracts in the months surrounding May 1. DSA committed to organizing with rank and file activists across unions in cities across the country to build connections and strategy in the lead up to May Day 2028. We will ally with a range of unions and organizations to create a plan for moving towards 2028 with actions, events and ongoing organizing in 2026 and 2027. The NLC, along with the NPC, shall anchor DSA efforts to build towards 2028 and beyond.

Ultimately, the success of any potential worker demonstrations in May 2028 will depend on the ability of workers to organize as a class across industries for general, political demands that extend beyond the workplace. The best way to organize workers as a class is through an independent socialist party, and while DSA right now is a long way away from being the kind of party that can coordinate such a general strike, we believe that building industrial sections and strengthening party coordination of the labor movement is the first step on the long road of building that kind of party. And so, the NLC will commit to using our organization to unite workers as a class and to agitate against the US government for political democracy, along with any other priorities decided by our national conventions.

67. Developing a concrete program to advance union democracy

While we have made significant progress on many of the tasks we laid out in 2023, our union democracy efforts were in large part put on the back burner. This year we renew our commitment to building militant, class-struggle unions. As more unions struggle with internal democracy, socialists must help build democratic structures to keep the union and its leadership accountable to its members, even when leadership is aligned with reform caucuses. The points below do not exhaust what it will take to make our unions democratic, but they do provide a basic framework that DSA members can take into just about any union.

We also re-affirm and expand on the set of democratic principles adopted at the last convention to guide DSA members when these issues arise within existing and future unions which include:

  1. The right of members to vote on all collective bargaining agreements The right of members to have democratic control of collective bargaining and the strategy around it. This strategy would include:
  1. members electing democratic bargaining committees
  2. members being consistently informed about the bargaining process
  3. members having democratic discussions on the content of proposed agreements and decision making power over them
  4. members being able to organize workplace actions, before, during and after negotiations
  5. membership vote on all collective bargaining agreements
  1. All members to receive a copy of the CBA; prior to any contract vote, a complete copy (not just “highlights”) of proposed changes to the CBA will be available to all members, with time to review
  2. Bargaining committees to include rank and file members
  3. Direct election of officers at all levels – local and national
  4. Officer salaries should be set close to that of the people they represent
  5. Meetings, CBAs, constitutions, etc, to be translated (or conducted) into the languages spoken by 5% of members
  6. Functioning shop floor democracy that includes regular meetings of shop stewards/representatives of the members.
  7. The right of members to control the political endorsements of their unions
  8. Regular, open and deliberative meetings of the general membership following agreed-upon rules of order

78. Growing and expanding NLC organizing projects/campaigns

Going into the 2025-2027 term the NLC as outlined above will continue to build upon our success of the past. [...]

The NLC will continue the development of local EWOCs and identify key areas for expansion. The NLC will also explore developing processes to build stronger connections between the NLC and labor organizing at the chapter level.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

This amendment does not affect the overall capacity or cost requirements for the underlying resolution. While it adds several tasks to the resolution including the creation of a labor resource library, the resolution is already scored at the maximum 4/4.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/45996 

Submitter’s source document: Amendment_ A Partyist Labor Strategy.pdf

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CR10-A02: Carnation Program Amendment to the NLC Resolution

Submitted by Abdullah F (LA), Olivia K (NYC), Sumter A (Atlanta), Tej B (LA), Griffin M (Metro DC). Qualified on Jun 29, 2025, with 338 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

DSA needs a clear strategy. To build the power needed at the federal level to end genocidal wars and fight climate change, chapters should use local priority campaigns about day-to-day issues that affect the working class. These campaigns can build support for socialism among organized workers and develop the leaders and base needed to run DSA members for Congress. Read the Carnation program here.

Full text

Resolved, the following text will be added to the resolution:

[...]

Therefore be it resolved that DSA members will organize in their unions with their coworkers to support DSA-endorsed candidates and campaigns around winnable local issues connected to the following broad issues:

  1. Medicare for All,
  2. Bring Down the Cost of Living,
  3. End Political Corruption,
  4. Unions for All, and
  5. End U.S. Militarism.

Therefore be it resolved that the NPC will work with the NLC and the NEC to identify in priority geographical areas:

  • unions with high densities of DSA members,
  • unions that have historically taken progressive political positions,
  • unions that are actively engaged in mass-participation organizing.
  • unions that have engaged in bargaining for the common good,  
  • unions with upcoming contract expirations,
  • unions that have donated money to DSA-endorsed candidates,
  • unions that have run members for office,

and develop training materials to help DSA members organize in their unions around candidate endorsements and winnable local issues.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

This amendment does not affect the overall capacity or cost requirements for the underlying resolution. While it adds several tasks to the resolution including organizing within unions to support DSA-endorsed candidates and identifying unions engaging in electoral activity, the resolution is already scored at the maximum 4/4.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/47210

Submitter’s source document: Carnation Program Amendments for 2025 DSA Convention

CR10-A03: Support Federal Worker Organizing

Submitted by Mark S (San Francisco), MT S (San Francisco), Adam L (Boise), Lauren L (Santa Fe), Griffin M (Metro DC). Qualified on Jun 29, 2025, with 290 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This amendment encourages chapters to prioritize organizing in support of federal workers, who are facing illegal firings, funding cuts, and the elimination of their collective bargaining rights. The Trump administration’s authoritarian attack on democratic institutions will affect the rest of the working class and we need to fight back to protect our public services.

Full text

Resolved, the following text will be added to the resolution:

[...]

Whereas the dismantling of federal agencies, the firing of civilian federal workers, and the elimination of collective bargaining rights for almost a million federal workers represent significant attacks on the working class’s public services and the democratic rights of all workers to organize that socialists have the strongest interest in defending, and

Whereas the NPC adopted a resolution encouraging chapters to act in solidarity with the Federal Unionists Network, and several chapters have prioritized campaigns in solidarity with the federal workers, including East Bay and Metro Detroit,

[...]

Therefore be it resolved that DSA chapters are encouraged to prioritize organizing with federal workers in support of the public services they provide to fight back against their bosses and our oligarchic political system; and

Be it further resolved that the NLC will create materials to support local chapters in carrying out activities including:

  • Bolstering federal worker contingents at the many large anti-Trump protests
  • Bringing together the federal workers already in our chapters
  • Hosting organizing trainings for the many federal workers ready to take action
  • Flyering outside federal buildings alongside federal workers
  • Holding mass meetings on the political moment and developments in the federal worker fight
  • Encouraging and joining informational pickets
  • Supporting federal union recruitment efforts such as e-dues conversion phonebanks and new organizing drives via volunteering with EWOC

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

This amendment does not affect the overall capacity or cost requirements for the underlying resolution. While it adds to the underlying resolution including supporting federal worker union organizing, the resolution is already scored at the maximum 4/4.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/47100

Submitter’s source document: Support Federal Worker Organizing

CR10-A04: Non-Reformist Labor Reforms for Worker Power

Submitted by Francisco D. (Philadelphia). Qualified on Jun 29, 2025, with 274 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This amendment, if adopted, would create a NLC Non-Reformist Reform Subcommittee to support chapter campaigns for non-reformist labor reforms that, if secured, would create new openings for labor organizing, especially on the state and local level. Several chapters and many organizing workers are already involved in campaigns for these reforms. National level collaboration will make more victories possible.

Full text

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[...]

WHEREAS, Reform movements in major unions have continued to be an important part of our political project but one in which we have only engaged thus far in unofficial individual capacities.

WHEREAS, militant workers have used non-reformist labor reforms to accelerate their growing their power on the shopfloor and - despite the non-passage of the PRO Act - organizing workers and DSA members across the country are campaigning for state and local policy changes that can help grow the power of workers vis-a-vis the ruling class.

WHEREAS, DSA is currently the largest socialist organization in the country and intends to continue growing and developing toward representation of the working class as a whole. Our mission remains the development of organizing skills amongst worker leaders, the building of democratic structures in the workplace and ultimately the establishment of democratic socialism in our lifetimes;

[...]

7. Supporting Campaign Developing for Non-Reformist Labor Reforms

Workers organizing on the shopfloor are already attempting to change and use the power of the state on the state and local level to scale organizing campaigns. Non-reformist labor reforms, such as sectoral bargaining, create openings for workers to organize and pave the way for more revolutionary change, by - for example - increasing workers power to directly confront the boss and/or creating new material conditions for workers to come together. To help chapters and organizing workers develop non-reformist reform campaigns, the Non-Reformist Reform Subcommittee of the NLC shall be created. The Subcommittee shall provide toolkits, training, cross-chapter coordination, and other campaign resources. This Subcommittee shall work with the NEC to coordinate with candidates and socialists-in-office around non-reformist reform positions and reform opportunities.

7. 8. Growing and expanding NLC organizing projects/campaigns

[...]

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

This amendment does not affect the overall capacity or cost requirements for the underlying resolution. While it adds to the underlying resolution including the creation of a new Non-Reformist Reform Subcommittee under the NLC, the development of toolkits and trainings for chapters, cross-chapter coordination on non-reformist labor campaigns, and collaboration with the NEC on reform-oriented candidate engagement, the resolution is already scored at the maximum 4/4.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/46701

Submitter’s source document: Non-Reformist Labor Reforms for Worker Power

R01: DSA for One Palestinian State

Submitted by Alex M (Seattle), Fernando G (Central NJ). Qualified on Apr 14, 2025, with 430 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

The resolution reaffirms DSA’s support for BDS and commits DSA to pursuing the political defeat of Zionism, the end of the Zionist state, the establishment of a single, secular, democratic Palestinian state, and reparations to the Palestinian people. It also makes explicit acceptance of these aims prerequisites for endorsement by national DSA and provides messaging guidelines for communicating DSA’s anti-Zionist politics to the public.

Full text

Whereas, prior DSA Conventions have affirmed DSA’s commitment to BDS and anti-Zionism;

And whereas, a January 22nd statement by DSA’s National Political Committee affirmed DSA’s support for a democratic and secular state in the whole of historic Palestine;

And whereas, a position framed solely in terms of opposition or of immediate strategy is of limited use in providing comprehensive messaging guidelines for DSA’s elected leadership and endorsed elected officials;

And whereas, DSA’s National Convention has yet to produce a comprehensive position on Palestinian liberation that could provide such guidelines;

And whereas, in pursuit of an exclusive Jewish state in historic Palestine, the Zionist movement has consistently maintained for over 70 years policies of exclusion, discrimination, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid;

And whereas, the territorial ambitions of the Zionist movement are not contained to historic Palestine, but extend to vast swathes of territory which currently compose neighboring states, which Zionist extremists refer to as “Greater Israel”;

And whereas, by their statements, founding documents, laws, and actions, the Zionist movement and the Israeli state have repeatedly, clearly, and definitively rejected any prospect of peaceful coexistence, full equality between Palestinians and Israelis, or the establishment of a Palestinian state;

Therefore be it resolved, that the Democratic Socialists of America rejects the “right to exist” of any state self-conceived in racial or theocratic terms, or otherwise premised on the perpetual political or demographic supremacy of one ethnic or religious group over another, and any ideology advocating the same, including Zionist ideology and the state of Israel.

Be it further resolved, that DSA recognizes the unique role played by the United States and its government, as the primary foreign benefactor of the Zionist project, in aiding and abetting its crimes against the Palestinian people, including the crime of genocide, by providing vast quantities of military and economic aid to the Israeli state in contravention of both international and United States law.

Be it further resolved, that DSA recognizes as essential to the human dignity of the Palestinian people the right to self-determination, the right to return to their homes throughout historic Palestine, and the right to resist their occupiers, by all available means, including armed struggle.

Be it further resolved, that DSA reaffirms its support for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement and its three demands:

  1. Dismantling the Apartheid Wall and ending Zionist occupation and colonization of Palestinian lands.
  2. Full equality for Palestinian citizens of Israel.
  3. Compliance with the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes, including in regions currently claimed by the Israeli state.

Be it further resolved, that in addition to the BDS demands, DSA will support the following aims:

  1. The complete political defeat of Zionist ideology in the United States and abroad, and the end of the political project of building an exclusive Jewish state in historic Palestine.
  2. The dismantling of the apartheid state of Israel in its entirety, and the establishment of a single, secular, integrated, and democratic Palestinian state in the whole of historic Palestine, with explicit and enforced protections for all ethnic and religious minorities.
  3. Securing for all Palestinian refugees and their descendants, whether currently residing in Palestine or not, the right of return and citizenship in a liberated Palestine.
  4. The return of all property stolen by Zionist settlers or the Israeli state to Palestinian refugees and their descendants, including the payment of reparations for destroyed property and loss of life.
  5. The provision of economic and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people in quantities sufficient to rebuild the economy of Palestine and all infrastructure destroyed by the Zionist movement in the course of its campaigns against the Palestinian people.
  6. All reasonable intermediate steps which might further these aims, potentially including but not limited to:
  1. Conditioning or ceasing U.S. military and economic aid to Israel;
  2. Increasing humanitarian or economic aid to Palestinians in Gaza or the West Bank;
  3. International criminal sanction against members of the Israeli government who are implicated in crimes against humanity or other violations of international law;
  4. Embargoes and other sanctions applied to Israel.

Be it further resolved, that DSA will incorporate these aims into its public messaging as appropriate, emphasizing the central facts of the culpability of the Zionist movement and the Israeli state in the genocide of the Palestinian people, the culpability incurred by the United States as a result of its government’s overwhelming support for this project, and the fundamental incompatibility of Zionism with democracy, non-discrimination, human rights, and human dignity.

Be it finally resolved, that explicit acceptance of these aims and messaging guidelines will be prerequisites for endorsement of political candidates and relevant campaigns by national DSA, and that all applicants for the DSA national endorsement will be provided with a copy of this resolution.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

This resolution does not require specific actions from staff or members, resulting in minimal time and financial commitments.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/40934 

Submitter’s source document: DSA For One Palestinian State

R01-A01: DSA for Palestinian Self-Determination

Submitted by Ethan E (NYC), Nayef A (San Francisco), Hazel F (Palm Beach). Qualified on Jun 26, 2025, with 338 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

In being sincere advocates for Palestinian liberation, we must ground ourselves in the grassroots positions of their struggle. This amendment reframes DSA’s commitment to a single Palestinian state as part of a commitment to al-Thawabit, the red lines of the Palestinian people adopted by the Palestinian National Council in 1977, and clarifies that our support for a Palestinian state is the result of our unwavering commitment to their right to self-determination.

Full text

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[...]

And whereas, a January 22nd statement by DSA’s National Political Committee affirmed DSA’s support for Palestinian sovereignty and self-determination a democratic and secular state in the whole of historic Palestine;

[...]

Therefore be it resolved, that the Democratic Socialists of America rejects the “right to exist” of any settler-colonial state, meaning any state premised on the displacement or dispossession of the indigenous population and the enforced political supremacy of the settler population, any state self-conceived in racial or theocratic terms, or otherwise premised on the perpetual political or demographic supremacy of one ethnic or religious group over another, and any ideology advocating the same, including Zionist ideology and the state of Israel.

[...]

Be it further resolved, that in addition to the BDS demands, DSA will support the following aims consistent with the principles of al-Thawabit originally affirmed by the Palestinian National Council in 1977:

  1. The complete political defeat of Zionist ideology in the United States and abroad, and the end of the political project of building an exclusive Jewish state in historic Palestine.
  2. The dismantling of the apartheid state of Israel in its entirety, and the establishment of a single, secular, integrated, and democratic Palestinian state in the whole of historic Palestine, with explicit and enforced protections for all ethnic and religious minorities.
  3. Securing for all Palestinian refugees and their descendants, whether currently residing in Palestine or not, the right of return and citizenship in a liberated Palestine.
  4. The return of all property stolen by Zionist settlers or the Israeli state to Palestinian refugees and their descendants, including the payment of reparations for destroyed property and loss of life.
  5. The provision of economic and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people in quantities sufficient to rebuild the economy of Palestine and all infrastructure destroyed by the Zionist movement in the course of its campaigns against the Palestinian people.
  6. The international recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of a liberated Palestine.
  7. The international recognition of the Palestinian rights to resistance and self-determination consistent with international law.
  8. All reasonable intermediate steps which might further these aims, potentially including but not limited to:
  1. Conditioning or ceasing U.S. military and economic aid to Israel;
  2. Increasing humanitarian or economic aid to Palestinians in Gaza or the West Bank;
  3. International criminal sanction against members of the Israeli government who are implicated in crimes against humanity or other violations of international law;
  4. Embargoes and other sanctions applied to Israel.

[...]

Be it finally resolved, that explicit acceptance of these aims and messaging guidelines will be prerequisites for endorsement of political candidates and relevant campaigns by national DSA, and that all applicants for the DSA national endorsement will be provided with a copy of this resolution.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

This amendment does not affect the overall capacity or cost requirements for the underlying resolution or Constitutional/Bylaw Amendment.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/47058 

Submitter’s source document: DSA for Palestinian Self-Determination

R01-A02: DSA Endorses the One Democratic State Campaign

Submitted by Y.L A. (At-Large), Elisha A. (Tacoma and Pierce County). Qualified on Jun 29, 2025, with 341 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This amendment maintains the original intent of R01, for DSA to endorse “One Palestinian State”, but rather than reconstructing the concept from scratch has DSA endorse the One Democratic State Campaign (ODSC), launched in 2018 by a Palestinian-led group of activists and intellectuals in '48 Palestine with the “ultimate aim” “To decolonize Historical Palestine from the ‘River to the Sea’ by establishing a democratic state”.

Full text

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[...]

And whereas, various sections of Palestinian civil society have long called for a state of equality among all residents of historic Palestine ‘between the River and the Sea’.

Therefore be it resolved, that the Democratic Socialists of America rejects the “right to exist” of any state self-conceived in exclusive racial, ethnic, or religious theocratic terms, or otherwise premised on the perpetual political or demographic supremacy of one ethnic or religious group over another, and any ideology advocating the same, including Zionist ideology and the state of Israel.

Be it further resolved, that DSA recognizes the unique role played by the United States and its government, as the primary contemporary foreign benefactor of the Zionist project, in aiding and abetting its crimes against the Palestinian people, including the crime of genocide, by providing vast quantities of military and economic aid to the Israeli state in contravention of both international and United States law.

Be it further resolved, that DSA recognizes as essential to the human dignity of the Palestinian people the right to self-determination, the right to return to their homes throughout historic Palestine, and the right to resist their occupiers, by all available means, including armed struggle as affirmed by and within the bounds of international law.

Be it further resolved, that DSA reaffirms its support for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement and its three demands:

  1. Dismantling the Apartheid Wall and ending Zionist occupation and colonization of Palestinian lands.
  2. Full equality for Palestinian citizens of Israel.
  3. Compliance with the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes, including in regions currently claimed by the Israeli state.

Be it further resolved, that DSA endorses the One Democratic State Campaign (ODSC) as a “Palestinian-led initiative that calls for the end of the colonial Zionist regime and strives for the establishment of a single democratic state in historic Palestine, based on political, social, economic and cultural justice, in which Palestinians and Israeli Jews live in equality.” as well as the campaign’s “ultimate aim” to “decolonize Historical Palestine from the ‘River to the Sea’ by establishing a democratic state.” and the ODSC Manifesto calling special attention to the Political Program which lists the following points:

  1. A Single Constitutional Democracy. One Democratic State shall be established between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River as a state belonging to all its citizens, including the Palestinian refugees. All citizens will enjoy equal rights, freedom and security. The State shall be a constitutional democracy, the authority to govern and make laws emanating from the will of the people. All its citizens shall enjoy equal rights to vote, nominate candidates for any post and take part in the country’s governance.
  2. Right of Return, of Restoration and of Reintegration into Society. The single democratic state will fully implement the Right of Return of all Palestinian refugees and their descendants, those who were expelled in 1948 and thereafter, whether living in exile abroad or currently living in historic Palestine, including those with Israeli citizenship. The State will aid them in returning to their country and to the places from which they were expelled. It will help them rebuild their personal lives and to be fully reintegrated into the country’s society, economy and polity. The State will do everything in its power to restore to the refugees their private and communal property and/or compensate them.
  3. Individual Rights. No State law, institution or practices shall discriminate among its citizens on the basis of ethnic identity, national or cultural belonging, or on the basis of color, gender, language, religion, political opinion, property or sexual orientation. The state will grant all its citizens the right to freedom of movement and the right to reside anywhere in the country. The state will guarantee to all the citizens equal rights in all levels and institutions and will guarantee free thought and freedom of opinion. Alongside religious marriage the State will provide civil marriage.
  4. Collective Rights. Within the framework of a single democratic state, the Constitution will also protect collective rights and the freedom of association, whether national, ethnic, religious, class or gender. Constitutional guarantees will ensure that all languages, arts and cultures can flourish and develop freely. No group or collectivity will have any privileges, nor will any group or collectivity have any control or domination over others. The Constitution will deny the Parliament the authority to enact any laws that discriminate against any community, be it ethnic, national, religious, cultural or class.
  5. Immigration. Normal procedures of obtaining citizenship will be extended to those willing to immigrate to the country.
  6. Constructing a Shared Civil Society. The State shall nurture a vital civil society comprised of common civil institutions, in particular educational, cultural and economic.
  7. Economy and Economic Justice. Our vision seeks to achieve social and economic justice. Economic policy must address the decades of exploitation and discrimination which have sown deep socioeconomic gaps among the people living in the country. The income distribution in Israel/Palestine is more unequal than in any country in the world. A State seeking justice must develop a creative and long-term redistributive economic policy to ensure that all citizens have equal opportunity to attain education, productive employment, economic security and a dignified standard of living.
  8. Commitment to Human Rights, Justice and Peace. The State shall uphold international law and seek the peaceful resolution of conflicts through negotiation and collective security in accordance with the United Nations Charter. The State will sign and ratify all international treaties on human rights and its people shall reject racism and promote social, cultural and political rights as set out in relevant United Nations covenants.
  9. Our Role in the Region. The ODS Campaign will join with all progressive forces in the Arab world struggling for democracy, social justice and egalitarian societies free from tyranny and foreign domination. The State shall seek democracy and freedom in the Middle East, so that the rights of the region’s peoples and citizens will be guaranteed and its many communities, religions, traditions and ideologies shall be respected. That should include respect for the peoples’ right to struggle for equality and freedom of thought. Achieving justice in Palestine will contribute measurably toward these goals and the aspirations of the region’s peoples.
  10. International responsibility. On a global level, the ODS Campaign views itself as a part of the democratic and progressive forces striving for an alternative global order that shall be pluralistic and sustainable, more just, egalitarian and humanistic and free of exploitation, racism, intolerance, oppression, wars, colonialism and imperialism. This new world order will be based on human dignity and respect for the people’s rights to freedom and just distribution of resources and will provide a healthy and sustainable environment.

Be it further resolved, that in addition to the ODSC Political Program and BDS demands, DSA will support the following aims:

  1. The complete political defeat of the Zionist ideology movement in the United States and abroad, and the end of the political project of building which supports the maintenance of an exclusive Jewish state in hHistoric Palestine.
  2. The end of US support for Israeli apartheid and genocide in all forms including but not limited to: all military support (such as logistics, intelligence, and materiel) and  international legal backing at the UN.
  3. The dismantling of the apartheid state of Israel in its entirety, and the establishment of a single, secular, integrated, and democratic Palestinian state in the whole of historic Palestine, with explicit and enforced protections for all ethnic and religious minorities.
  4. Securing for all Palestinian refugees and their descendants, whether currently residing in Palestine or not, the right of return and citizenship in a liberated Palestine.
  5. The return of all property stolen by Zionist settlers or the Israeli state to Palestinian refugees and their descendants, including the payment of reparations for destroyed property and loss of life.
  6. The provision of economic and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people in quantities sufficient to rebuild the economy of Palestine and all infrastructure destroyed by the Zionist movement in the course of its campaigns against the Palestinian people.
  7. All reasonable intermediate steps which might further these aims, potentially including but not limited to:
  1. Conditioning or ceasing U.S. military and economic aid to Israel;
  2. Increasing humanitarian or economic aid to Palestinians in Gaza or the West Bank;
  3. International criminal sanction against members of the Israeli government who are implicated in crimes against humanity or other violations of international law;
  4. Embargoes and other sanctions applied to Israel.

Be it further resolved, that DSA will incorporate these aims into its public messaging as appropriate, emphasizing the central facts of the culpability of the Zionist movement and the Israeli state in the genocide of the Palestinian people, the culpability incurred by the United States as a result of its government’s overwhelming support for this project, and the fundamental incompatibility of any state self-conceived in exclusive racial, ethnic, or religious terms (such as the Zionismt project in Palestine, the apartheid state of Israel) with democracy, non-discrimination, human rights, and human dignity.

Be it finally resolved, that explicit DSA chapters should encourage endorsed candidates and socialists in office to acceptance of these aims and messaging guidelines will be prerequisites for endorsement of political candidates and relevant campaigns by national DSA, and that all applicants for the DSA national endorsement will be provided with a copy of this resolution as well as a copy of the ODSC Manifesto.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

This amendment does not affect the overall capacity or cost requirements for the underlying resolution or Constitutional/Bylaw Amendment.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/46946

Submitter’s source document: R01A: DSA Endorses the One Democratic State Campaign 

R02: No AI Images!

Submitted by Beatrix M (Eugene-Springfield), Jen M (Eugene-Springfield), Ben M (Eugene-Springfield). Qualified on Apr 16, 2025, with 458 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Generative AI images are trained off of samples of artists' work - artists who haven’t consented, artists who weren’t paid for their labor to create their work. By using generative AI in this way, DSA would be contributing to the continued exploitation of artists. Generative AI is environmentally taxing: according to a study by the journal Nature, each data center likely equals the energy output of tens of thousands of homes. Artists in DSA deserve to be recognized for their work - not a machine!

Full text

Whereas, Generative AI models are trained off of samples of real artists work without consent or compensation for the artist’s labor.

Whereas, Generative AI is very environmentally harmful, and uses a massive amount of energy.

Be it therefore resolved, AI artwork or video using generative models to create new content (eg Midjourney or Chat GPT) for any National DSA purpose is prohibited. AI-assisted tools (such as background removal tools) that are used for the purpose of assisting with tedious and routine tasks are not prohibited; however, such tools shall not be used as a replacement for the creative work of an artist or designer to create new content;

Be it further resolved, this includes, but is not limited to, any internal communication to members or chapters by DSA staff, national leadership, or members donating their labor on behalf of a National body, campaign, or the National office; any internal communications platforms; marketing or fundraising materials; websites; social media; swag or DSA store items; and any graphics or designs provided by National DSA for use by chapters or members;

Be it further resolved, National DSA shall not promote or recommend the use of AI generated artwork for any purpose, and shall discourage its use among chapters;

Be it further resolved, for the purpose of this resolution, “National DSA” also includes all DSA National Committees, Working Groups, Commissions, Campaigns, or any other body formed at the National level;

Be it further resolved, DSA National Co-Chairs are prohibited from using or promoting AI-generated artwork in any communication to members or the public;

Be it finally resolved, DSA Chapters are encouraged to adopt resolutions prohibiting the use of AI-generated artwork.

Capacity & Financial Impact Score

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

This resolution does not require specific actions from staff or members, resulting in minimal time and financial commitments.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/42045

R03: For a Politicized and Member-Driven Growth & Development in DSA

Submitted by Sarah M (Portland), Sofia B (Orlando), Daniel S-C (At-Large). Qualified on Apr 22, 2025, with 370 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This resolution outlines several improvements to DSA’s growth and development and national-chapter coordination, including monthly national talking points/messaging guidelines, expanded monthly members’ bulletins, bi-monthly national membership forums, a chapter training program, and intentional new chapter development efforts.

Full text

Whereas, our growth and development strategy must be rooted in an analysis of the political conditions and include political priorities to be effective.

Whereas, DSA is organizing in explosive terrain. Protest movements are erupting in opposition to Donald Trump and the membership of DSA is growing rapidly.

Whereas, a member-driven, campaigning approach is the most effective way to grow DSA.

Whereas, DSA presently grows almost entirely through passive recruitment without an organized and consistently applied national strategy.

Therefore, be it resolved, to provide a strong political lead to DSA, the convention tasks the NPC with creating monthly “talking points” guidelines. These guidelines will be a short political analysis which speaks on the essential aspects of major current events, and how chapters are recommended to talk about them. The GDC will be tasked with distributing these talking points to chapters, and working with the Communications Committee to create template graphics and posts about them. These talking points should be distributed in regular members’ bulletins.

Therefore be it resolved, to provide clear information and resources to members, and assure accountable, democratic and public discussion about growth and development, the NPC and Communications Committee is tasked with publishing expanded monthly bulletins, distributed to all members, that contain, in addition to existing information, the following points:

  • Short updates from DSA committees.
  • Short updates from our 10 largest chapters and other chapters the NPC chooses to highlight.
  • Data with membership numbers, the fastest growing chapters, and progress on any dues, membership and fundraising drives.
  • Brief political analysis/talking points from the NPC on major current events.
  • A schedule of major upcoming DSA events.
  • A link for committee applications.
  • These bulletins will be emailed to all members and posted on our discussion board.

Therefore be it resolved, to ensure a regular process of discussion, engagement and feedback to the members, the NPC, NPEC and GDC are tasked with holding a membership forum, open to the whole membership, to discuss a major event, reflect on a campaign, or debate questions of theory or analysis, at least every two months.

Such forums should provide at least 30 minutes for members to ask questions or make comments or arguments.

The NPC is empowered to decide which format of these forums is the most useful at the time, whether that be a debate, interview, open discussion, a training, or a panel discussion.

Therefore be it resolved, to develop a strong culture of politicized interventions in DSA the GDC will be tasked with holding training sessions for chapters. At these trainings, chapters will learn the following points:

  • Chapters will learn tabling strategy and be encouraged to engage in weekly tabling
  • Chapters will learn how to do listwork
  • Chapters will learn how to develop an internal recruitment and membership development pipeline
  • Chapters will learn how to have organizing conversations
  • Chapters will learn how to run & plan strategic campaigns
  • Chapters will learn how to create chapter materials such as pamphlets and flyers

Therefore be it resolved, to establish new chapters and advance the growth of DSA, the GDC is tasked with reaching out one on one to DSA members in significant population areas that do not currently have a chapter, and working with them to establish an organizing committee.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 1: Less than $5000

This resolution is scored 4 for Capacity Commitment due to the significant time and coordination required from staff and volunteers. It mandates monthly political talking points (requiring 2–10 hours per NPC member working on this), expanded bulletins, bi-monthly membership forums, national trainings for 200+ chapters, and one-on-one outreach to members in areas without chapters. Implementation requires new, sustained coordination between the NPC, GDC, and Communications — three bodies that do not currently collaborate at this level. Training content will also need to be adapted to fit the differing conditions and capacities of chapters, adding to the overall workload.

It is scored 1 for Financial Impact, as it relies on existing tools. While tasks like graphic design and translations may incur minor costs, no major spending or new contracts are anticipated.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/41064

Submitter’s source document: For a Politicized and Member-Driven Growth and Development in DSA

R03-A01: Not Just Large Chapters

Submitted by Tom J (Twin Ports). Qualified on Jun 28, 2025, with 286 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

The amendment makes three small changes to the base resolution:

  • Assigning the task of distributing talking points to chapters to the NPC and Comms, rather than the GDC.
  • Giving the NPC broader discretion to choose chapter highlights from chapters of various sizes in member bulletins.
  • Specifying that member bulletins should go out to the general membership, rather than all members, to avoid a Convention mandate to email members who may have unsubscribed from member bulletins.

Full text

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[...]

Therefore be it resolved, to provide a strong political lead to DSA, the convention tasks the NPC with creating monthly “talking points” guidelines. These guidelines will be a short political analysis which speaks on the essential aspects of major current events, and how chapters are recommended to talk about them. The GDC will be tasked with distributing these talking points to chapters, and working with the Communications Committee to create template graphics and posts about them. These talking points should be distributed in regular members' bulletins. The Communications Committee will create template graphics and posts to be distributed alongside the messaging guidelines.

Therefore be it resolved, to provide clear information and resources to members, and assure accountable, democratic and public discussion about growth and development, the NPC and Communications Committee is tasked with publishing expanded monthly bulletins, distributed to all members, that contain, in addition to existing information, the following points:

  • Short updates from DSA committees
  • Short updates from our 10 largest chapters and other chapters of various sizes the NPC chooses to highlight.
  • Data with membership numbers, the fastest growing chapters, and progress on any dues, membership and fundraising drives
  • Brief political analysis/talking points from the NPC on major current events
  • A schedule of major upcoming DSA events
  • A link for committee applications

These bulletins will be emailed to the general membership all members and posted on our discussion board.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 1: Less than $5000

This amendment does not affect the overall capacity or cost requirements for the underlying resolution or Constitutional/Bylaw Amendment.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/44170 

Submitter’s source document: Not Just Large Chapters

R04: For a Socialist Party in Years, Not Decades

Submitted by Aiden S (Portland), Eve S (Boston), Oscar A (Miami), Spencer M (Portland). Qualified on Apr 25, 2025, with 375 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This resolution sets DSA on a course to build a socialist party through constructing and strengthening local pre-party formations, developing the left wing of the labor movement, launching a socialist slate of candidates, and bringing together aligned organizations in shared struggle.

Full text

Whereas, the Trump administration is escalating the war on the working class via attacks on abortion rights and trans rights, the rising costs of living, mass deportations, expansions of global imperialism, and crackdowns on the labor movement.

Whereas, the Democratic Party has utterly failed to counter the threat of Trump over the past decade, failed to address working people’s economic concerns or protect abortion rights during the Biden Administration, and ran a disastrous Harris/Walz campaign which led to Trump’s return to office.

Whereas, the strategy of the socialist left supporting the Democratic Party as a safeguard for working people against Trump and the right wing Republican Party or quietly attaching ourselves to them is a losing one, as association with the Democratic Party political brand handicaps the horizons of our movement, which endeavors to overthrow the capitalist system that both capitalist parties exist to protect.

Whereas, the Democratic Party and its representatives are at historically low levels of approval, and Trump’s dangerous policies are alienating millions of workers.

Whereas, DSA has a critical role to play in winning the support of workers away from the Democratic and Republican parties by proving that socialism addresses the material needs of the working class and poses a much stronger challenge to the right wing than liberalism can.

Whereas, the logical progression of DSA’s political work points towards the establishment of a mass socialist political party rooted in the struggles of the working class and oppressed people that poses a challenge to the capitalist class on all fronts. We as DSA and as socialists are the conscious layer of the working class, and so we have a responsibility to use our conscious effort to accelerate the process of developing the party, rather than expecting its genesis to emerge gradually.

Whereas, a socialist party will develop at different rates and will take on different forms depending on state and local contexts, and a national strategy is needed to coordinate across and link these developments together.

Therefore be it resolved that DSA commits to establishing a socialist party by or before the end of the Trump Presidency, and embarks on a conscious party-building project. This socialist party will be a democratically run political organization that takes on the following projects.

  • Waging class struggle against the Trump administration and capitalist forces, including capitalist political parties, corporate interests, and the military industrial complex through sustained campaigns, rallies, protests, rank and file organizing, political education, and direct action.
  • Coordinating mass movements, rank and file labor organizing, and electoral campaigns and linking them under a socialist banner and theory of change.
  • Running electoral campaigns at federal, state, and local levels with a common socialist brand and program, connecting across a myriad of local socialist and left wing de facto and official party formations, slates, and caucuses.
  • Developing socialist and working-class democratic institutions at national and local levels to combat and supplant the hegemony of capitalist civil institutions, including local business alliances, developer and landlord interests, the capitalist police, and bourgeois media.

Resolved, that throughout the Trump Presidency, DSA will continue to take a leading role in the struggle against Trump and the right wing through bold campaigns that fight for improvements in workers’ material conditions and highlight the failure of the Democratic Party to oppose Trump and fight for working people. The NPC will prioritize its role as political leadership of DSA and coordinate rapid response to developing struggles, including nationwide days of action, mass calls, panels and debates, and coordination with staff, chapters, and committees.

Resolved, that DSA aims to win over critical layers of the labor movement to support a socialist party. To do so, the NLC will coordinate DSA members within their unions to strengthen existing reform caucuses and build new ones as needed. Simultaneously, the NLC will pursue building the socialist and left wing of those reform caucuses and the labor movement as a whole. We aim to orient the labor movement towards a socialist perspective via active recruitment, resolutions at the local and national level, and diligent shop-floor work.

Resolved, that DSA’s party-building project will take on the following general timeline.

  • Following convention, the NPC will identify a list of key unions, reform caucuses, workers organizations, and other left-wing and progressive groups that we may be able to work alongside to build a socialist party, on the basis of factors including political alignment with DSA, history of joint campaigns and shared struggle with DSA, and the development of DSA’s rank-and-file presence in the organization. The NPC will conduct or delegate outreach to these groups to assess alignment on party-building, to organize together on shared campaigns, and to make asks for endorsement of our socialist slate and participation in our launch conference.
  • Following convention, the NPC and NEC will conduct systematic outreach and work with all DSA chapters to outline plans for the establishment of de facto or official municipal or statewide parties. These formations may consist of a socialist caucus of endorsed electeds, outward messaging and branding, or a ballot line under which some or all endorsed electeds run. In order to develop candidates from DSA’s ranks and strengthen chapter-level electoral programs for our socialist slate and beyond, the NEC will develop a nationally planned electoral training program modeled on Louisville DSA’s electoral academy with the goal of launching it in at least 20 chapters by the end of 2026.
  • DSA will endorse and run a socialist slate of candidates for the 2026 elections. The slate will feature at least 10 candidates (including at least 4 congressional candidates) who are endorsed by the NPC and by their local chapters. DSA will adopt a shared branding for the campaigns and will highlight the slate as showing how a socialist party would operate as DSA seeks to build one. The candidates on the slate will meet the following baseline expectations.
  • Publicly and prominently refer to themselves as “socialists” or “democratic socialists” rather than “Democrat” or “progressive” throughout all aspects of their campaign, regardless of their ballot line.
  • Forming a socialist caucus with all other DSA endorsed officials in the same legislative body, running on local or statewide slates with all DSA endorsed candidates in the same chapter or legislative body, and participating in national and chapter-level Socialist in Office Committees.
  • Adopting and promoting all programs, and policies agreed upon by the NPC, NEC, and/or their local DSA chapter.
  • Publicly describing themselves as a DSA member, consistently calling on their supporters and constituents to join DSA, and highlighting their part in the launch of a new socialist party.
  • By the end of the Trump term, DSA and all of the organizations we have won over to our party-building project will hold a launch conference, where we will discuss questions of political strategy, coordination across a myriad of different state and local party formations, our plans for the 2028 elections, and structure, democracy and leadership in the party.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

This resolution commits DSA to a transformative, high-capacity project: building a nationwide socialist party by the end of the Trump presidency. It includes running a coordinated socialist electoral slate, launching a national electoral training program, forming local and state-level party structures, and organizing a national launch conference. These efforts require deep staff coordination and broad member engagement across the country. Given the scope of electoral and movement-building activities described, this resolution represents both a high time commitment and a major financial investment, scoring 4 in both categories.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/41050

Submitter’s source document: For a Socialist Party in Years, Not Decades - Final

R04-A01: The Party is DSA

Submitted by Tom J (Twin Ports), Richard S (Greater Baltimore). Qualified on Jun 28, 2025, with 290 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

The Party is DSA strikes references to the party as an organization external to DSA, or composed of a coalition of organizations including DSA, and asserts that DSA itself will be the organizational form of the socialist party. References to the formation of a new party out of other groups are altered to reference mergers into DSA. The amendment also strikes a tiered form of national endorsement, so that the socialist slate called for by the resolution will consist of all national endorsees.

Full text

[deleted text red and struck out, added text green and underlined, omitted text unaffected]

[...] Resolved, that DSA aims to win over critical layers of the labor movement to support explicitly socialist politics and DSA as the primary socialist political organization in the United States a socialist party. To do so, the NLC will coordinate DSA members within their unions to strengthen existing reform caucuses and build new ones as needed. Simultaneously, the NLC will pursue building the socialist and left wing of those reform caucuses and the labor movement as a whole. We aim to orient the labor movement towards a socialist perspective via active recruitment, resolutions at the local and national level, and diligent shop-floor work.

Resolved, that DSA’s party-building project will take on the following general timeline.

  • Following convention, the NPC will identify a list of key unions, reform caucuses, workers organizations, socialist parties, movement organizations, and other left-wing and progressive groups that we may be able to work alongside or invite to join or merge into DSA to build a socialist party, on the basis of factors including political alignment with DSA, history of joint campaigns and shared struggle with DSA, and the development of DSA’s rank-and-file presence in the organization. The NPC will conduct or delegate outreach to these groups to assess alignment on party-building, to organize together on shared campaigns, and to make asks for endorsement of our socialist slate and participation in our launch conference.
  • Following convention, the NPC and NEC will conduct systematic outreach and work with all DSA chapters to outline plans for the establishment of de facto or official municipal or statewide parties. These formations will may consist of a socialist caucus of endorsed electeds,  and shared outward messaging and branding, and may include or a ballot line under which some or all endorsed electeds run.
  • In order to develop candidates from DSA’s ranks and strengthen chapter-level electoral programs for our socialist slate and beyond, the NEC will develop a nationally planned electoral training program modeled on Louisville DSA’s electoral academy with the goal of launching it in at least 20 chapters by the end of 2026.
  • DSA will endorse and run a socialist slate of candidates for the 2026 elections composed of all national DSA endorsees. The slate will feature a target of at least 10 candidates (including a target of at least 4 congressional candidates) who are endorsed by the NPC and by their local chapters. DSA will adopt a shared branding for the campaigns and will highlight the slate as showing how a socialist party would operate as DSA seeks to build one.
  • All national endorsees The candidates on the slate will meet the following baseline expectations.
  • Publicly and prominently refer to themselves as “socialists” or “democratic socialists” rather than “Democrat” or “progressive” throughout all aspects of their campaign, regardless of their ballot line.
  • Forming a socialist caucus with all other DSA endorsed officials in the same legislative body, running on local or statewide slates with all DSA endorsed candidates in the same chapter or legislative body, and participating in national and chapter-level Socialist in Office Committees.
  • Adopting and promoting all programs, and policies agreed upon by the NPC, NEC, and/or their local DSA chapter.
  • Publicly describing themselves as a DSA member, consistently calling on their supporters and constituents to join DSA, and highlighting their part in the launch of a new socialist party.
  • By the end of the Trump term, DSA and all of the organizations we have won over to our party-building project will hold a launch conference, where we will discuss questions of political strategy, coordination across a myriad of different state and local party formations, our plans for the 2028 elections, and the prospects of mergers of other left wing organizations into DSA or institutional support for DSA from external organizations unsuited to a merger, such as labor or tenants unions structure, democracy and leadership in the party.
  • DSA will invite organizations interested in merging with DSA or expressing institutional support for DSA to send observers to the 2027 and 2029 DSA conventions.
  • The launch conference will be held immediately following the 2027 National Convention. The NPC may delay the launch conference by a majority vote to immediately following the 2029 National Convention, but no further. The convention(s) preceding the launch conference shall hear any questions related to organizational mergers.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

This amendment does not change the score of the underlying resolution. While it adds new tasks such as exploring merging with other organizations, the resolution already carries the maximum score for Capacity Commitment (4). It does not add any additional costs, though the underlying resolution is scored at the maximum of a 4.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/44167 

Submitter’s source document: The Party is DSA

R04-A02: For Democratic Co-Determination of an Independent Working-Class Politics

Submitted by Michael S. (Lower Hudson Valley). Qualified on Jun 28, 2025, with 262 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This Amendment broadens the prospects for an independent working-class politics in 2028. It retains the party-building program of the base resolution, but looks beyond the horizons of the consciously socialist movement in its approach to coalition-building. The amendment embodies the democratic politics we preach by committing DSA to approach potential allies in a spirit of co-determination, rather than presuming to lead them, and preserves DSA’s distinct socialist voice in that coalition.

Full text

[deleted text red and struck out, added text green and underlined, omitted text unaffected]

R04: For a Working-Class Socialist Party in Years, Not Decades

[...]

Whereas, DSA has a critical role to play in winning the support of workers away from fostering the material and ideological preconditions for a working-class politics that is independent of the Democratic and Republican parties, and in persuading the public by proving that socialism addresses the material needs of the working class and poses a much stronger challenge to the right wing than liberalism can.

Whereas, the logical progression of DSA’s political work points towards the establishment of a mass socialist political party rooted in the struggles of working class and oppressed people that poses a challenge to the capitalist class on all fronts. We as DSA and as socialists are the conscious layer of the working class, and so we have a responsibility to use our conscious effort to accelerate the process of developing the party, rather than expecting its genesis to emerge gradually.

[...]

Therefore be it resolved that DSA commits to establishing an independent working-class socialist party by or before the end of the Trump Presidency, and embarks on a conscious party-building project. DSA will advocate for this workers’ socialist party to will be a democratically run political organization that takes on the following projects. [...]

Resolved, that DSA aims to win over critical layers of foment a “sea of struggle” within the labor movement and politicize workers towards to support a workers’ socialist party. To do so, the NLC will coordinate DSA members within their unions to strengthen existing reform caucuses and build new ones as needed. Simultaneously, the NLC will pursue building the socialist and left wing of those reform caucuses and the labor movement as a whole. We aim to orient the labor movement towards a socialist perspective via active recruitment, resolutions at the local and national level, and diligent shop-floor work.

Resolved, that DSA’s party-building project will take on the following general timeline.

  1. Following convention, the NPC will identify a list of key unions, reform caucuses, workers organizations, and other left-wing and progressive groups that we may be able to work alongside to build a socialist workers’ party, on the basis of factors including political alignment with DSA, history of joint campaigns and shared struggle with DSA, and the development of DSA’s rank-and-file presence in the organization. The NPC will conduct or delegate outreach to these groups to assess alignment on party-building, to organize together on shared campaigns, to build grassroots power outside of the electoral sphere, and to coordinate on endorsement of candidates and on our launch conference and to make asks for endorsement of our socialist slate and participation in our launch conference.
  2. [...]
  3. Within the broader workers’ electoral movement, DSA will endorse and run a socialist slate of candidates for the 2026 elections. The slate will feature Our goal will be at least 10 candidates (including at least 4 congressional candidates) who are endorsed by the NPC and by their local chapters. DSA will adopt a shared branding for the campaigns and will highlight the slate as showing how a socialist party would operate as DSA seeks to build one.
  4. The candidates on the slate that are endorsed by DSA will meet the following baseline expectations. [...]
  5. To demonstrate to allies how independent candidates can be made accountable to a workers’ party, DSA will invite allied unions, tenant or community organizations, and other left-wing and progressive groups to designate representatives to participate in national or chapter-level SIO committees, as appropriate, with a preference for representatives drawn from the rank and file of those organizations.
  6. By the end of the Trump term, DSA and all of the organizations we have won over to that have embraced our party-building project will hold a launch conference, where we will discuss questions of political strategy, coordination across a myriad of different state and local party formations, our plans for the 2028 elections, and structure, democracy and leadership in the party.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

This amendment does not affect the overall capacity or cost requirements for the underlying resolution.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/47065 

Submitter’s source document: Copy of For a Socialist Party in Years, Not Decades - Final

R05: Fight Fascism, Build Socialism

Submitted by Benina S (LA), Michael M (Metro DC), Carl R (Metro DC), Kareem E (NYC), Cara T (At-Large), Gabriel O (LA), Ashik S (At-Large), Ben D (Metro DC). Qualified on Apr 26, 2025, with 379 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

DSA can be the weapon against fascism that millions are desperately searching for. This resolution turns our ad hoc Trump response into a focused national campaign, with resources and a clear mission needed to fight the right.

Full Text

Whereas,

  1. Donald Trump has returned to the White House, leading an administration that poses a direct and unprecedented threat to whatever semblance of democracy the United States has, including workers’ rights, immigrants, LGBTQ+ people (in particular trans people), women, and all oppressed communities. His administration has escalated attacks on civil liberties, intensified state repression (in particular of Palestinian rights organizers), and emboldened far-right forces across the country.
  2. The Trump administration is undertaking a full-scale privatization of federal institutions, gutting labor protections, environmental regulations, and public services while stacking agencies with reactionary loyalists. This represents not only a power grab by the far right but a wholesale effort by segments of capital to privatize the state and roll back the meagre rights clawed out by generations of militant workers’ struggle.
  3. The Democratic Party has failed to stop the rise of the far right and is actively shifting rightward in response. Democrats have repeatedly capitulated to reactionary policies, abandoned workers, and allowed the erosion of democratic institutions. Even in power, they have prioritized protecting capitalist stability over fighting the right, leaving working people with little meaningful opposition or opportunities to engage with formal politics.
  4. The failures of the Democratic Party have allowed the far right to begin to capture large segments of the working class. After decades of broken promises, neoliberal policies, and indifference to the material suffering of workers, many—including workers of color and young people—have disengaged or defected to reactionary forces. Only an organized, independent socialist movement can provide a real alternative.
  5. Despite the extreme threat posed by the Trump administration and the far right, the Democratic Party remains a primary political opponent of the working class in the Democratic controlled states, cities, and districts where DSA is often strongest. Fighting the far right means resisting capitulation by Democratic leadership in these areas, winning back working class people (particularly young people and people of color) in Democratic strongholds who have flipped to Trump or fallen out of participating in politics entirely, and ultimately winning local level socialist governance in our strongest areas.
  6. The Trump administration’s attacks on the labor movement and the federal workforce represent a key battleground for resistance. His administration seeks to dismantle the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), impose a national right-to-work law, purge public-sector unions, eradicate the civil service, and eviscerate worker protections. This is a direct assault on the working class of this country.
  7. DSA must position itself as the leading force against the Trump administration and the far right by organizing mass resistance, building a working-class movement that can mobilize at every level, and seizing this moment to recruit tens of thousands of new members.
  8. DSA is uniquely positioned to recruit thousands of new dues-paying members and should invest additional financial and volunteer resources to recruit and run hundreds of new socialist candidates to replace weak, complicit Democrats at all levels of government across the country. DSA must also build more national capacity to support and grow chapter campaigns for electoral office, ballot measures, legislation, and other tactics that can build a force that can oppose right-wing power at the grassroots level.
  9. Defeating the far right requires more than just fighting back—it requires building the Left. DSA must use this moment to massively grow our ranks, train new leaders, and build organizational infrastructure capable of sustaining a long-term struggle for socialism.
  10. Defending our members against state repression and far-right violence is not optional—it is necessary for survival. DSA must equip chapters with the tools to protect members, develop security protocols, and prepare for the likelihood of state crackdowns on labor organizing, protest movements, and socialist organizations. DSA must prepare our organization’s own legal protection and do all we can to protect our members, in particular trans, migrant, and Palestinian members.
  11. Socialists cannot rely primarily on existing institutions to resist authoritarianism. NGOs, Democratic-aligned advocacy groups, and progressive organizations have consistently failed to provide strong opposition to the right. Defeating the far right can only come from an organized majority of the working class. DSA must fill this vacuum by leading a truly independent, working class fightback. This means fighting back on every level, organizing rank-and-file union workers and tenants, and building militant resistance through street power, strike power, and state power.
  12. DSA’s National Political Committee (NPC) created the Trump Administration Response Committee (TARC) with one to two representatives each from the National Labor Commission (NLC), the National Electoral Committee (NEC), the International Committee (IC), the Green New Deal Campaign Commission (GNDCC), the Communications Committee, the Trans Rights and Bodily Autonomy Campaign Commission (TRBACC), and YDSA, with a remit to prepare a response to the Trump administration.
  13. 2028 is a pivotal year for socialists, with a presidential election and a call from UAW president Shawn Fain for unions to align their contract expirations on May Day 2028, giving organized workers unprecedented leverage. DSA must be at the forefront of organizing toward these events, understand the potential for mass politicization, and develop a comprehensive strategy to build to this pivotal moment. Only socialism can defeat fascism.

Therefore, be it resolved,

  1. DSA recognizes Trumpism and the far right as an existential threat that demands a comprehensive, organization-wide strategic response to protect our members, build working class organization and resistance, and prepare for 2028.
  2. The TARC shall:
  1. Develop and help execute, with the Communications Committee, a cohesive national messaging strategy framing DSA as the alternative to Trumpism and the far right, as well as to the compliant and neoliberal entrenched leadership in the Democratic Party
  2. Coordinate national, regional/state level, and chapter level actions to resist right wing policies, including direct actions, mass mobilizations, and coalition work.
  3. Conduct training at the national level and for individual chapters on direct action, immigration rapid response, and compliance.
  4. Coordinate with other national bodies, including NEC, TRBACC, and GNDCC, to incorporate, where strategic, the ongoing work of those bodies into the messaging and tactics of this campaign. This may include:
  1. NEC work, including training chapters to recruit and run candidates.
  2. TRBACC work, including legislative and ballot campaigns for trans and abortion rights.
  3. GNDCC work on chapter campaigns for social housing, mass transit, public power and green schools, and other organizing that can build local resistance to and power against right-wing agendas.
  1. Develop plans and resources along with the Organizational Security Committee (OSC) to help chapters resist state repression, including the following:
  1. Conducting “Know Your Rights” training for members facing state or employer retaliation.
  2. Conducting security and digital safety training to protect against far right attacks and government surveillance.
  3. Along with other relevant national bodies, conducting de-escalation and direct action training to prepare for street confrontations and state repression.
  1. Organize mass calls and rapid-response plans in response to new political developments, aimed at providing clear political direction to our response and helping grow the organization.
  2. Coordinate actions against Democratic politicians who capitulate to Trump’s policies, harnessing the mass discontent among working class Democratic voters who feel abandoned and are searching for an alternative.
  3. Contribute to mass movements defending democracy and support movements that prioritize the mass participation and independence of the working class rather than liberal NGO-driven efforts, continuing the commitments outlined in 2023 MSR #2, Defend Democracy Through Political Independence.
  4. Produce a national strategy and work plan by the end of 2025 to coordinate the fight against the far right, involving all relevant national committees and working groups.
  1. This will be a priority national campaign, coordinated through TARC and overseen by the NPC, and including all national bodies and chapters.
  1. DSA shall hire one, dedicated full-time staffer to aid in coordinating and carrying this member-led campaign.
  2. DSA will launch a national recruitment drive to double membership by 2027.
  1. The Growth and Development Committee (GDC) shall oversee this expansion by:
  1. Conducting mass recruitment campaigns targeting those radicalized by the Trump administration.
  2. Coordinating a chapter mentorship program to onboard and retain new members.
  3. Providing technical and organizing support to chapters for digital outreach and organizing tools.
  4. Launch a sustained recommitment drive to recontact the ~100k lapsed DSA members, including ones who signed up for the now finally defunct one-time dues option, who account for the largest source of passive membership loss over the past 5 years.
  5. Conducting targeted themed recruitment drives to nonmembers on DSA lists and shared from aligned organizations, including EWOC, especially to recruit workers in labor unions and workplace organizing efforts.
  1. DSA’s NLC shall, as part of the TARC priority campaign against the far right, coordinate labor resistance efforts against the Trump administration’s anti-worker agenda, including:
  1. Organizing rank-and-file campaigns to push for unions to resist Trump administration policies.
  2. Building relationships with militant labor organizers, prioritizing strategic sectors, to mobilize the labor movement against Trump’s attacks.
  3. Struggling against conservative tendencies within unions and fighting to win rank-and-file workers over to democratic socialist politics
  4. Developing contingency plans for a potential rollback of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and the imposition of national right-to-work laws.
  5. Organizing current and former federal workers and other public-sector employees as a core constituency for socialist organizing.
  1. Collaborating with the Federal Unionists Network (FUN) to:
  1. Build an organized, militant layer of workers within federal worker unions.
  2. Support whistleblower protections and legal resources for federal workers.
  3. Launch public campaigns against the Trump administration’s attempts to privatize government programs and purge the civil service.
  4. Coordinate demonstrations and direct actions aimed at putting pressure on Congress to dissolve DOGE and protect federal workers and the beneficiaries of federal policy.
  1. Organizing toward a potential general strike on May 1st, 2028 by:
  1. Organizing as rank-and-file workers within unions to align their contract expirations for this date and build rank-and-file support for a set of common demands and shared political program for the potential general strike.
  2. Building up a “strike ready” campaign modeled on the 2023 NLC UPS Teamsters campaign and subsequent UAW Stand Up Strike campaign.
  3. Building DSA as a hub for planning, public campaign visibility, and shared tools for chapters and labor formations participating in strike preparation.
  4. Launching a political education and public communications program for DSA members and the public, building toward the potential strike.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

This resolution launches a major multi-year national campaign requiring extensive coordination across staff, chapters, and national bodies. It mandates a full-time staff hire and includes major initiatives like a national recruitment drive, rapid-response organizing, cross-committee collaboration, and preparations for a potential general strike in 2028. These efforts demand significant ongoing staff time and member organizing capacity. While not every item carries direct costs, the overall scope and support needs place this resolution in the highest time and financial categories.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/41901 

R05-A01: Leave Hiring to the NPC

Submitted by Matt M (Pittsburgh), Quinn M (Austin). Qualified on Jun 29, 2025, with 299 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This amendment removes the requirement to hire a new full-time staffer and instead directs the NPC to decide how best to give this work staff support.

The NPC can consider the competing needs of other resolutions this convention passes, their fiduciary responsibilities to the organization, and the possibility of re-allocating existing staff time instead of making a new hire. They could also still choose to make a new full-time staff hire, if they think that’s best after considering all options.

Full text

Whereas:

  1. The authors of this resolution are correct that Trump’s regime is an existential threat that must be opposed and that staff support will be beneficial to the work outlined here.
  2. DSA should ensure that new staff hires are made carefully after thoughtful deliberations, not via a single line in a resolution.
  3. The NPC is the body best suited to make the determination of how much staff time should be allocated to the work this resolution authorizes. The NPC can consider the competing needs of other resolutions this convention passes, their fiduciary responsibilities to the organization, and the possibility of re-allocating existing staff time (full-time or part-time) instead of making a new full-time staff hire. They may still conclude that making a new full-time staff hire is the best course of action.

Therefore, be it resolved:

  1. The sentence which reads as follows shall be struck: “DSA shall hire one, dedicated full-time staffer to aid in coordinating and carrying this member-led campaign.”
  2. New text shall be inserted in the same place as the struck text, reading: “The NPC shall ensure appropriate staff time is directed to aid in coordinating and carrying out this member-led campaign.”

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 2: $5000 to $10,000

This amendment removes the requirement to hire a full-time staffer to support the campaign. Therefore, the cost score is reduced. The amendment retains cost requirements such as national coordination, chapter support, campaign materials, and logistical infrastructure, and is therefore ranked a 2 for cost.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/46644 

R05-A02: Defend Political Freedom and Bring Members Together

Submitted by Connell H (River Valley), Cliff C (Orlando) . Qualified on Jun 29, 2025, with 276 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This amendment specifies a political orientation for DSA towards the Trump administration as defending political freedom without defending the political system that represses the working class, addresses oversight and transparency of TARC and OSC, expands the suggested list of national bodies to coordinate with (for brevity does not specify the work areas of the now-expanded list), and directs the NPC to prioritize funding regional conferences to facilitate member training and connections.

Full text

[Deleted text red and struck out, added text green and underlined, and omitted text unaffected]

[...]

Therefore, be it resolved:

  1. DSA recognizes Trumpism and the far right as an existential threat that demands a comprehensive, organization-wide strategic response to protect our members, build working class organization and resistance, and prepare for 2028.

DSA’s orientation to the Trump administration is to oppose attacks on our political rights and freedoms, without defending the existing constitutional order that divides and suppresses the working class. We do not live in a democracy, but we cannot afford to lose what few rights we have.

We will build a united front among the working class for the defense of political freedom from fascism. We will take common action with liberal activists when they stand against fascism, and maintain our independent messaging when they stand for the existing constitutional order. We will participate in the struggles against fascism and oppression where they appear, while persuading people that the only path to end this in a lasting way is to win the battle for democracy.

  1. Under the oversight and political direction of the NPC, The TARC shall:
  1. Develop and help execute, with the Communications Committee, a cohesive national messaging strategy framing DSA as the alternative to Trumpism and the far right, as well as to the compliant and neoliberal entrenched leadership in the Democratic Party
  2. Coordinate national, regional/state level, and chapter level actions to resist right wing policies, including direct actions, mass mobilizations, and coalition work.
  3. Conduct trainings at the national level and for individual chapters on direct action, immigration rapid response, and compliance.
  4. Coordinate with DSA’s national commissions and campaigns, including but not limited to the Abolition Working Group, GNDCC, HJC, IC Palestine Subcommittee, International Migrant Rights Working Group, MAWG, NEC, NLC, Red Rabbits, and TRBACC other national bodies, including NEC, TRBACC, and GNDCC, to incorporate, where strategic, the ongoing work of those bodies into the messaging and tactics of this campaign. This may include:
  1. NEC work, including training chapters to recruit and run candidates.
  2. TRBACC work, including legislative and ballot campaigns for trans and abortion rights.
  3. GNDCC work on chapter campaigns for social housing, mass transit, public power and green schools, and other organizing that can build local resistance to and power against right-wing agendas.
  1. [...]
  1. Contribute to mass movements defending democratic rights democracy and support movements that prioritize the mass participation and independence of the working class rather than liberal NGO-driven efforts, continuing the commitments outlined in 2023 MSR #2, Defend Democracy Through Political Independence.
  2. Produce a national strategy and work plan by the end of 2025 to coordinate the fight against the far right, involving all relevant national committees and working groups.
  1. This will be a priority national campaign, coordinated through TARC and overseen by the NPC, and including all national bodies and chapters. TARC and OSC will report to the NPC or NPC SC on at least a monthly basis. Recommendations on strategy, tactics, or campaign proposals shall be sent to the NPC which has the final authority to adopt, modify, or reject their recommendations or proposals. TARC and OSC reports and minutes will be made available to members through NPC/NPC SC meeting minutes, with redactions in the case of security concerns. The NPC shall ensure appropriate staff time is directed to aid in coordinating and carrying out this member-led campaign.
  1. DSA shall hire one, dedicated full-time staffer to aid in coordinating and carrying this member-led campaign.
  1. DSA will launch a national recruitment drive to double membership by 2027 and increase member organizing capabilities and connections through regional conferences.
  1. [...]
  2. During the annual budgeting processes during the next term, the NPC shall prioritize allocating funds for regional conferences. The regional conferences will be organized by hosting chapters in partnership with and support from the GDC and DSA Staff. GDC Steering and the DSA Staff will develop budget guidelines based on the amount the NPC is able to allocate, collect interest from chapters in hosting regional conferences, and assemble a roster of trainers and speakers around the country from national commissions and campaigns. The conferences should be geographically diverse, with prioritization for red states and any other factors voted on by the NPC.  
  1. Regional conference programming will include at minimum:
  1. A basic organizing training
  2. An advanced training from the GDC or DSA Leadership Intensive
  3. Opportunities for political discussion
  4. Programming by members of the participating chapters
  1. The conferences are encouraged to also feature:
  1. Programming from national commissions and campaigns
  2. Trainings by national commissions, campaigns, and local or national Red Rabbits such as know your rights, ICE Watch, rapid response coordination, de-escalation and event marshalling, and Stop the Bleed or similar offerings
  3. Campaign retrospectives
  4. Arts, recreation, and sports events
  1. GDC Steering and DSA Staff will review at-large member location data, review any existing at-large member activity information and delegate applications, and ask national commissions about active at-large members to map at-large member density and activity levels to identify promising sites for new chapters. As regional conferences are scheduled this list will be checked for opportunities to invite at-large members to regional conferences in order to set up conversations or workshops with a GDC member or DSA Staff about starting chapters.

[...]

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 3: $10,000 to $50,000

This amendment does not affect the overall capacity requirement for the underlying resolution. While it adds reporting tasks and the prioritization of regional conferences to the resolution’s requirements, the resolution is already scored at the maximum 4. It reduces the cost score from a 4 to a 3 as it removes the requirement to hire a staffer and adds the mandate for regional conferences, to be funded at the NPC's discretion. The expected expenses would be between $10,000-$50,000 for the amended resolution.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/47487

Submitter’s source document: Amendment to Fight Fascism, Build Socialism

R06: One Member, One Vote for Federal Endorsements

Submitted by Frances G (Los Angeles), Ashik S (At-Large), Sumter A (Atlanta), Ben D (Metro DC). Qualified on Apr 27, 2025, with 357 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

DSA’s Federal Endorsements should be decided by the full rank-and-file membership of DSA, not delegates or officers. 1M1V puts these powers in the hands of ALL members, inspired by the recent reforms which revolutionized the UAW.

Full text

Whereas the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) aspires to build a mass socialist party rooted in the working class, capable of wielding real political power;

Whereas the current national structures and decision-making processes of DSA suffer from opacity, structural barriers to participation, and an over-reliance on insider control, limiting the ability of rank-and-file members to shape the organization’s political direction;

Whereas the movement toward a mass socialist party requires deepening democracy within DSA itself, empowering members to meaningfully engage in decision-making at the national level;

Whereas DSA must move beyond its current patchwork of decision-making processes and adopt clear, consistent, and participatory mechanisms that reflect the will of the membership as a whole;

Whereas mass socialist and working-class parties across the world operate on the principle of One Member, One Vote, a principle generally advocated for by the radical currents within those organizations;

Whereas DSA has advocated and will continue to advocate for labor unions to adopt the One Member, One Vote principle;

Whereas leadership elections and electoral endorsements within most DSA chapters are held via all-member vote;

Whereas the principle of One Member, One Vote (OMOV) for key national decisions will democratize DSA, ensuring that its leadership and political direction are directly accountable to the full membership;

Therefore be it resolved that DSA will implement One Member, One Vote for federal endorsements, beginning after the close of the 2025 Convention.

Be it further resolved that federal endorsements will have a non binding poll released through a secret electronic ballot sent to all members in good standing via email. Federal endorsements poll will be considered in favor if approved by 60% of members voting. At least two discussion forums will be held and announced to membership prior to 14 days before the start of voting. The results of the poll will be published to all members and the general public within 1 week of the close of voting.

Be it further resolved that the One Member, One Vote process for federal endorsements will apply to the following elections:

  • President of the United States
  • United States Senate
  • United States House of Representatives

Be it further resolved that the NPC will set an endorsement cycle schedule which governs when federal endorsement polls may occur. Wherever reasonably possible, polls about multiple federal endorsements should be held jointly on the same ballot. Federal endorsement polls may not occur more frequently than once every two months.

Be it further resolved that upon submission of a petition of one-third of NPC members, potential federal endorsements shall be referred to the general membership for a One Member, One Vote poll no later than three months after the date the petition was submitted.[6]

Be it further resolved that the One Member, One Vote process for federal endorsements will be required for DSA to engage in any express advocacy in any federal election, meaning any activity which urges any person to vote for or vote against any identifiable candidate, including any efforts to urge people to “withhold” votes from or “boycott” a campaign.

Be it further resolved that a process be created for all members in good standing to submit statements on endorsement votes, to be included along with electronic ballots sent to members, and that recordings of the discussion forums also be sent along with the electronic ballots.

Be it further resolved that the One Member, One Vote process for federal endorsements will be required to rescind any endorsement previously approved by membership through the One Member, One Vote process.

Be it finally resolved that this resolution is part of a broader effort to transform DSA into a more democratic, participatory, and member-driven organization—one that is not only capable of influencing federal politics but is also built from the bottom up to serve as a foundation for a mass working-class political party.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 2: $5000 to $10,000

This resolution requires significant staff time to implement national membership elections, including ballot setup, communications, ranked-choice and proportional voting administration, and organizing candidate forums. A 1,000-person vote takes about 3 staff hours—scaled to the full membership (~66.7k), this could take 7.5 staff days per election.This estimate is based on staff experience and reflects more than just launching the vote: it includes ballot cleanup, resolving ranking issues, turnout efforts, and voter communications. While the number of elections per year is not yet clear and may vary depending on potential endorsements, the potential recurring workload is substantial. The cost score reflects expenses for electronic voting systems and related logistics, though actual costs may vary based on election frequency.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/41898/

R07: Principles for Party-Building

Submitted by Amy W (Seattle), Brad H (Central NJ), Cliff C (Orlando), Connell H (River Valley), Matthew S (Palouse). Qualified on Apr 27, 2025, with 332 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Principles for Party-Building are a set of guidelines for the task set out by the 2025 convention’s theme - preparing for a decade of party building. Almost everyone in DSA says they want a party, but most of us mean different things. These ten principles define DSA’s approach as a party surrogate with real political independence, and the values we must hold in establishing a mass socialist party.

Full text

Whereas, the 2023 DSA convention resolved that “DSA and its local chapters remain committed to the project of building a working-class party: a mass democratic political organization capable of winning and wielding state power with a strategy for social transformation;” and

Whereas, multiple conceptions of a working class political party exist in history and the global working class movement; and

Whereas, DSA in some senses already performs the functions of a working class party, only lacking its own state-recognized ballot line; and

Whereas, the undemocratic US bourgeois political system intentionally places roadblocks in the way of a democratic membership organization controlling its own ballot line; and

Whereas, DSA is not just any working class organization but specifically a socialist organization, which fights for the universal and long term interests of the working class for political democracy, general social transformation, and a collectively owned and democratically planned economy,

Therefore be it resolved, DSA commits to the goal of becoming an independent mass socialist party, with the following principles:

  1. The fundamental purpose of a socialist party is to be a mass association of the working class formed for collective political action. The party will be united around a democratically created program that outlines goals that, enacted together, will allow the working class to rule and end capitalism.
  2. The foundation of party democracy is freedom of information, association, and discussion. Members must be able to critique the party’s program and organize to change it, as long as they are willing to accept fighting for it as the democratically-determined expression of DSA’s goals.
  3. The internal governing principles of the party must guarantee all members equal right of participation in the democratic process, regular conventions of membership as the highest decision-making body, open leadership elections at conventions, local party organizations run by membership, and the free organization of factions.
  4. Guaranteeing members equal right of participation in the democratic process requires that participation be reserved for individual members. Groups may choose to affiliate with DSA on the basis of acceptance of our program, but may not be given voting rights as an organization.
  5. Because of an undemocratic and uneven electoral system designed to maintain capitalist rule, DSA fights on unfavorable terrain and is pulled between the necessity of independent political action and using the ballot line of the Democratic Party. DSA’s approach is the party surrogate, acting as a party but without a dedicated ballot line.
  6. While DSA must move away from use of the Democratic Party ballot line and primaries, a ballot line is not the primary goal or indication of political independence. What matters most is bringing our independent organization and program to races whether on a Democratic, independent, or third-party ballot line.
  7. When considering whether to create a ballot line of our own, losing control of our candidates to an open state-run process is a non-negotiable red line. Our ability to take independent political action is essential to preserve above all other considerations.
  8. DSA orients itself in opposition to all ruling class political forces. DSA’s project is to unite workers to win the battle for democracy and bring about socialism, not to seek a governing coalition with a perceived lesser evil under the current undemocratic political system.
  9. A socialist party in the United States must be a part of the global political movement of the working class. It is guided by the international interests of the class, not narrow national interests.
  10. The socialist movement is strengthened by putting forward common perspectives and engaging in common action internationally. DSA will continue to build ties with socialist parties around the world with the goal of forming a new International.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

This resolution does not require specific actions from staff or members, resulting in minimal time and financial commitments.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/41437 

Submitter’s source document: Principles for Party-Building

R08: Democratic Discipline: A Uniform Process for Electoral Censure Across DSA[7]

Submitted by: Echo N. (Philadelphia), Annie W. (River Valley), Sid C.W. (New York City), Ben L. (New York City). Qualified on Apr 27, 2025, with 326 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This resolution establishes a formal and uniform process for censuring DSA elected officials. It establishes a coherent process by which members can express disapproval through submitting a resolution to be debated in a general or special meeting.

Full Text

Whereas a censure is a formal reprimand expressing displeasure at a member’s actions; and

Whereas power over endorsed electeds comes primarily from the size and organization of DSA’s membership; and

Whereas a vote to censure by the general membership body expresses the displeasure of the majority of rank-and-file members; and

Whereas absent a democratic censure process, dissatisfied members of a chapter are unable to make their case to the broader chapter membership; and

Whereas a lack of uniformity privileges some members over others based on factors including chapter and leadership position; and

Whereas without a uniform and democratic censure process across DSA, members will be unable to exert control over the electoral program, leaving influence over the electeds in the hands of small leadership cliques;

Therefore let it be resolved, any member in good standing of a chapter may submit a resolution with greater than or equal to 5% of members in good standing of that chapter to censure an endorsed elected;

Resolved, the resolution to censure must be shared with general membership of the chapter and heard at the soonest possible General Meeting or Chapter Convention;

Resolved, a motion to censure an elected official requires a majority vote of present and voting members equal to the ratio required for endorsement;

Resolved, once passed, the resolution to censure must be announced and publicly posted within 72 hours;

Resolved, revocation of endorsement shall follow the same process as a censure;

Resolved, the following will be distributed by chapters to membership as the policy for democratic discipline:

Any member in good standing may submit a resolution for the general membership to censure or unendorse an elected official endorsed by the chapter. In order to be heard, this resolution requires signatures of 5% of members in good standing at the time of submission or as many signatures as any ordinary business item at a General Meeting or Chapter Convention, whichever is fewer. The censure resolution must be shared with the full membership and heard at the next General Meeting or Chapter Convention.

A motion to censure or unendorse an endorsed elected official requires a majority vote of present members to pass. If the censure passes, the resolution must be publicly posted within 72 hours.

If there is no chapter meeting or convention scheduled within 90 days of turning in a resolution of this type with signatures from 5% of members in good standing, a special meeting will be called to be held within 30 days.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

This resolution outlines a democratic process for chapters to censure or unendorse elected officials, but all responsibilities fall to local chapters. As it does not require action or resources from National DSA, the time and financial impact at the national level is minimal.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/41447

Learn more about our ongoing campaigns: Get involved with DSA!

R09: For Political and Technological Independence: A Path to Exit from Capitalist and Democratic Party Tech

Submitted by Colin M (North New Jersey), Jen M (Eugene-Springfield), Derrick L (San Francisco), Brian D (Metro DC), Ian H (Chicago), John L (New Orleans), Andrew C (Chicago), Amy W (Seattle), Alex S (Austin). Qualified on Apr 27, 2025, with 400 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

DSA has relied on off-the-shelf tech tools from both our class enemies as well as political enemies in order to meet the needs of our work. Despite the contradictions of this, no plan has been put in place on how to stop using these tools or even prepare for the day where we’re locked out of using them for good due to political positions we take. This resolution aims to be the implementation plan for our tech, to build us up as an independent party, done thoughtfully and on our terms.

Full text

Whereas,

DSA from 2016 to now has had to quickly scale to meet the political moment with our technology stack, largely relying on off the shelf capitalist tools like Google Suite (GSuite) and Airtable along with entering into pricing discounts for technology made by Democratic Party consultants with fellow “movement” organizations via The Movement Cooperative (TMC) for tools like Voter Action Network (VAN) and ActionKit (our National membership database).

DSA National historically has only purchased technology for itself, very rarely does it filter down to Chapters and Committees beyond the essentials and even then it’s sporadic (e.g. email not being universally provided to DSA bodies).  Chapters are left to themselves, spending additional dues money on technology that duplicates National expenses and may differ in tool selection for no reason other than it’s not provided holistically by the National organization. This has fragmented how comrades interact with and build DSA locally, where no one chapter appears to be following best practices between each other.

While we continue to lead as the largest socialist organization in the United States, we’ve inherited political and financial risks of tying ourselves to tools reliant on Democratic Party consultants. We risk losing access to tools we pay for from political positions we take: Running against incumbent Democrats has denied us access to VAN in some races in the past. DSA has been denied access to technology by companies or organizations unwilling to allow socialists to use their platforms or products. After October 7th we saw  “abuse bombing”  disrupt the online presence for several allied organizations (JVP, PYM, SJP) against their public copies of Palestine toolkits hosted on capitalist technology. These are concerns we will run into until we are operationally independent, and, as outlined by Act Like an Independent Party, why DSA must build these things ourselves.

Aside from political concerns, these technology consultants are on shaky ground with layoffs affecting their staff and decline in quality of their product even to the point of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) attempting to exercise contractual rights to take over certain tools along TMC now looking to develop alternative tooling, turning a potential shakeup into a game of musical chairs that DSA could be locked out of. We however, look past the market to tools that we own or are owned by our allies, instead of temporary partnerships with our class and political enemies.

Therefore, be it resolved,

The National Tech Committee (NTC) shall conduct a yearly software audit, to be completed no later than October 31 of each calendar year, with the exception of a 2025 audit to be completed by December 31, 2025. DSA Staff is directed to provide any and all information necessary to complete the audit. The audit shall include, but is not limited to:

  • An assessment of replacement feasibility for all software. Considerations shall include, but are not limited to:
  • Contract terms
  • Implementation and impact assessment
  • Existing DSA software ecosystem compatibility
  • Ability to scale usage to DSA national bodies, chapters, and/or members
  • Recommendations for alternative solutions where feasible
  • A survey of current software usage
  • Cost analysis for all software

No later than December 31, 2025, the NTC shall produce, in consultation with DSA staff:

  • A software procurement and asset management process
  • A rubric for determining when an NTC recommendation shall be required for the acquisition of software solutions. See Appendix for an example rubric.
  • A plan for provisioning access to DSA software tools for further development by chapters and members (e.g. API access).

The NTC shall be directed to submit a comprehensive plan for strategic software replacement(s) for approval by the NPC. This plan shall include, but is not limited to:

  • By the end of Q2 2026:
  • A report outlining the replacement feasibility of any DSA technology currently purchased through “movement organization” providers (e.g. ActionKit - DSA’s Membership Database Tool) or other Democratic Party consultants.
  • An assessment of DSA hosting capability. For  tools that may not be feasible to host at cost with member labor, contracting hosting providers should be explored with the following goals:
  • Company makeup: is the hosting provider a worker-owned cooperative? If not, are its staff unionized? If not, are they a “good steward”[8] for the tool?
  • Open source availability: is the product open source? If not, is there no other alternative that can be used that is?
  • By the end of Q4 2026:
  • Migration plan and project timeline for selected strategic software replacement(s), to be implemented by December 31, 2027.

Appendix:

DSA Technology Purchasing Rubric

The following are submitted as the minimum questions that need to be included in any final copy of a Tech purchasing Rubric that Staff and the NTC will work on developing. These include questions to assess a Tool’s company background, industry standard security assessment questions, whether or not the tool is Open Source or there’s known Open Source alternatives, labor and labor related questions, and external political questions ranging from Democratic Party relationships,

Tool Background:

Tool Name

Tool Provider

Scope: National Office, National Committees, Chapters, or All?

Contract terms

Security:

Hosting Location, SOC 2 Type 2 Attestation

Have there been any recent public data breaches?

What’s their infosec policy for customers?

Free/Open Source Software

Is the Tool Open Source?

Are there any known alternatives? Are the alternatives Open Source?

Company background:

Company Makeup: Startup? Subsidiary of a larger company? Likely to be acquired? Worker-Owned?

If the company is not worker-owned, are the employees unionized?

Funding: Are they a public or private company? VC Funded? Non-Profit?

Labor

Is the tool possible to self-host via NTC?

If possible to self-host, is this core infrastructure that DSA should find hosting for?

If not possible to self-host, is the Tool Provider the hosting provider?

If not direct from the Tool Provider, Is the Hosting Provider involved in the Tool Ecosystem (e.g. Open Source development, community workshops and trainings)[9]

Is there an API or other way of interacting with the tool for NTC development and/or interaction to help improve the tool or improve its adoption?

External Political Conditions

AI: Do they harvest our data for AI training? Is it their own engine or another provider? Is there an opt-out?

Is there any known relationship with the Democratic (or Republican) Party?

Is there any known relationship with the US DoD or other intelligence apparatus?

Is there any known use by allied organizations?

Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions: Are they on the BDS list? Do they work in any way with the Israeli Government? Are they located in Israel?

Do they have a well known capitalist backer behind the tool?

Capacity & Financial Impact Score

Capacity 2: Low to Moderate Finances 2: $5000 to $10,000

Conducting an annual comprehensive software audit will require ongoing coordination between the National Tech Committee and DSA staff to gather information, assess contracts, usage, costs, and feasibility of replacements. Developing procurement rubrics and strategic replacement plans adds to the workload but is expected to be manageable within current capacity. Financially, the full scope of resource needs remains uncertain until the audit’s outcomes are clearer, which is reflected in the moderate financial score.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/41851

Submitter’s source document: For Political and Technological Independence

R10: Make DSA More Diverse

Submitted by Ashik S (At-Large), Kareem E (NYC), Eduarda S (Metro DC), Bakari W (Metro DC), Danny V (NYC), Lyra S (Chicago), Kristian H (North Texas), Marissa A (Los Angeles), Aparna R (Metro DC), Soleil S (Chicago). Qualified on Apr 28, 2025, with 371 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

DSA must change into a party as diverse as the working class itself. This revives the Multi-Racial Organizing Commission, creates a biennial MROC conference, and funds and promotes best practices for developing diversity.

Full Text

Whereas:

  • The working class is multiracial, multi-gendered, multicultural, multilingual and multi-generational. To truly represent the working class, DSA must create an internal environment welcoming to working people of all backgrounds, as well as externally recruit to proactively bring those people into DSA.
  • The ascending far right in the U.S. has been very effective at reinforcing long standing racism and misogyny, and especially scapegoating immigrants and transgender people, as part of their project to seize state power and consolidate their own profits. Meanwhile, liberal institutions have enabled the elite capture of identity politics to serve their own interests, hyper-focusing on identity representation in ways that reinforce increasingly narrow conceptions of group interests and keep us divided.
  • Challenges to building a diverse mass left organization are on the one hand: class reductionism, which ignores race as a modality through which class is lived; and on the other: identity essentialism, which insists on deference to people or identity-based groups who claim their particular lived experiences lead to certain necessary conclusions for organizing.
  • To cut past these organizing challenges and win power against the capitalists who weaponize identity against us, socialists must demonstrate an alternative. Our goal must be what Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò calls a “constructive politics,” to organize solidarity across identity differences to build power for shared working class needs against common class enemies.
  • On paper, DSA has national working groups and caucuses dedicated to organizing and recruiting members of marginalized groups and racialized identities. However, these groups have been inconsistently active, and they have received limited support or attention from the outgoing National Political Committee.
  • The 2021 and 2023 National Conventions voted to create and then recommit to multiracial organizing through a DSA Multi-Racial Organizing Committee (MROC), including a national convening and ongoing organizer trainings to establish and promote best practices for more diverse membership development; to more intentionally support and develop BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) membership and leadership; to amend organizing practices that lead to burnout, tokenizing, or creation of hostile spaces within our ranks; and to organize from a culture of solidarity, grace and transformation, not fear, guilt, or deference, in order to achieve an organization that is reflective of the multiracial working class.
  • However, this member-led organizing project was allocated limited staff capacity to follow through on goals and sustain broader membership engagement, and the outgoing National Political Committee set the MROC budget to $0 while making budget cuts. As a result, the convening did not occur, and MROC has become inactive.
  • DSA ended 2024 with a one million dollar surplus. DSA’s surplus funding could be used to invest in intentionally diversifying DSA’s membership.

Resolved:

  • DSA commits to making our membership more diverse by investing in leadership development for people of marginalized identities, and establishing best practices from examples across DSA for chapters to grow and become more racially diverse in ways that reflect the areas in which they organize.
  • DSA will re-establish the Multi-Racial Organizing Commission (MROC) to carry out a national leadership development program, focused on recruiting members of color and developing leaders of color through the collective work of enacting DSA’s organizing priorities and outward-facing campaigns.
  • To improve our diversity and develop more leaders of marginalized identities, DSA will fund a biennial MROC national convening to bring together DSA leaders and activists for skills training, workshops, networking, and discussion. This biennial convening may coincide with other national DSA-sponsored events such as the Socialism Conference.
  • DSA will fill at least a quarter-time Organizer role in the national staff to directly support MROC and nationally recognized identity sections with administrative work, promoting best practices for chapter leaders to develop diversity in leadership and membership, and supporting the biennial national conference.
  • DSA will work with relevant national bodies and staff departments to integrate the work of MROC through existing national projects, and through ongoing national, regional, and local training, and continue to develop our collective orientation to multiracial organizing, including recruitment, retention, and leadership development.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 3: $10,000 to $50,000

This resolution is scored 3 for Capacity Commitment due to the moderate to high staff and volunteer time required to re-establish the Multi-Racial Organizing Commission (MROC), coordinate leadership development initiatives, and integrate multiracial organizing practices across DSA. Additional workload includes event planning, workshop development, facilitator recruitment, and supporting identity-based organizing sections.

It is scored 3 for Financial Impact, primarily due to the cost of hosting a biannual in-person convening, including venue, travel, accommodations, and program support. While the true cost could vary based on event scale and design, this score reflects a minimum estimate aligned with previous events.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/41879 

R10-A01: DSA for Multiracial Liberation

Submitted by Ciné J (Broward County), Ethan E (NYC), Jazz H (NYC), Tim L (NYC), Syjil A (Delaware), Khalil S (NYC), Bryan C (Connecticut), John L (New Orleans), Adithya P (Madison Area). Qualified on Jun 23, 2025, with 339 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

By committing to AfroSoc and allowing space for comrades to contribute to the organization politically, broadening the places we organize and the campaigns we take on, DSA can be an affirming space for comrades and communities of color. We look to collaborate with all of our comrades as we move on the path towards liberation from capitalism and imperialism. We center the self-activity of POC and their development as organizers within DSA vs focusing on leadership, which often can be tokenizing.

Full Text

[additions in green, removals in red]

Whereas:

  • The working class is multiracial, multi-gendered, multicultural, multilingual and multi-generational. In order to affirm DSA’s commitment to racial justice, and to To truly represent the entirety of the working class, DSA must create an internal environment welcoming to working people of all backgrounds, as well as externally recruit to proactively bring those people into DSA.
  • The ascending far right in the U.S. has been very effective at reinforcing longstanding racism and misogyny, and especially scapegoating immigrants and transgender people, as part of their project to seize state power and consolidate their own profits. Meanwhile, liberal institutions have enabled the elite capture of identity politics to serve their own interests rather than genuinely advancing the needs of people of color and the working class, hyper-focusing on identity representation in ways that reinforce increasingly narrow conceptions of group interests and keep us divided.
  • Challenges to building a diverse mass left organization are on the one hand: class reductionism, which ignores race as a modality through which class is lived; and on the other: identity essentialism, which insists on deference to people or identity-based groups who claim their particular lived experiences lead to certain necessary conclusions for organizing, substituting serious action for racial justice with identity representations.
  • To cut past these organizing challenges and win power against the capitalists who weaponize identity against us, socialists must demonstrate an alternative. Our goal must be what Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò calls a “constructive politics,” expanding socialist “rooms” for members of color to organize solidarity by learning from each other’s identities to build a multiracial united front rooted in decolonial struggle and liberation from racial capitalism across identity differences to build power for shared working class needs against common class enemies.
  • On paper, DSA has national working groups and caucuses bodies, such as the AfroSocialists and Socialists of Color (AfroSoc) Caucus chartered at the 2017 National Convention, dedicated to organizing and recruiting members of marginalized groups and racialized identities. However, these groups have been inconsistently active, and they have received limited support or attention from previous the outgoing National Political Committees, and have often been hindered by attrition amongst many members of color.
  • The 2017, 2021, and 2023 National Conventions voted to create and then recommit to multiracial anti-racist organizing initially through the DSA AfroSocialists and Socialists of Color Caucus, and then a DSA Multi-Racial Organizing Committee (MROC), including a national convening and ongoing organizer trainings to establish and promote best practices for more diverse membership development; to more intentionally support and develop BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) membership and leadership members and leaders of color; to amend organizing practices that lead to burnout, tokenizing, or creation of hostile spaces within our ranks; and to organize from a culture of solidarity, care, grace and transformation, not fear, guilt, or deference, in order to achieve an organization that is reflective inclusive of the multiracial working class.
  • However, this member-led organizing project was allocated limited staff capacity to follow through on goals and sustain broader membership engagement, and the outgoing National Political Committee set the MROC budget to $0 while making budget cuts. As a result, the convening did not occur, and MROC has become inactive. The AfroSocialists and Socialists of Color Caucus has since re-organized and elected a fully seated Executive Committee body consisting of 10 leaders of color across various DSA chapters with active local charters, and are preparing 3 member-led national committees.
  • In order to scale up our ability to effectively recruit and retain members of color, and organize around the issues that affect working class people of color that DSA can further prioritize–such as police and prison abolition, language justice, migrant rights, and international solidarity–DSA must deepen its relationships with movement partners fighting for decolonization, Black liberation and racial justice, both in the United States and abroad.
  • DSA should ended 2024 with a one million dollar surplus. DSA’s surplus funding could be used to invest in multiracial working class organizing and the protagonism of DSA members of color intentionally diversifying DSA’s membership.

Resolved:

  • DSA commits to making our membership more diverse by investing in developing DSA leaders of color leadership development for people of marginalized identities, and cultivating successful establishing best practices from examples across DSA for chapters to grow and become more racially diverse in ways that reflect the areas in which they organize.
  • DSA will re-establish the Multi-Racial Organizing Commission (MROC) as a joint subcommittee of the National Growth & Development Committee and AfroSocialist Caucus, to carry out a national membership leadership development program, focused on recruiting, engaging, and giving agency to members of color and developing organizers leaders of color through the collective work of building structures that facilitate leadership of color, and organizing based on the mutual self-interest between DSA and the protagonism inherent in working class communities of color enacting DSA’s organizing priorities and outward-facing campaigns.
  • Rechartering and offering national support for previous AfroSoC charters, such as Chicago and Sacramento, to re-engage members of color;
  • Connecting with At-Large members to AfroSoC membership to create a sense of connection to DSA’s commitments to racial justice;
  • Creating explicit membership feedback and input surveys to track engagement and organizational support of members of color within DSA, which will add to the breadth of membership data the GDC collects/reports to rank-and-file members;
  • Developing MROC resources on membership recruitment, development, and retention that will be passed along to chapter leaders and AfroSoc locals;
  • Establishing formal channels of leadership development and mentorship from DSA national and local members of color;
  • Expand on DSA’s National Housing Justice Commission’s Language Exchange program, and if R32: Towards a Multilingual DSA / Hacia un DSA Multilingüe is adopted, then AfroSoc will directly support the Language Exchange for Organizing Needs (LEON) program proposed in R32 to enhance the material abilities of DSA members across all backgrounds to organize with people of color.
  • MROC will be co-chaired by one representative from the GDC Steering Committee and one representative from the AfroSoc Caucus Executive Committee.
  • DSA will recommit to building regional and national coalitions with grassroots organizations already working toward and prioritizing the fight for racial justice and working on key organizing issues, such as police and prison abolition, language justice, and migrant rights.
  • To improve our diversity and develop more leaders of marginalized identities, DSA will fund a biennial MROC AfroSoc national convening to bring together vetted, values-aligned POC organizations and DSA leaders and activists of color from various tendencies for skills training, workshops, networking, and discussion. This biennial convening may coincide with other national DSA-sponsored events such as the Socialism Conference. Discussion could include, but would not be limited to:
  • Coordinating actions and campaigns that center frontline communities of color and uplift local struggles that can be taken on by local AfroSoc charters;
  • Proposing national priorities that reflect the lived realities and organizing conditions of members of color, that identify organizing opportunities rooted in abolition, decolonization, and multiracial liberation;
  • Building accountability mechanisms within DSA that address harm, foster healing & transformative justice.
  • Post biennial national convening, the AfroSoc Steering Committee will create a report that synthesizes discussion from the conference into a coherent organizing plan for the next year based on priorities identified by conference attendees.
  • DSA will utilize staff time fill at least a quarter-time Organizer role in the national staff to directly support MROC, AfroSoc, and nationally and locally recognized identity sections with administrative work, promoting best practices effective community-informed strategies for chapter leaders to develop diversity in leadership and membership, and supporting the biennial national conference.
  • AfroSoc will be allocated funding for administrative support, member facilitators for workshops, merchandise, campaigns and the biennial convening as needed.
  • DSA will work with relevant national bodies and staff departments to integrate the work of MROC AfroSoc through existing national projects, and through ongoing national, regional, and local trainings, and continue to develop our collective orientation to multiracial organizing, including recruitment, retention, and leadership membership development.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 3: $10,000 to $50,000

This amendment does not affect the overall capacity or cost requirements for the underlying resolution. While it adds several tasks to the resolution, including the formal linkage of the Multiracial Organizing Commission (MROC) as a joint subcommittee of the National Growth & Development Committee and AfroSocialist Caucus, rechartering and supporting previously active AfroSoC chapters, these additions fall within the existing capacity and financial scope of the underlying resolution.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/46869 

Submitter’s source document: DSA For Multiracial Liberation

R11: A 50-State Strategy

Submitted by Liv M (Cincy), Marianne M-W (Maine), Frances G (LA), Sumter A (ATL). Qualified on Apr 30, 2025, with 335 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

DSA members deserve the strongest chapters possible, in every state of the country. This resolution prioritizes structuring chapters at the scale that members have identified as the most conducive to organizing success.

Full text

Whereas:

  • In recent years, DSA has been increasingly prioritizing the development of statewide chapters and statewide organizations which have jurisdiction over an entire state rather than a metro area.
  • When starting new DSA organizing committees and chapters in unorganized territory, there is often a large amount of redundant administrative work associated with including incorporation and establishing chapter finances. Consolidating administrative work in statewide bodies would generally reduce costs and make it easier for interested members to start new DSA groups.
  • In recent years, some chapters became inactive and were de-chartered, only to later have renewed interest following the Presidential election. Without statewide organizations, there can be problems where a reactivated chapter is not able to access documents, resources or social media accounts from when the chapter was previously active. Statewide organizations can consolidate resources and ensure continuity in the organization between periods of low and high interest and activity.

Resolved:

  • DSA will prioritize forming statewide chapters and statewide organizations across the country to consolidate and reduce redundant administrative work.
  • When there is interest in forming new DSA organizing committees or chapters, the national organization will prioritize the following solutions before moving to form a new separately incorporated chapter:
  • Establishing an incorporated statewide chapter or organization which would include the new group as an officially affiliated branch or chapter.
  • Establishing the new group as an officially affiliated branch of an existing incorporated chapter.
  • Whenever a new separately incorporated chapter is formed, the national organization will prioritize creating those chapters as statewide chapters with broad territorial jurisdiction wherever reasonable.
  • Statewide organizations must be convened with proportional representation among chapters and organized around the principle of equal representation for each member.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 3: $10,000 to $50,000

The Capacity Commitment score of 3 reflects the moderate to high level of upfront coordination required from both national staff and chapters. Implementing this resolution involves extensive legal research, bylaw updates, asset transfers, and the creation of new statewide structures, all of which require significant planning, guidance, and oversight from National DSA as well as local chapters. While ongoing maintenance is expected to be manageable, the initial implementation phase will demand substantial effort, particularly due to variations in state laws and the potential for conflict during mergers or affiliations.

The Financial Impact score of 3 accounts for the moderate cost of legal and administrative support needed to set up these new organizations, including template development and compliance-related tasks. An additional consideration, though not contributing to the scoring - chapters that take on financial and regulatory responsibilities for statewide organizations may need to secure professional assistance, as National DSA lacks the capacity to provide comprehensive legal or compliance support across all 50 states.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/41883

R11-A01: Administrative over Political

Submitted by: Aaron B (At-Large), Matt M (Pittsburgh), Bryan C (CT). Qualified on Jun 29, 2025, with 282 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This amendment would deprioritize middle layer statewide organizations like California DSA, and instead encourage mergers between chapters if possible.

Full text

Whereas

  • DSA has not proven ready for political coordination at the state level, but could greatly benefit from administrative coordination or consolidation right now.
  • It is a waste of effort to start over with zero institutional knowledge with each new chapter. While this was part of DSA’s charm during Trump’s first term, there are now many members across the organization who can help foster new organizing committees as branches instead of chapters.
  • Statewide organizations built out of individual chapters such as california dsa can only assist with political coordination because the administrative work remains sequestered away inside the individual chapters. We have yet to see a DSA chapter win a statewide race with a candidate, and much of this political coordination is premature.
  • Members have trouble relating to other members outside of their chapter. By encouraging this consolidation and possible mergers, members will gain more experience interacting with how to handle organizations developing multiple constituencies.

Be it resolved: R11: A 50-State Strategy, is amended as follows, with additions green and underlined, deletions red and struck out, and omitted text unaffected.

[...]

Resolved

  • DSA will prioritize growing the territory of forming statewide chapters and statewide organizations across the country to consolidate and reduce redundant administrative work with the goal of chapters covering every inhabited zip code in the continental US. This may entail simply assigning new ZIP Codes to a chapter’s turf, or the formation of regional or statewide chapters where it makes sense.
  • Chapters are reminded that they may request new ZIP Codes to grow their area.
  • By petition of the Chapter or Organizing Committee, the Growth & Development Committee shall provide recommendations and support in claiming nearby unclaimed zip-codes, merging chapters, or forming statewide organizations.
  • When there is interest in forming new DSA organizing committees or chapters, the national organization will prioritize the following solutions before moving to form a new separately incorporated chapter:
  • Establishing an incorporated statewide chapter or organization which would include the new group as an officially affiliated branch or chapter.
  • Establishing the new group as an officially affiliated branch of an existing incorporated chapter.
  • Whenever a new separately incorporated chapter is formed in Mississippi, Wyoming, or Alaska, the national organization will prioritize creating those chapters as statewide chapters with broad territorial jurisdiction wherever reasonable.
  • DSA will NOT prioritize the creation of statewide organizations when such statewide organizations would constitute a new “middle layer” of the organization between chapters and national.
  • In cases where chapters or organizing committees are classified as dormant or struggling, or when chapters or organizing committees request it, the national organization will suggest the idea of merging chapters together through a mutually agreed upon process by the chapters and organizing committees involved.
  • Statewide organizations must be convened with proportional representation among chapters and organized around the principle of equal representation for each member.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 2: $5000 to $10,000

This amendment prioritizes the expansion of chapters over the creation of statewide formations, the growth and consolidation of chapters will still require significant administrative, and coordination support. And, the listed states for statewide chapter creation will continue to require tailored guidance, compliance oversight, and infrastructure development, maintaining the moderate to high capacity and financial demands of the original resolution, necessitating a medium to high commitment from staff and national committees.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/41883

Submitter’s source document: Administrative over Political

R12: See R34-A01

Resolutions Subcommittee Note: R12, Workers Demand the World, was merged with R23 by mutual agreement of the authors, and then converted to a substitute amendment to R34, numbered and titled R34-A01: A Fighting Socialist Program for DSA.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/41433

Submitter’s source document: Workers Demand the World: A Revolutionary Program for DSA

R13: For a Robust & Centralized National Resource Library

Submitted by Natalie R (Akron), John K (Twin Ports), Megan R (At-Large), Colin M (North New Jersey). Qualified on Apr 30, 2025, with 359 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This resolution is meant to expand upon efforts to improve access to much-requested resources by mandating the creation & expansion of a truly centralized DSA National Resource Library which will act as a central hub for members to access all the materials they need to be effective organizers.

Full text

Whereas, access to high-quality educational resources, tools, and templates is critical for the function of DSA chapters and the development of knowledge & skills in membership.

And whereas, DSA national currently does not have a centralized and well-curated location to house the vast quantity of resources created by DSA chapters, committees, working groups, and other membership bodies.

And whereas, a central, easily-accessible location for said vast quantities of resources is a deeply and widely-felt demand for many of DSA’s most active members.

And whereas, while things like the Key National Resources doc and the DSA Discussion Board’s Resource Library section are positive developments on this front, these do not adequately encompass all resource needs for members & chapters, nor are they consolidated into a central resource hub.

Therefore be it resolved, the passing of this resolution will mandate the following:

  • A new-and-improved DSA National Resource Library, reinventing & expanding upon the existing Resource Library section within the DSA Discussion Board, will begin development immediately following the 2025 DSA National Convention.
  • The new resource library will incorporate and migrate, as needed, the existing Google Drive chapter resources currently housed at this link.
  • The team responsible for creating & maintaining the DSA National Resource Library will initially be housed as a subcommittee of the Growth & Development Committee and will coordinate with organizing staff on this effort.
  • Technical implementation of the DSA National Resource Library will be handled by the National Tech Committee.
  • Rollout of the DSA National Resource Library shall begin by Q2 2026.

Be it further resolved, the contents of the DSA National Resource Library shall be sourced from across the entire organization, sorted into relevant categories, allow for members to submit content to the library, and have all contents regularly curated by the subcommittee.

Be it further resolved, the subcommittee shall strive for ease of access to all members, make the resource library widely known, and work to modify materials to be as universally useful to as broad a range of chapters as possible. This includes leaving space in literature for chapter identification and contact information.

Be it further resolved, the structure & implementation of the DSA National Resource Library shall be subject to further changes at the discretion of the subcommittee once development begins.

Be it further resolved, Natalie R. and John K., or any person designated by the subcommittee, will bottom line this effort.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 2: Low to Moderate Finances 1: Less than $5000

Developing and launching the new DSA National Resource Library will involve coordination between the Growth & Development subcommittee, the National Tech Committee, and organizing staff, requiring moderate staff and member time to curate and maintain content. The technical implementation by the NTC and migration of existing resources will require focused but manageable effort. Financially, the resolution is expected to incur minimal costs, as it primarily leverages existing infrastructure and staff capacity without requiring significant new expenditures.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/41693 

Submitter’s source document: For a Robust & Centralized National Resource Library

R14: See CR03-A01

Resolutions Subcommittee Note: R14, For a Radical and Resurgent Ecosocialist Working Group, was converted to the first amendment to CR03, GNDCC Consensus Resolution.

R15: Take the Fight to the Rural Front

Submitted by A.J. Kohler (Southeast Kansas). Qualified on May 2, 2025, with 323 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

The purpose of this resolution is to start a Rural Working Group to develop strategies for organizing in Rural Areas. Along with rural-centric campaigns and the development of rural chapters. Along with the diverse challenge Rural organizing may bring. It is time DSA took the fight to Trump’s base of support directly.

Full text

Whereas, Rural Organizing from the left has been left at the wayside from Socialists and the Left for decades now with certain exceptions such as Vermont.

Whereas, since Republicans have control of many rural areas in this country and Democrats have given up on presenting any opposition in many rural areas. It is DSA’s duty to organize these areas in order to present an alternative to Republicans in these areas, and take the fight to the Republicans at their base.

Whereas, the UAW’s recent victories in Kentucky and Tennessee, the UAW’s successful strike against John Deere in 2021, and the successful defense of the Abortion Amendment in Kansas in 2022. shows the potential for change in many rural areas.

Whereas, a socialist movement wants to build a strong working-class movement it must achieve material wins for the working class. And as the urban working-class continues to build itself up with mass action and unionizations we as socialists must now also take a direct role in uplifting the struggle of rural/southern communities. As these communities have been historically overlooked by the liberal ruling class, they are in need of material change that only the socialist movement can deliver. Cited from R-7 of the 2024 YDSA Convention.

Whereas, Rural Areas face similar issues such as Poverty, Lack of Hospital Access, Lack of Job Opportunities, Extremely Car Reliant, etc. What works in successful organizing is different from one rural area to another. For example, you’re not going to organize the same way in the Ozark Mountains as you would in Hawaii as conditions are localized.

Whereas, Rural Communities usually lack a general organizing infrastructure; it is DSA’s job to lay down this infrastructure.

Whereas, these communities, while being home to some of the worst white supremacist enclaves are also made up of a diverse community of marginalized folks. As DSA/YDSA is meant to represent the real diverse working class of the United States, we must strive to recruit from all communities from around the country. If we seek to have diverse leadership, we must recruit and uplift members from marginalized communities. Cited from R-7 of the 2024 YDSA Convention.

Whereas, in order for DSA to have a better chance of taking control of this country, being able to crack the challenge of Rural Organizing is a must. Previous Organizations like the Socialist Party of America had success in many rural areas in this country getting Mayorships and on Councils throughout the nation.

Whereas, DSA doesn’t have a stance on many agricultural policy issues which leaves the current status quo unchecked.

Therefore be it resolved, that the NPC creates a Rural Organizing Working Group.

Be it resolved, Whose purpose is to develop DSA Chapters in Rural Areas and Micropolitan Statistical Areas.

Be it resolved, The Working Group is made up of Rural Organizers who will help develop strategies to organize rural areas and Micropolitan Statistical Areas.

Be it resolved, The Working Group should also make an active effort to understand the material conditions of these areas, and make organizing approaches tailor made for these areas for many issues that are important to DSA (like Labor, Bodily Autonomy, ect.)

Be it resolved, The Working Group should also emphasize the incorporation of people from marginalized groups into the workings of a chapter and its campaigns.

Be it resolved, The Working Group shall also work to shape DSA’s agricultural policy.

Be it resolved, the Working Group will conduct 1 on 1 organizing calls with chapter leaders in rural/MSA areas to investigate their conditions, inform them of DSA’s national infrastructure, and further organize them for campaigns and national calls,

Be it resolved, the Working Group will organize calls for rural organizers and chapters as part of a Campaign Committee cohort to workshop organizing strategies, involve them in national campaigns, and provide resources from DSA.

Be it resolved, the Working Group will produce a report for the 2027 DSA Convention on their work done over the last two years, successful strategies, and other wins and information gained over the last two years.

Be it resolved, the Working Group will organize an event for the 2027 DSA Conference to workshop organizing strategies, discuss local conditions in rural areas, and connect rural DSA organizers with each other and national DSA.

Be it resolved, the Working Group will produce material for rural DSA chapters to use both for internal skills and advice and externally facing materials which they can utilize in their day-to-day organizing, throughout the year and to be presented in the report for the 2027 DSA Convention.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 1: Less than $5000

This resolution scored a 3 for Capacity Commitment because it establishes a new Rural Organizing Working Group requiring moderate to substantial staff coordination and ongoing member involvement through organizing calls, strategy development, event planning, and report production over multiple years. Most of the work would be in the initial launch phase, with staff capacity for chapter leader outreach and coordination negotiated alongside current priority committee work. For Financial Impact, it received a score of 1 since costs associated with creating the working group are estimated around $500, well below the $5,000 threshold, and no significant additional expenditures are anticipated, relying mainly on existing resources.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/40210 

Submitter’s source document: Rural Organizing Resolution

R15-A01: Rural Organizing Under the GDC

Submitted by: Richard S (Greater Baltimore), Evelyn B (Northwest Indiana), John L (New Orleans). Qualified on Jun 28, 2025, with 273 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Makes the Rural Organizing Working Group a subcommittee under the GDC.

Full text

[Added text green and underlined, omitted text unaffected]

[...]

Therefore be it resolved, that the NPC creates a Rural Organizing Working Group as a subformation of the Growth and Development Committee

[...]

Be it resolved, the Working Group will produce a report for the 2027 DSA Convention as a portion of the report from the Growth and Development Committee on their work done over the last two years, successful strategies, and other wins and information gained over the last two years.

[...]

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 1: Less than $5000

This amendment does not affect the overall capacity or cost requirements for the underlying resolution or Constitutional/Bylaw Amendment. Although it changes the committee’s structure from an independent body to a subcommittee under the GDC, the underlying work and responsibilities remain unchanged.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/44162

Submitter’s source document: Rural Organizing Under the GDC - Fight to the Rural Front

R16: See CR05-A01

Resolutions Subcommittee Note: R16, Red Lines for DSA Endorsements, was converted to the first amendment to CR05, NEC Consensus Resolution.

R17: Democratize National Commissions

Submitted by Allison K (NYC), Nikhil P (ABQ), Liv M (Cincy), Claire M (Metro DC), Frances G (LA). Qualified on May 2, 2025, with 315 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Resolutions Subcommittee Note: If CB01-5, National Commission Policy, as written by the Democracy Commission is adopted, this resolution will be brought as a motion to amend something previously adopted per RONR 12th ed. 35:2.7b. Otherwise, this resolution will be considered as a regular main motion.

Summary

Leaders of national bodies should be chosen through a standardized process, not a patchwork of arbitrary systems often chosen by incumbents. This ensures national leadership commissions are democratically elected by either the Convention delegates or the NPC.

Full Text

Whereas:

  • DSA’s National Convention is currently the highest decision-making body of the organization, with the extensive process for delegate elections establishing the most legitimacy and democratic mandate of any existing part of DSA.
  • DSA has repeatedly been nationally paralyzed by controversies and conflicts about the level of authority, autonomy and independence that national commissions, working groups, committees should have in relation to the National Political Committee.
  • The most democratic way to decide questions of authority is through elections.
  • National commissions should be accountable to and take direction from the organization as a whole, not just the subset of members involved in their work.

Resolved:

  • Beginning on September 1st, 2025, all permanent or standing National Commissions shall have their successor leadership selected through one of two methods:
  • Election by National Convention delegates
  • Appointment by the National Political Committee
  • In accordance with DSA Constitution Article IX on Commissions, the NPC shall be responsible for:
  • Reviewing the list of National Commissions to determine which groups should have leadership elected by National Convention delegates, which groups should be appointed by the NPC, and which groups should be reclassified.
  • Establishing criteria for members to be eligible to run as candidates in National Commission elections, such as requiring membership or prior involvement in the relevant Commission or its area of work.
  • Establishing rules and processes for conducting National Commission elections and appointments.
  • Beginning in 2026, the NPC may elect to hold some National Commission leadership elections through online vote of delegates from the most recent National Convention.
  • In any given calendar year, elections for leadership bodies for multiple national commissions must be held concurrently on the same ballot, so that National Convention delegates vote in no more than one online election per calendar year.
  • At the next National Convention in 2027, elections for National Commission leadership shall take place in conjunction with NPC elections.
  • National commission elections shall use ranked-choice voting.
  • This resolution shall not apply to temporary bodies which are dissolved once their work is complete.
  • Vacancies for these positions will be filled by the NPC and will not require an election.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 1: Less than $5000

Implementing new leadership selection methods for National Commissions will require significant staff coordination to develop election and appointment criteria, establish processes, and manage concurrent online elections. While much of the workload depends on the specific implementation details determined by the NPC, ongoing election administration and coordination with delegates will necessitate moderate to substantial staff and member involvement. Financial costs are expected to be minimal, primarily related to existing online voting infrastructure and administrative support.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/41889

R18: Seize the Moment! Defeat Corporate Democrats and Elect More Socialists

Submitted by Aaron F (NYC-DSA), Jeremy C (NYC-DSA), Katie S (Ithaca). Qualified on May 2, 2025, with 358 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Over the next few years, DSA must commit to defeating corporate Democrats across the country—from school boards to Congress and the White House. This resolution commits DSA to seizing the moment by running a slate of congressional candidates in the 2026 midterms; creating a Congressional Subcommittee under the NEC; and forming an exploratory 2028 Committee to recruit a socialist candidate for President. This strategic electoral work will grow DSA and help us build toward a mass party.

Full text

Whereas, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and the fascist Republican Party control all three branches of the federal government and are using their power to dismantle the social safety net programs millions of Americans rely on, deport immigrants and dissidents who speak out against the ongoing genocide in Palestine, and strip millions of their civil and labor rights;

Whereas, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, and the corporate wing of the Democratic Party have adopted a disastrous “wait-and-see” approach, saying and doing very little of substance as the far right implements their fascist agenda, often going as far as giving Republicans the votes to pass repulsive legislation and confirm the administration’s dangerous nominees;

Whereas, democratic socialists and the broader left are significantly underrepresented at the federal level, with only a few DSA members remaining in Congress (with Rashida Tlaib as the only nationally endorsed member), after an unprecedented wave of spending by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and their allies defeated dozens of leftist candidates during the Biden administration, including DSA members Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman;

Whereas, the broader left made the mistake of not fielding a candidate in the 2024 Democratic presidential primaries, resulting in no serious opposition to Joe Biden aside from the DSA-endorsed Uncommitted campaign, which successfully mobilized hundreds of thousands of people to register their opposition to Biden and his support for genocide in Palestine;

Whereas, the far right has undertaken a massive campaign of winning power and influence on the local level, such as school boards, which helped build the cultural and political conditions for the rise of this administration through the polarization of civil society and the sowing of divisions among the working class;

Whereas, there is growing outrage among the Democratic base, aimed at both Republicans and their establishment Democratic enablers, as evidenced by massive turnout at protests and rallies like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s “Fighting Oligarchy” tour and polls showing near-universal discontent with Democratic leadership;

Whereas, elections polarized around democratic socialists have proven to be important moments in cohering the rank-and-file vote and the left wing of labor, such as organizing in union formations to support Bernie Sanders and, more recently, city government workers coalescing to support Zohran Mamdani for New York City Mayor;  

Whereas, utilizing the Democratic ballot line is the most effective strategy for building a socialist party in the United States, as independent and third-party campaigns continue to be generally unviable—especially at the federal level—absent unique local conditions or a willingness to take more moderate positions;

Whereas, congressional races are extraordinarily expensive, especially given the intervention of massive dark money spending; rely on sophisticated comms; and thus necessitate greater coalition work with labor unions and congressionally-focused left-wing organizations;

Whereas, the 2026 midterm elections present DSA with an opportunity to harness widespread frustration with the Democratic establishment; grow DSA and the salience of socialist politics among the working class; run dozens of socialists for state and local office across the country; oust corporate and pro-genocide Democrats from Congress and replace them with DSA members; work towards the creation of a Congressional Socialist Caucus that works with DSA; and build the infrastructure necessary to run a socialist candidate in the 2028 Democratic presidential primaries;

Therefore be it resolved, DSA commits to seizing our unique moment by organizing a massive electoral push in the 2026 midterms—in Congress, in state legislatures, in city councils, in school boards, and everywhere in-between—to speak to the frustration and rage of the American working class, to beat back the far right, and to flood the zone with principled democratic socialists running strong campaigns in competitive elections;

Be it further resolved, DSA will aim to use electoral campaigns of this nature both to bring together a broad anti-Trumpist front with labor unions and other coalition groups, as well as contest for leadership in any such front;

Be it further resolved, that campaigns will be encouraged to run with messaging focused on fighting fascism and oligarchy, combatting the rising cost of living, the power of the working class, and the ethic of solidarity;

Be it further resolved, that DSA will use these elections as opportunities to cohere leftists within unions to advocate for their organizations to support democratic socialist candidates; to mobilize together in support of these candidates; and to build support for a wider democratic socialist vision that is in their interest and the interest of all the world’s workers;  

Be it further resolved, DSA commits to running a slate of congressional candidates in the 2026 Democratic primaries;

Be it further resolved, the National Political Committee (NPC) and the NEC shall pursue serious congressional endorsements when the conditions are ripe, and will consider, in line with DSA’s general endorsement criteria, whether:

  • The chapter will be a major player in a larger coalition;
  • The chapter or coalition has the resources and ability to mount a winnable campaign, in terms of voter contact, raising millions of dollars, comms and other key metrics based on the conditions of the race; and whether
  • The chapter will grow and recruit through the campaign;

Be it further resolved, an ideal candidate for the congressional slate would be:

  • Someone running to win their race and grow DSA, not just make a statement or gain publicity for themselves;
  • An incumbent Socialist in Office with a proven track record, or alternatively, a chapter leader with an extensive organizing background;
  • A strong fundraiser prepared to raise the hundreds of thousands of dollars necessary to run a competitive congressional campaign; and
  • A talented public speaker willing to take full advantage of both paid media (TV ads, direct mail, digital ads, etc.) and earned media (articles, interviews, collaborations, etc.) opportunities;

Be it further resolved, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) shall create a Congressional Subcommittee tasked with identifying congressional districts favorable to the left and incumbents vulnerable to a socialist primary challenger and where we could win, based on past election results, district demographics, voting records, and other relevant factors;

Be it further resolved, the Congressional Subcommittee shall produce dossiers for potential congressional districts and incumbents to target, share them with interested chapters, and advise them on how to proceed;

Be it further resolved, the NEC will provide trainings for chapters in candidate recruitment techniques, district research, and building strong voter contact operations and leadership development ladders;

Be it further resolved, after the 2026 cycle, the NPC and the NEC will be tasked with bringing together chapter leaders in local Federal Socialist in Office Committees on a quarterly basis, to build the basis for shared federal strategy and federally-focused inside/outside campaign work, rooted in strong strategic and practical chapter coordination with Federal Socialists in Office;

Be it further resolved, the NPC shall create and appoint an exploratory 2028 Committee, which shall include representatives from the NEC and the NLC, and on which DSA’s electoral organizer shall sit as an ex officio member, to plan for the 2028 presidential election (which will be in full swing in May 2028 when the UAW has called for a general strike), to identify, recruit, and support a viable democratic socialist candidate for President and to maximize support for that candidate;

Be it finally resolved, the NPC and the 2028 Committee shall work and, when possible, meet regularly with DSA elected officials, coalition partners engaging in electoral work (with a focus on labor unions), and the broader left to build and support our 2026 congressional slate and plan for the 2028 presidential election.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

This resolution was scored a 4 for Capacity Commitment due to its ambitious scope, which includes launching a national congressional slate, organizing at multiple electoral levels, forming new national subcommittees, supporting chapter-level candidate recruitment and voter contact efforts, and preparing for a potential 2028 presidential campaign. The work requires extensive and sustained coordination from staff and members across the NPC, NEC, and Electoral Committee, as well as high levels of member engagement, coalition-building, and ongoing strategic planning.

It received a 4 for Financial Impact because, while campaign fundraising will occur through PACs and other appropriate vehicles, DSA will incur significant organizational costs for infrastructure, training, media, and travel. Supporting winnable congressional campaigns, producing materials, hosting national coordination calls, and engaging in presidential planning will likely require expenditures exceeding $50,000 annually.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43199

Submitter’s source document:  Seize the Moment! Defeat Corporate Democrats and Elect More Socialists

R18-A01: A DSA Presidential Platform (1 of 2)

Submitted by Jenna G (Pinellas), Jack L (NYC). Qualified on Jun 29, 2025, with 275 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

DSA can strengthen its role in 2028 by creating a Democratic Socialist Presidential Platform. The amendment tasks the exploratory committee with developing a platform, promoting it publicly and urging candidates to adopt it. It also encourages the formation of rank-and-file networks to support DSA’s 2026+2028 national candidates.

Full text

[deleted text red and struck out, added text green and underlined, and omitted text unaffected]

[...]

Be it further resolved, an ideal candidate for the congressional slate would be:

  • Someone running to win their race and grow DSA, not just make a statement or gain publicity for themselves;
  • An incumbent Socialist in Office with a proven track record, or alternatively, a chapter leader with an extensive organizing background;
  • A strong fundraiser prepared to raise the hundreds of thousands of dollars necessary to run a competitive congressional campaign; and
  • A talented public speaker willing to take full advantage of both paid media (TV ads, direct mail, digital ads, etc.) and earned media (articles, interviews, collaborations, etc.) opportunities;
  • Someone committed to fighting for DSA’s platform, who will work closely with DSA to take principled stands against genocide, imperialism, the police state, and all forms of capitalist oppression.

[...]

Be it further resolved, the NPC shall create and appoint an exploratory 2028 Committee, which shall include representatives from the NEC and the NLC, and on which DSA’s electoral organizer shall sit as an ex officio member, to plan for the 2028 presidential election (which will be in full swing in May 2028 when the UAW has called for a general strike), to identify, recruit, and support a viable democratic socialist candidate for President and to maximize support for that candidate;

Be it further resolved, before selecting a presidential candidate, the 2028 Committee will be tasked with drafting a Democratic Socialist Presidential Platform. This platform — drawing on DSA’s national program— will use the presidency to fight openly for socialism in our lifetime. It will organize the working class to dismantle the imperialist police state and provide peace, homes, healthcare, and democracy for all. DSA will publicly agitate around this platform and encourage any prospective presidential candidate to adopt the platform proposals.

Be it further resolved, the NPC will develop a strategy to help socialist elected officials adopt and fight for DSA’s platform. DSA will relentlessly defend its candidates from right wing attacks, while also openly encouraging socialist electeds to embrace bold independent politics.

Be it further resolved, DSA will support chapters in building local rank-and-file networks that can foster the development of grassroots support for an electoral coalition and eventual 2026 and 2028 slate of candidates, e.g., through “labor for X candidate” campaigning. Depending on the chapter, these networks may be drawn from local labor, tenant, anti-war or other community organizing efforts.

Be it finally resolved, the NPC and the 2028 Committee shall work and, when possible, meet regularly with DSA elected officials, coalition partners engaging in electoral work (with a focus on labor unions), and the broader left to build and support our 2026 congressional slate and plan for the 2028 presidential election.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

This resolution was scored a 4 for Capacity Commitment due to its ambitious scope, which includes launching a national congressional slate, organizing at multiple electoral levels, forming new national subcommittees, supporting chapter-level candidate recruitment and voter contact efforts, and preparing for a potential 2028 presidential campaign. The work requires extensive and sustained coordination from staff and members across the NPC, NEC, and Electoral Committee, as well as high levels of member engagement, coalition-building, and ongoing strategic planning.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/46105

Submitter’s source document: Seize the Moment Amendment

R19: From Palestine to Mexico: Fighting Fascist Attacks on Immigrants

Submitted by Kristian H (North Texas), Layla E (Detroit), Leslie C (DSA-LA). Qualified on May 2, 2025, with 368 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

As socialists at the heart of the American empire, DSA must organize to protect people targeted by both domestic oppression and US imperialism. This resolution proposes ways in which members, chapters, and the organization as a whole will pursue the struggle against nativism and in defense of immigrants and pro-Palestine protestors, recognizing that the only way to meet the current political moment is solidarity and a recommitment to building class-based, mass politics.

Full Text

Whereas, the Trump administration is an increasingly authoritarian and anti-immigrant regime that has promised and delivered increasingly cruel attacks on migrants to uphold white supremacy, capitalism, and imperialism;

Whereas, the Trump administration has also used prosecution, kidnapping, deportation, and trafficking, as weapons to retaliate against and silence political dissent, including Palestine solidarity organizers;

Whereas, immigration status is weaponized to criminalize the Palestine solidarity movement, chilling political organizing among immigrant, Black & Brown, Arab, and Muslim communities;

Whereas, the Trump tactics of militaristic spectacle and enforcement tactics, including expedited removal, specifically the erosion of due process, exacerbate the exploitation, dispossession, and violence faced by working-class people globally;

Whereas, the Trump administration relies on a growing and already existing prison-industrial complex, expanded and enabled through bipartisan efforts, including detention centers, border walls, surveillance technologies, and the nation’s largest federal police force, a combination of ICE, Border Patrol and deputized local police, to carry out their fascist agenda;

Whereas, the Trump administration can only detain and deport people on the scale they intend by increasing pressure on state and local governments to formalize collaborations with law enforcement agencies via programs like 287g;

Whereas, this inhumane and profit-driven immigration system is the response of the ruling class has to those displaced by the climate crisis, by war, and by the economic oppression inherent to global capitalism;

Whereas, the current and previous administrations have used law enforcement and surveillance to crush mass movements for Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, freedom from racist police violence, and the Palestine solidarity movement;

Whereas, democratic socialists must affirm and establish, through ongoing political education and counter propaganda, the interconnectedness of these various struggles;

Whereas, democratic socialists can and should unite and engage in coalitional efforts that seek to confront the rise of authoritarianism;

Whereas, we recognize the only way to meet the current political moment is solidarity and a recommitment to building class-based, mass politics;

Therefore be it resolved, DSA demands the abolition of ICE and an end to anti-migrant containment strategies both here and abroad, as well as an increase in aid to those fleeing from violence, political and economic turmoil;

Be it further resolved, DSA members should support and advance policies which respect working-class migrants’ ability to travel, work freely, and participate fully in US society, while refusing to propose solutions that add to the harmful “deserving” narrative or that “other” those currently detained or incarcerated;

Be it further resolved, DSA members should support collaborations that build the influence and density of immigrant workers in organized labor (such as sanctuary union initiatives and new organizing drives) and away from captive labor programs;

Be it further resolved, DSA members should explore campaigns that deny the access or usage of local or state infrastructure to carry out their deportation plans, both on a mass and local scale;

Be it further resolved, DSA chapters should:

  • Engage in local coalition networks and provide strategic support in defense of or in solidarity with migrants;
  • Build the capacity of their local chapter to advance immigration-related work, whether as new pressure campaigns or as an expansion of existing work;
  • Construct projects that aim to build solidarity among working-class people across citizenship, race, and nationality;

Be it further resolved, DSA chapters should aim to combat rising xenophobia by fighting stereotypes and portraying immigrants as persons and workers like any others, by developing a grounded local analysis of nativism and its roots, by aiming for programmatic demands that unify native and immigrant workers, and by what other means they can devise;

Be it further resolved, the NPC should identify opportunities to join forces with other organizations to support and initiate coordinated national actions wherever possible;

Be it further resolved, that the International Committee will coordinate exchanges and discussion of efforts to defend migrant rights alongside comrades from mass left parties, unions, and political organizations, for example with Pacto Historico in Colombia, MORENA in Mexico, and the Partido dos Trabalhadores in Brazil, in continuation with and expanding DSA’s current commitments to international diplomacy and two-way solidarity;

Be it further resolved, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) will assist chapters in identifying and collaborating on state or local broad pro-sanctuary and/or pro-Palestine legislation or policy;

Be it further resolved, DSA chapters, in coordination with YDSA, are encouraged to carry out “Safe Zone” initiatives and pressure campaigns at local schools (K-12 and college campuses) to ensure there are procedures and policies that limit immigration enforcement against students, prohibit immigration status from being recorded by schools or divulged to enforcement authorities, and have a clear and known procedure for responding to any enforcement measures, especially concerning students, staff, or parents involved in anti-Trump and/or pro-Palestine organizing;

Be it finally resolved, the International Migrants Rights Working Group, housed within the International Committee, will coordinate unallocated work outlined in this resolution.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 2: Low to Moderate Finances 1: Less than $5000

This resolution outlines a wide range of suggested chapter- and national-level activities such as coalition engagement, campaign development, solidarity initiatives, and international coordination. These actions build on existing structures and do not mandate large-scale new programs, instead encouraging chapters and working groups to integrate immigration justice work into their ongoing organizing. There are no significant new costs anticipated; most actions rely on volunteer labor, chapter-led efforts, and existing committee infrastructure, with no indication of major expenditures beyond what is already in place.

External Links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43212

Submitter’s source document: From Palestine to Mexico: Fighting Fascist Attacks on Immigrants

R20: Workers Will Lead the Way: Join with Unions to Run Labor Candidates

Submitted by Jeremy C (NYC-DSA), Claire V (NYC-DSA), Shane R (EBDSA), Michael M (LA-DSA), Ryan A (LA-DSA), Clayton R. (LA-DSA), Katie S (Ithaca). Qualified on May 3, 2025, with 325 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Organized labor is an essential bulwark against oligarchy and fascism, and is the key to transforming society. This resolution lays out a goal of a national slate of at least 10 DSA labor candidates in 2026, as well as steps for working with allied unions on this effort. This work will be treated as only one essential tactic among several to stand with labor to meet the moment, and will be pursued in conjunction with other urgent work, as well as in building toward a May Day 2028 general strike.

Full text

Whereas, the rising far right is falsely branding itself as working-class, while the center-right establishment, with its corporatism, ineptitude, and inaction, is losing its base, and the left has an opportunity and an obligation to cohere a strong, alternative pole and win sections of the class from a rightward turn;

Whereas, support for unions has risen and continues to rise to historic levels in the United States, especially among young workers;

Whereas, the labor movement is under another wave of concerted attacks, akin to Ronald Reagan’s mass firing of air traffic controllers and Scott Walker’s assault on Wisconsin public sector unions, which requires a concerted countermovement combining strikes and power at the workplace, mass pressure as mobilized through organizations like Federal Unionists Network (FUN), and a more aggressive approach to state power;

Whereas, victorious socialist labor candidates like Claire Valdez in New York City, Hugo Soto-Martinez in Los Angeles, Ross Grooters in Iowa, and the unexpectedly strong performance of a non-socialist labor candidate like Dan Osborn in Nebraska have proven that a strong labor identity can prove uniquely effective in contradistinction to far-right Republicans and do-nothing establishment Democrats;

Whereas, DSA has played a role both in the labor movement—supporting increasing levels of militancy and new organizing—and in building a left-wing political presence in the halls of government;

Whereas, the unification of socialist politics and the labor movement has historically been an essential aim of democratic socialists;

Whereas, DSA must continue efforts to support the labor movement in the increasingly dire circumstances it confronts;

Whereas, DSA cannot meet this political moment alone, and the American labor movement, although weakened from its historic peak of power, nonetheless boasts a membership above ten million workers from all sections of the multiracial working class with the resources to politically educate and mobilize its members;

Therefore be it resolved, that DSA will orient toward helping recruit and run labor candidates for elected office;

Be it further resolved, that DSA will do this internally by:

  • Aiming for a national slate of at least 10 labor candidates in 2026, selected from across the public and private sectors and a broad array of industries wherever possible;
  • Offering trainings for chapters on using their lists for union-member candidate recruitment;
  • Doing national communications around union candidates for office in 2026 and 2028 that emphasize their labor identity and program;
  • Supporting chapters in their development of field, research, communications, and fundraising infrastructure; and
  • Tasking the NEC, the NLC, and the NPC to develop and execute this work;

Be it further resolved, that DSA will do this work in coalition by:

  • Engaging in outreach to allied unions to encourage them to recruit from their own lists;
  • Supporting left-wing unions in developing their own infrastructure for supporting candidates who run on a labor platform and identity;
  • Working with allied unions on regular mobilizations of their membership for labor candidates;
  • Encouraging chapters to consider developing joint SIO projects with closely allied unions; and
  • Engaging in ongoing discussions with closely allied unions about potential labor presidential candidates for 2028;

Be it further resolved, that DSA will run labor candidates in conjunction with its long-established agnostic orientation to the ballot line, running wherever there are the greatest chances of bringing the masses into politics, taking on the establishment, demonstrating strength, and winning power;

Be it further resolved, that DSA in this effort will emphasize a labor identity and platform over party label;

Be it further resolved, that DSA will run labor candidates in winnable races that prove in practice the strength of labor politics for the days ahead;

Be it finally resolved, that this work will be treated as one essential tactic among several to stand with labor to meet the moment, and will be pursued in conjunction with urgent work mobilizing with labor against Trump’s authoritarianism and in defense of basic labor protections, as well as in building toward a May Day 2028 general strike.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 1: Less than $5000

This resolution received a Capacity Commitment score of 4 due to its sustained and complex demands on staff and member time. It calls for a major strategic shift in DSA’s electoral approach, including national coordination between multiple national bodies, recruitment of a slate of labor candidates, coalition-building with unions, and long-term campaign planning leading into 2028. These efforts require high levels of ongoing involvement from both national staff and members.

It received a Financial Impact score of 1 because the resolution relies primarily on existing infrastructure, volunteer capacity, and current staff resources, with no anticipated non-personnel expenditures exceeding $5,000. While future campaign or PAC spending may occur, those costs are not borne directly by National DSA and therefore do not factor into this score.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43205

Submitter’s source document: Workers Will Lead the Way: Join with Unions to Run Labor Candidates

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R20-A01: Democratic Socialists and the Labor Movement Need Each Other

Submitted by Ben L (NYC DSA), Annie W (River Valley DSA), Chanpreet S (Seattle DSA), Ethan E (NYC DSA), Sid CW (NYC DSA), JP L (Louisville DSA). Qualified on Jun 19, 2025, with 292 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

It is vital for DSA that every part of our project be rooted in the labor movement, especially our electoral work. At the same time, it is essential for party-building that we endorse open democratic socialists committed to building DSA. This amendment adds language ensuring labor candidates are committed to building both DSA and the labor movement by publicly identifying as socialists, and cuts language sacrificing DSA’s political independence.

Full text

Be it therefore resolved, that R20, Workers Will Lead the Way: Join with Unions to Run Labor Candidates is amended as follows, with deletions in red, additions in green, and omitted text unaffected:

[...]

Therefore be it resolved, that DSA will orient toward helping recruit and run labor candidates, defined as a democratic socialist candidate drawn from the rank and file of the labor movement, for elected office;

Be it further resolved, that DSA will do this internally by:

  • Aiming to include at least 10 labor candidates in the NEC’s priority slate for 2026 for a national slate of at least 10 labor candidates in 2026, selected from across the public and private sectors and a broad array of industries wherever possible;
  • Offering trainings for chapters on using their lists for union-member candidate recruitment;
  • Doing national communications around union candidates for office in 2026 and 2028 that emphasize their labor identity and program in addition to their identity as democratic socialists;
  • Supporting chapters in their development of field, research, communications, and fundraising infrastructure; and
  • Tasking the NEC, the NLC, and the NPC to develop and execute this work;

Be it further resolved, that DSA will do this work in coalition by:

  • Engaging in outreach to allied unions to encourage them to recruit from their own lists;
  • Supporting left-wing unions in developing their own infrastructure for supporting candidates who run on a labor platform and identity;
  • Working with allied unions on regular mobilizations of their membership for labor candidates;
  • Encouraging chapters to consider developing joint SIO projects with closely allied unions; and
  • Engaging in ongoing discussions with closely allied unions about potential socialist labor presidential candidates for 2028;

[...]

Be it further resolved, that DSA in this effort will emphasize the relationship between a democratic socialist identity and platform and the labor movement a labor identity and platform over party label;

[...]

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 1: Less than $5000

This amendment does not affect the overall capacity or cost requirements for the underlying resolution.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43496 

Submitter’s source document: Democratic Socialists and the Labor Movement Need Each Other

R21: Democracy For All: a NEC Subcommittee for Voting Rights

Submitted by Remi D (Rochester DSA), Peter M (Central NJ DSA). Qualified on May 3, 2025, with 287 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This resolution will make a subcommittee of the National Electoral Commission mandated to connect with the abolitionist & migrant justice movements, which will support ‘suffrage campaigns’, targeted campaigns for expanding the voting rights of resident non-citizens, formerly incarcerated people, and the currently incarcerated. It would also include a campaign to get electeds connected to this national struggle.

Full text

WHEREAS a truly democratic republic poses a major threat to the political domination of capital; and

WHEREAS in the United States, the withdrawal of the vote has been used to divide the working class and force disenfranchised parts of the working class into clandestine lives, broken off from the broader class; and

WHEREAS the removal of the right of migrants to vote in elections regardless of citizenship status has destroyed the capacity of a migrant politics, and has divided the working class in a manner very profitable for the capitalist class; and

WHEREAS the Republican Party has fully committed to anti-democratic politics with the introduction of more than 300 bills and counting, in 47 states, which target Black and brown communities in particular, as well as working class communities broadly, for voter suppression; and

WHEREAS the Democratic Party has joined in the Republican party’s attacks on migrants, and has moved to the right on our carceral system, leading to tens of thousands of people losing their voting rights and thus their ability to meaningfully control their communities; and

WHEREAS, DSA’s electoral successes are built, particularly at the national level, with Black and brown candidates running in districts that are majority People of Color, and we recognize that DSA wins when the working class can unite itself;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that as a critical part of DSA’s anti-racist struggle, as a moral imperative as socialists, and as crux of our political organizing, we should create a body able to lead a series of targeted campaigns expanding voting rights to the incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, non-citizen residents, and people under the age of 18

AND BE IT RESOLVED, the National Electoral Committee shall create a Democracy For All subcommittee. That subcommittee will be tasked with:

  • Connecting to the migrant rights & incarcerated peoples’ movements on the grounds of struggling for expanded suffrage,
  • Developing ‘suffrage campaigns’, defined as campaigns which expand voter rights to formerly incarcerated people, non-citizen residents, people under the age of 18, and currently incarcerated people, by providing
  • Legal support
  • Logistical support
  • Translation support for Spanish & Chinese
  • Coordinating volunteers for translations into other languages; mapping out what languages would be most appropriate for different state/local campaigns
  • Locating states & municipalities where the struggle for expanding suffrage would be achievable and bring together the movements of socialists & the oppressed
  • Designing a public pledge akin to the Strike Ready Pledge, committing electeds to joining the suffrage campaigns along with agitating the broader democracy content of our program.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 3: $10,000 to $50,000

This resolution received a 3 for Capacity Commitment because the activities outlined - creating a new subcommittee focused on voting rights, support for that committee, and translation work require ongoing staff and member involvement, including logistical support, campaign planning, and movement-building coordination across multiple national bodies and local chapters. While much of the work builds on existing DSA infrastructure, the scale and ambition of launching new national-level suffrage campaigns place it in the moderate to high time commitment range. Coordinating volunteer translators across a wide range of languages also requires substantial planning, outreach, and administrative oversight.

It also received a 3 for Financial Impact due to anticipated expenditures related to paid translation services for Spanish and two forms of written Chinese, as well as legal and logistical support for campaigns. While a portion of translation work will be handled by volunteers, the use of paid professionals for key languages indicates a moderate financial outlay ($0.15-$0.30 per word). Additional costs may include campaign materials, outreach efforts, and coordination tools to support national and local campaign activities. These projected expenses place the resolution in the $10,001–$49,000 annual range. This scoring assumes paid translations for Spanish, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and volunteer-led translation efforts for all other languages.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/41423

Submitter’s source document: Democracy for All

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R22: For a Fighting Anti-Zionist DSA

Submitted by Ahmed H (New York City), Francesca M (Connecticut), Andrew T (Denver), Ethan E (New York City), Sammi A (New York City), Viv S (Philadelphia), Jordan D (Philadelphia), Claire S (Denver), Nayef A (San Francisco), Ricky S (Houston), Zev C (Tacoma), Martina M (Central New Jersey), Abdul O (Connecticut), Dami O (Metro DC), Syjil A (Delaware). Qualified on May 3, 2025, with 517 signatures as of May 22, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Palestinian liberation is the moral compass of the socialist movement, representing a critical junction of popular consciousness. This resolution builds on existing expectations that our elected officials stand up for Palestine and establishes expectations for our mass membership. It also expands uptake of the Stop Fueling Genocide, No Appetite for Apartheid, Mask Off Maersk, and divestment campaigns and develops strategies to protect the movement and build resilience against state repression.

Full text

Whereas, in line with 2017 DSA National Convention Resolutions #7 and #8, and 2019 Resolution #35, DSA unapologetically stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people; and is committed to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement;

Whereas, the 2023 Convention passed NPC Recommendation #8 which, as amended, had the National Electoral Committee (NEC) and National Political Committee (NPC) consider the stated positions of candidates on Palestine and BDS in decisions of national endorsement;

Whereas, the “Make DSA an Anti-Zionist Organization in Principle and Praxis” resolution, as amended, was ratified by the 2023-2025 NPC, reaffirming DSA’s commitment to Palestinian liberation and establishing expectations for candidates seeking national DSA endorsement;

Whereas, since March 25th 2025, 54 DSA chapters representing over 30,000 DSA members have passed their own versions of the “Make DSA an Anti-Zionist Organization in Principle and Praxis” resolution, enshrining locally both membership expectations and electoral endorsement conditions of principled anti-Zionism that has provided a necessary, material counter-weight to the Zionist lobby for progressives running for local office;

Whereas, DSA has recognized Zionism as “a racist, imperialist, settler-colonial project that has resulted in the ongoing death, displacement, and dehumanization of Palestinians everywhere,” whose survival is enabled by the financial, military, and diplomatic support of the United States government;

Whereas, since the intensification of the genocide in Palestine in October 2023, DSA members have organized against it using a variety of tactics, including local ceasefire resolutions, the Uncommitted movement, direct protest actions, university encampments, BDS campaigns within the Palestinian solidarity movement (such as No Appetite For Apartheid and Mask off Maersk), and building a national priority campaign targeting Chevron, Israel’s largest natural gas supplier;

Whereas, as repression against the Palestine solidarity movement by the Trump administration, universities, and other aligned institutions escalates, mobilizing our electoral project, our position in the labor movement, and our organizational density in the education sector to build more favorable terrain for organizing and resist state repression is necessary to meet the current moment;

Whereas, since March 2025, the National Labor Commission (NLC) adopted a resolution forming a Labor for an Arms Embargo campaign working group and the IC Palestine Subcommittee adopted a political education proposal for webinars on municipal divestment;

Whereas, carrying out the obligations of pro-Palestine and BDS convention mandates requires clear goals for Palestine solidarity work and a renewed commitment to being productive coalition partners within the wider Palestinian solidarity movement;

Standards and Orientation

Therefore, be it resolved, that DSA shall make organizing in solidarity with the Palestinian cause a priority until Palestine is free, unequivocally affirming our commitment to ‘al-Thawabit’, the principles originally set by the Palestinian National Council in 1977 and repeatedly reaffirmed since, which are the Palestinian people’s right to resistance, the Palestinian right to self-determination, the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine, and the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland from the river to the sea;

Be it resolved, that DSA shall expand on the expectations, established by the “Make DSA an Anti-Zionist Organization in Principle and Praxis” resolution ratified by the 2023-2025 NPC, that DSA candidates support the BDS movement, refrain from any and all affiliation with the Israeli government or Zionist lobby groups, and pledge to oppose legislation that harms Palestinians and support legislation that supports Palestinian liberation, by affirming that these commitments as detailed in this resolution must hold true for all candidates endorsed by national DSA or a DSA chapter;

Be it resolved, that any candidate questionnaires used to determine national and local endorsements must inquire about the candidateʼs position on BDS and should include further scrutiny on the candidate’s commitment to Palestinian liberation;

Be it resolved, that potential candidates who cannot commit to the aforementioned basic expectations shall be deemed, by the National Electoral Commission as well as any relevant approving bodies at the chapter level, as ineligible for endorsement by DSA or a DSA chapter;

Be it resolved, that, upon receiving fair and ample opportunity for education about the Palestinian struggle for liberation, endorsed candidates who fail to continue to uphold the aforementioned basic expectations after being endorsed and/or taking office, shall have their DSA endorsements revoked locally and/or nationally as applicable;

Be it resolved, that DSA members – regardless of endorsement status – who are credibly shown to:

  1. have consistently and publicly opposed BDS and the Palestinian cause (e.g. by denouncing the BDS movement in public interviews; writing public op-eds denouncing the BDS movement; drafting and voting in favor of legislation that suppresses BDS, such as legislation that suppresses speech rights around the right to freely criticize Zionism/Israel and/or the right to boycott; making statements that “Israel has a right to defend itself”; making or endorsing statements or legislation equating anti-Zionism with antisemitism), even after receiving fair and ample opportunity for education about the Palestinian struggle for liberation,
  2. be currently affiliated with the Israeli government or any Zionist lobby group(s) such as, but not limited to, AIPAC, J Street, or Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI), or
  3. have knowingly provided material aid to Israel (e.g., voted to provide Israel with material aid; gave direct financial donations of any kind to Israel and/or settler NGOs who carry out the mission of Israeli settlement and Palestinian dispossession/displacement, such as the Jewish National Fund, the Israel Land Fund, the Hebron Fund, and Regavim)

shall be considered in substantial disagreement with DSAʼs principles and policies, as per Article 1, Section 3 of the DSA Bylaws, thereby committing an expellable offense as outlined in Article 3, Section 4 of the DSA Constitution, which states that a member credibly shown to have engaged in any of the above may “be expelled [by] a two-thirds (⅔) vote of all members of the National Political Committee”;

Be it resolved, that DSA shall continue to organize chapters and national bodies to act as meaningful partners within the Palestine solidarity movement, prioritizing campaigns and organizing approaches that:

  1. Directly undermine material support for Israel, respond to priorities identified by the Palestinian solidarity movement, and correspond with strategic organizing sectors where DSA is well-positioned to contribute (e.g. logistics and higher education);
  2. Build an organized mass base of support for Palestine and engage a range of political and mass organizations, communities, and economic sectors, thus bringing working-class people together through joint struggle and strengthening our local and national coalitions, particularly with Palestinian-led organizations;
  3. Protect our movement and build resilience against state and Zionist repression;

Build in Coalitions

Be it resolved, that DSA reaffirms its commitment to the Stop Fueling Genocide campaign, encourages chapters to identify whether a local campaign is viable, and directs the IC Palestine Subcommittee to continue to expand the number of chapters involved in Stop Fueling Genocide, with a goal of having at least one active campaign in each of the top 15 states with the most Chevron gas stations by the end of 2026;

Be it resolved, that DSA endorses the Palestine Solidarity Working Group’s No Appetite For Apartheid (NA4A) campaign, encourages all chapters to identify whether running a local campaign is viable, and directs the IC Palestine Subcommittee and the National Communications Committee to share information about the NA4A campaign with chapters and members and to publicize NA4A campaign calls, announcements, victories, and calls to action as they occur;

Be it resolved, that the IC Palestine Subcommittee shall conduct targeted outreach to chapters located in states other than the 15 states where local NA4A campaigns are active as of April 2025, with the goal of organizing chapters in at least 12 new states to launch a local campaign by the end of 2026;

Be it resolved, that DSA endorses the Palestinian Youth Movement’s Mask Off Maersk campaign and reaffirms its commitment to leveraging its members’ presence in the labor movement to build labor support for arms embargo campaigns such as Mask off Maersk and No Harbor for Genocide by growing the Labor for an Arms Embargo working group within the NLC, as outlined in the March 2025 NLC resolution;

Be it resolved, that the Labor for an Arms Embargo working group shall work toward an initial goal of kickstarting campaigns to support an arms embargo in at least 10 union locals in strategic cities (i.e., cities with seaports, airports, and inland logistics hubs implicated in transporting military cargo to Israel or cities with Maersk terminals) by the end of 2026;

Be it resolved, that the Mask Off Maersk organizing committee within the IC Palestine Subcommittee shall identify a minimum of 5 chapters in or closest to strategic cities as defined above or in locations where there is no pre-existing PYM chapter already spearheading Maersk organizing and, by the end of 2026, recruit them to support campaigns in union locals with parallel community organizing, including:

  1. Attacking Maersk’s institutional ties by pressuring suppliers, universities, cultural institutions, and other organizations to terminate partnerships, sponsorships, contracts, and research collaborations with Maersk;
  2. Increasing reputational damage to Maersk by exposing its participation in genocide through media engagement, public events, and community education;
  3. Pressuring city councils, universities, pension funds, religious institutions, etc. to divest funds invested in Maersk;

Be it resolved, that, by the end of 2025, DSA shall convene an Arms Embargo Organizing Committee with 2 liaisons from the IC Mask Off Maersk organizing committee, 2 liaisons from the Labor for an Arms Embargo Working Group, and 5 at-large members to be selected by the NPC by Single Transferable Vote from an open application process, prioritizing DSA members with relevant skills and experience (e.g., knowledge of the logistics sector; participation in efforts to disrupt weapons shipments, such as Block the Boat; coalitional relationships with relevant organizations), for a total of 9 members, which shall meet at least quarterly to provide coordination and develop joint strategies across different bodies;

Be it resolved, that the IC Palestine Subcommittee and Arms Embargo Steering Committee shall produce a short report to membership by March 2027 evaluating the successes, challenges, and overall effectiveness of DSA’s participation in the Stop Fueling Genocide, NA4A, and Arms Embargo campaigns, assessing the status of these efforts, and recommending updated goals, strategies, and relationship to these campaigns to be adopted by 2027 convention;

Be it resolved, that candidates endorsed by DSA shall be asked to vote in favor of legislation that directly advances the goals of DSA-endorsed campaigns related to Palestinian liberation, such as Mask off Maersk, Stop Fueling Genocide, No Appetite for Apartheid, and Not On Our Dime and refrain from public disavowal of such campaigns;

BDS from City Council to the Union Hall

Be it resolved, that, building on the IC Palestine Subcommittee’s political education series on Municipal Level Divestment Campaigns, DSA shall continue to develop chapters’ ability to undertake divestment campaigns targeting direct investments in Israel (e.g. Israeli bonds); investments in companies complicit in Israeli apartheid and genocide; and investments in the war industry more broadly including Maersk, through the following capacity-building blocks:

  1. Developing a framework to analyze local conditions and opportunities to identify whether a divestment campaign is strategic;
  2. Training chapters on campaign strategy and target identification for pressure campaigns and ballot initiatives;
  3. Producing or collecting template language for divestment resolutions, ordinances, and ballot initiatives tailored for different institutions including city councils, faith organizations, labor unions, pension funds, educational and cultural organizations, etc.;

Be it resolved, that the NLC shall provide support and coordination, including sharing resolution template language, for DSA members to kickstart or support efforts for labor unions to divest from companies and institutions complicit in Israeli occupation and apartheid or broadly adopt BDS principles, if dealing with union locals that are not strategically well positioned for an arms embargo-focused campaign;

Be it resolved, that, in coordination with the IC Palestine Subcommittee, the National Electoral Commission and local chapters’ Socialists in Office or similar formations shall provide template language and direct DSA-endorsed elected officials to advance and support municipal ordinances and local ballot measures that push municipalities or states to adopt divestment and/or other commitments to advance an arms embargo, synthesizing lessons and tools from recent case studies (e.g., the Apartheid-Free Community ballot measures passed by 5 towns in Vermont) as well as historical precedents (e.g., the nuclear-free zones movement and the South Africa Apartheid boycott and divestment movement);

Be it resolved, that DSA shall work toward an initial goal of kickstarting organizing around ballot initiatives in at least 5 chapters by the end of 2026, ideally in jurisdictions where efforts can develop in coordination with DSA-endorsed elected officials, as a structure test to pilot the ballot initiative divestment strategy;

Be it resolved, that the IC Palestine Subcommittee and the National Electoral Commission shall produce a short report to membership in early 2027, evaluating the successes, challenges, and lessons learnt from these pilot campaigns and recommending updated goals for divestment strategies to be adopted by 2027 convention;

Be it resolved, that the National Electoral Commission, Federal Socialists in Office Committee, and local chapters’ Socialists in Office committees or equivalent formations shall support DSA-endorsed elected officials in providing template language for legislation that:

  • Advances civil rights protections for Palestine solidarity organizing and counters repression of the movement, including commitments from city councils, state legislatures, and other relevant state agencies to:
  1. Decline to share data with federal law enforcement and federal agencies;
  2. End joint surveillance initiatives with the federal government (e.g., ‘anti-terrorism task forces’, fusion centers, etc.);
  3. Refuse to assist federal law enforcement and federal troops in the policing and surveillance of protests;
  4. Resist the deployment of National Guard troops to suppress protests.
  • Repeals laws and policies that limit our ability to organize and expose us to state repression, such as anti-BDS laws, the IHRA definitions of anti-semitism, or anti-masking laws;
  • Opposes efforts to penalize individuals, universities, and other entities that boycott or protest Israel, including actions that permit the use of force by the state against people protesting in support of Palestine, harming Palestinians and their allies and violating rights to freedom of speech and expression;

Support the Student Intifada

Be it resolved, that DSA shall provide the YDSA Palestine Committee with staff time and liaisons from the National Communications Committee, IC Palestine Subcommittee, and NLC as needed;

Be it resolved, that DSA affirms support for YDSA’s ‘Sanctuary Campus’ national priority campaign and shall facilitate coordination between the YDSA National Coordinating Committee and the NLC, IC Migrant Rights Working Group, and IC Palestine Subcommittee to develop joint strategies for students, higher education workers, and community members in order to win protections for immigrant students and workers and fight political repression of Palestine solidarity organizers on campus;

Be it resolved, that the bodies above shall, at a minimum, arrange an organizing training geared toward kickstarting or advancing Sanctuary Campus campaigns by the end of 2025, and shall set a goal of recruiting at least 150 members from at least 50 chapters to attend, prioritizing recruitment of students, educators, Palestine solidarity and immigrant rights organizers, and higher education union members;

Be it resolved, that DSA shall, through the IC Palestine Subcommittee and other relevant national bodies involved in rapid response organizing, facilitate access to legal representation, jail support, and compliance advice for any DSA and YDSA members facing disciplinary repercussions or repression at their universities and workplaces or prosecution by the state due to their involvement in Palestine solidarity organizing.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 2: $5000 to $10,000

This resolution is ranked a 3 for the Capacity Commitment because it calls for coordination across several national campaigns (e.g., Stop Fueling Genocide, No Appetite for Apartheid, Mask Off Maersk), the creation of an Arms Embargo Organizing Committee, expansion of labor and municipal divestment efforts, and support for YDSA’s Sanctuary Campus campaign. It also introduces new endorsement and accountability mechanisms for candidates, which would require ongoing monitoring and enforcement. While much of this work builds on existing structures, the scale and coordination involved across national committees and chapters would demand sustained staff and member time.

Costs would primarily come primarily from chapter support for ballot line work as well as attendant costs for coalition work. Importantly, while the resolution includes provisions for legal compliance advice and coordination with legal support organizations, it does not authorize or allocate funds for direct legal representation, bail support, or similar services, which would have a large impact on both the capacity and cost scoring. It also assumes that calls for weapons shipment disruptions would only involve legal forms of protest.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43117

Submitter’s source document: For a Fighting Anti-Zionist DSA

R22-A01: Align with the BDS Movement

Submitted by Aaron F (NYC-DSA). Qualified on Jun 29, 2025, with 359 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This amendment preserves local chapter autonomy over their endorsement processes; strikes unnecessary, mandatory expulsion language; and prioritizes strategic targets for economic boycott.

Full text

[Deleted text red and struck out, added text green and underlined, omitted text unaffected]

[...]

Whereas, as of since March 25th, 2025, 54 DSA chapters representing over 30,000 DSA members have passed their own versions of the “Make DSA an Anti-Zionist Organization in Principle and Praxis” resolution, enshrining locally both membership expectations and electoral endorsement conditions of principled anti-Zionism that has provided a necessary, material counter-weight to the Zionist lobby for progressives running for local office;

[...]

Whereas, since the intensification of the genocide in Palestine in October 2023, DSA members have organized against it using a variety of tactics, including local ceasefire resolutions, the No Money for Massacres pressure campaign, the Uncommitted movement, direct protest actions, university encampments, BDS campaigns within the Palestinian solidarity movement (such as No Appetite For Apartheid and Mask off Maersk), and building a national priority campaign targeting Chevron, Israel’s largest natural gas supplier;

[...]

Be it resolved, that DSA shall expand on the expectations, established by the “Make DSA an Anti-Zionist Organization in Principle and Praxis” resolution ratified by the 2023-2025 NPC, that DSA candidates support the BDS movement, refrain from any and all affiliation with the Israeli government or Zionist lobby groups, and pledge to oppose legislation that harms Palestinians and support legislation that supports Palestinian liberation, by proactively aligning all national DSA candidates with the organization’s previously established expectations affirming that these commitments as detailed in this resolution must hold true for all candidates endorsed by national DSA or a DSA chapter;

[...]

Be it resolved, that the IC Palestine Subcommittee and the National Electoral Commission shall collaborate on the development of sample questionnaires that inquire about a candidate’s position on BDS & commitment to Palestinian liberation, and shall distribute these questionnaires to local chapters considering electoral endorsements;

Be it resolved, that potential candidates who cannot commit to the aforementioned basic expectations may shall be deemed, by the National Electoral Commission as well as any relevant approving bodies at the chapter level, as ineligible for national endorsement by DSA or a DSA chapter;

Be it resolved, that, upon receiving fair and ample opportunity for education about the Palestinian struggle for liberation, endorsed candidates who fail to continue to uphold the aforementioned basic expectations after being endorsed and/or taking office, may shall have their DSA endorsements revoked, by a vote of the NPC, locally and/or nationally as applicable;

Be it resolved, that DSA members – regardless of endorsement status – who are credibly shown to

  1. have consistently and publicly opposed BDS and the Palestinian cause (e.g. by denouncing the BDS movement in public interviews; writing public op-eds denouncing the BDS movement; drafting and voting in favor of legislation that suppresses BDS, such as legislation that suppresses speech rights around the right to freely criticize Zionism/Israel and/or the right to boycott; making statements that “Israel has a right to defend itself”; making or endorsing statements or legislation equating anti-Zionism with antisemitism), even after receiving fair and ample opportunity for education about the Palestinian struggle for liberation,
  2. be currently affiliated with the Israeli government or any Zionist lobby group(s) such as, but not limited to, AIPAC, J Street, or Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI), or
  3. have knowingly provided material aid to Israel (e.g., voted to provide Israel with material aid; gave direct financial donations of any kind to Israel and/or settler NGOs who carry out the mission of Israeli settlement and Palestinian dispossession/displacement, such as the Jewish National Fund, the Israel Land Fund, the Hebron Fund, and Regavim)

shall be considered in substantial disagreement with DSAʼs principles and policies, as per Article 1, Section 3 of the DSA Bylaws, thereby committing an expellable offense as outlined in Article 3, Section 4 of the DSA Constitution, which states that a member credibly shown to have engaged in any of the above may “be expelled [by] a two-thirds (⅔) vote of all members of the National Political Committee”;

[...]

Be it resolved, that DSA endorses the BDS movement’s boycott of Israeli wine and produce Palestine Solidarity Working Group’s No Appetite For Apartheid (NA4A) campaign, encourages all chapters to consider identify whether running a local campaign, such as the Boycott War Profiteers' campaign against the sale of wine from the Israeli Occupied Golan Heights at PCC Community Markets, is viable, and directs the IC Palestine Subcommittee and the National Communications Committee to share information about such campaigns where possible the NA4A campaign with chapters and members and to publicize NA4A campaign calls, announcements, victories, and calls to action, as they occur;

Be it resolved, that the IC Palestine Subcommittee shall conduct targeted outreach to chapters located in states other than the 15 states where local BDS NA4A campaigns are active as of April 2025, with the goal of organizing chapters in at least 12 new states to launch a local campaign by the end of 2026;

[...]

Be it resolved, that the IC Palestine Subcommittee and Arms Embargo Steering Committee shall produce a short report to membership by March 2027 evaluating the successes, challenges, and overall effectiveness of DSA’s participation in the Stop Fueling Genocide, NA4A, and Arms Embargo campaigns, and any other BDS or Palestine solidarity campaign, assessing the status of these efforts, and recommending updated goals, strategies, and relationship to these campaigns to be adopted by the 2027 convention;

Be it resolved, that candidates endorsed by DSA shall be asked to vote in favor of legislation that directly advances the goals of DSA-endorsed campaigns related to Palestinian liberation, such as Mask off Maersk, Stop Fueling Genocide, No Appetite for Apartheid, and Not On Our Dime and refrain from public disavowal of such campaigns;

[...]

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 2: $5000 to $10,000

This amendment does not affect the overall capacity or cost requirements for the underlying resolution. While it adds several tasks, including the creation of a sample candidate questionnaire, it also removes or streamlines certain components of the original text. These changes fall within the existing scope of the original resolution’s scoring.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/47856 

Submitter’s source document: Align with the BDS Movement (Amendment to R22)

R23: See R34-A01

Resolutions Subcommittee Note: This resolution was merged with R12, Workers Demand the World: A Revolutionary Program for DSA, and then converted to R34-A01, A Fighting Socialist Program for DSA, a substitute amendment to R34, Workers Deserve More Forever.

R24: To Defeat Trump, Turn Toward the Masses

Submitted by Aspen W (New Orleans), Sam L (NYC-DSA), Stella T (Boston). Qualified on May 4, 2025, with 303 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Our primary task at this moment is to defeat the far right. To do this, this resolution proposes taking a nonsectarian approach to uniting with groups that are mobilizing working people into action to protect lives and democratic rights. Even as we work together, we will contest for socialist leadership of the anti-fascist front’s strategy. DSA will demonstrate that socialist politics and organization are the best path forward for striking blows against the capitalist class and the far right.

Full text

Whereas, since January 2025, the far right controls the levers of state power in the United States on the federal level and in many states;

Whereas, the far right has undertaken a rapid and dramatic consolidation of power and push toward authoritarianism, undermining labor rights and cancelling union contracts; disappearing and persecuting protestors, immigrants, and trans people; and flouting the rule of law;

Whereas, the far right enjoys enormous material resources, including the support of the richest men in the world, who are beneficiaries of its policies;

Whereas, socialists cannot contest for state power in the United States without building a working-class movement large enough to overcome the material advantages of the far right;

Whereas, such a movement necessarily includes millions of people who do not yet identify as democratic socialists;

Whereas, to raise the consciousness of the masses and win people to socialism, socialists must mobilize and be active participants in mass movements of the people;

Whereas, to defeat the far right, socialists must not downplay its threat; must confront it directly as a central opponent; must offer a strong alternative vision to win workers away from the fascist temptation, while also simultaneously and as part of this strategy contesting for leadership through aggressive challenge to the corporate centrism that has seeded the ground for its rise;

Therefore be it resolved, DSA recognizes that our primary task in the current political moment is to defeat the far right, and that mobilization and organization of masses of people will be necessary to defeat the right, as well as to take the next steps toward winning socialism;

Be it further resolved, DSA will orient toward the masses over the next two years by building the largest possible opposition to the Trump administration and taking a nonsectarian approach to uniting with unions, the women’s movement, organizations of people of color, organizations of immigrants, and any mass organizations committed to resisting the advance of the right;

Be it further resolved, DSA will engage with the working class where people are in motion. We will immerse ourselves in the mass movements that are increasingly resisting the encroachment of the authoritarian right. Our goal will be to build unity with masses of people around a democratic socialist strategy that can have a broad and profound impact and expand our socialist project;

Be it further resolved, DSA recognizes the importance of the organizations mobilizing masses of people into opposition right now against the Trump administration, such as the Federal Unionists Network (FUN), Indivisible, and Center for Popular Democracy. They are doing vital work in opposing the country’s slide into fascism. They are also, in a general sense, more liberal rather than socialist in political orientation. We commit to a willingness to work in coalition with these and similar groups when feasible, even where we have political differences, on the core criterion that they are bringing masses of hitherto non-politicized working people into action, and that in working with them we are not required to subordinate our own socialist politics;

Be it further resolved, DSA commends Bernie Sanders’ and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s work on the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, and its work of providing socialist leadership and activating hundreds of thousands of people out to fight. We will collaborate wherever feasible with the tour’s work, including promoting it, providing logistical support if needed, and being on site with materials to help bring attendees into long-term political organization;

Be it further resolved, DSA recognizes that we cannot tail elected officials, other organizations, or public opinion, nor subordinate the case for a working-class strategy in coalitions. We believe socialist leadership is necessary to win against the far-right tide and that the path to defeating fascism lies in rooting out the corporate politics of both parties and building working-class, democratic, and confrontational organizations. Even as we work with other groups on the shared goal of defeating the right, we will remain committed to contesting for socialist leadership of the working class and carrying out a working class strategy.

Be it further resolved, DSA will fight for leadership of the masses by challenging and defeating corporate Democrats, by leading the fight for material gains in mass organizations like labor unions and tenant unions, by spreading socialist ideas, by fighting for materials wins and non-reformist reforms, for racial justice, gender justice, and immigrant justice, and by acting in solidarity with working people and all people facing attacks from the far right;

Be it further resolved, DSA will continue our strategy of leading concerted and confrontational efforts to elect socialists in US primaries, and will continue to avoid a strategy in general election races that creates a significant chance of “spoiling” elections to allow far right victories with a minority of the vote;

Be it further resolved, DSA recognizes the essential role chapters in rural areas and “red” and “purple” districts have to play in building a broad nationwide front against fascism, and will especially support these chapters in efforts to orient toward mass-movement work that connects with people in the thousands and millions;

Be it finally resolved, DSA will demonstrate in practice and through mutual struggle that socialist politics and organization are the best path forward for striking blows against the capitalist class and the far right.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 1: Less than $5000

This resolution received a 3 for Capacity Commitment due to the level of coordination, training, and sustained organizing it calls for, particularly in working with mass organizations, supporting national mobilizations, and engaging chapters across diverse political contexts. While it builds on existing work, implementing the resolution will require moderate to substantial time from staff and member leaders to facilitate coalition work, provide support to chapters (especially in rural or contested areas), and maintain strategic alignment nationally. It received a 1 for Financial Impact because the activities outlined rely primarily on existing infrastructure and volunteer capacity, with no significant new expenditures anticipated beyond minimal logistical or promotional support.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43190

Submitter’s source document: To Defeat Trump, Turn Toward the Masses

R24-A01: Turn Towards the Masses (With Our Own Message)

Submitted by Neil B (NYC-DSA), Colin M (NNJ), Nick C (Louisville), Ben L (NYC-DSA), Annie W (River Valley). Qualified on Jun 29, 2025, with 291 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

The original resolution correctly notes that engaging with the masses when working people are in motion is a critical task for our time. Unfortunately, there have been and will be times when our coalition partners expect us to compromise our socialist politics. We must reject downplaying our own politics, and we must also object abstentionism.

Here is a third approach.

Full text

[Added text green and underlined, omitted text unaffected]

[...]

Whereas, groups planning mobilizations against Trump have already asked DSA not to bring its own signs or other “divisive” symbols such as Palestinian flags in some areas;

Whereas, DSA’s Act Like An Independent Party resolution and party surrogate models in chapters across the country commit DSA to building its own independent identity, messaging, branding and organizing infrastructure;

Whereas, DSA’s autonomous approach to party-building can and must apply to the fight against the far right, even in coalition;

[...]

Be it further resolved, the above core criterion will be openly communicated to all potential coalition partners and to DSA membership in the event of future collaboration;

Be it further resolved, DSA commends Bernie Sanders’ and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s work on the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, and its work of providing socialist leadership and activating hundreds of thousands of people out to fight. We will collaborate wherever feasible with the tour’s work, including promoting it, providing logistical support if needed, and being on site with materials to help bring attendees into long-term political organization;

Be it further resolved, DSA recognizes that we cannot tail elected officials, other organizations, or public opinion, nor subordinate the case for a working-class strategy in coalitions. We believe socialist leadership is necessary to win against the far-right tide and that the path to defeating fascism lies in rooting out the corporate politics of both parties and building working-class, democratic, and confrontational organizations. Even as we work with other groups on the shared goal of defeating the right, we will remain committed to contesting for socialist leadership of the working class and carrying out a working class strategy.

Be it further resolved, that in application of the above, DSA encourages chapters to show up to coalition actions with their own signs, literature, messaging, and branding. If the groups planning these actions ask chapters not to bring any of these items, then chapters are encouraged to show up with them anyway.

[...]

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 1: Less than $5000

This amendment does not affect the overall capacity or cost requirements for the underlying resolution.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/47055

Submitter’s source document: Turn Toward the Masses (With Our Own Message)

R24-A02: Fight the Right in General Elections

Submitted by Cerena E. (Houston); David-Desyrée (NYC-DSA/Staten Island); Laura W (Portland); Hayley B.-B. (Portland); Oren S (NYC-DSA). Qualified on Jun 29, 2025, with 285 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Running in Democratic primaries and non-partisan elections are important tactics for DSA’s electoral project. The masses, however, do not only participate in Dem primaries. Since many working people don’t participate in Democratic primaries, and many, especially in red states where we need to contest right-wing power, have negative views of the Democratic Party, partisan general elections outside of the Democratic ballot line are another tactic that serve a mass-oriented electoral strategy.

Full text

[Deleted text red and struck out, added text green and underlined, omitted text unaffected]

[...]

Be it further resolved, DSA will continue our strategy tactics of leading concerted and confrontational efforts to elect socialists in US primaries and non-partisan races, and will also experiment continue to avoid a strategy in partisan general election races where feasible, given increasing working-class defection from Democrats and the need to organize these workers politically against the right that creates a significant chance of “spoiling” elections to allow far right victories with a minority of the vote;

Be it further resolved, DSA recognizes the essential role chapters in rural areas and “red” and “purple” districts have to play in building a broad nationwide front against fascism, and will especially support these chapters in efforts to orient toward mass-movement work that connects with people in the thousands and millions, including, but not limited to, electoral work outside of Democratic primaries since the toxicity of the Democratic Party brand, especially in red districts,  may limit our ability to wage successful electoral campaigns against the right;

[...]

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 1: Less than $5000

This amendment does not affect the overall capacity or cost requirements for the underlying resolution.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/47078

Submitter’s source document: Fight the Right in General Elections

R25: DSA and the Democratic Road to Socialism

Submitted by Chris M (NYC-DSA), Vincent L (Rochester), Jana S (At-Large), Renée P (NYC-DSA), Jeremy C (NYC-DSA). Qualified on May 4, 2025, with 304 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Democratic socialism represents a distinct and meaningful political tradition. This resolution lays out some of its fundamental principles and aspirations to end capitalist and imperialist oppression and to bring the institutions of political, economic, and social life under popular and truly democratic control; the democratic socialist theory of change; and the broad coalitions of the democratic left, undergirded by mass working-class organization.

Full text

Whereas, democratic socialism represents a distinct and meaningful political tradition;

Whereas, as a democratic socialist organization with a welcoming, open, mass, and nonsectarian character, DSA should define, in broad terms, what democratic socialism is so that millions of people can join the organization with confidence in its overall mission; therefore be it

Resolved that the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) affirms its identity as a democratic socialist organization along the following lines:

  1. Democratic socialism is the movement to end capitalist and imperialist oppression and bring the institutions of political, economic, and social life under popular and truly democratic control;
  2. This movement must activate a majority of the population and build popular capacity to govern the economy, civil society, and the State, and thus its aims must be achieved through democratic means.
  3. The political basis of this movement will be a mass working class organization building a coalition of the democratic left based on labor, environmental, racial justice, feminist, queer, immigrant, peace, anti-imperialist, and faith organizations and people of democratic and progressive conscience.
  4. This movement therefore orients toward bringing millions into action and building large working-class-based coalitions, rather than orienting its political appeal to the narrow swathe of the already radicalized.
  5. The democratic socialist movement must be led by mass working-class organizations, but works to build political coalitions with other social groups on the basis of common interests and common values.
  6. The fight against racism, sexism, anti-queer bigotry, national chauvinism, religious discrimination, and every form of social oppression is both morally righteous and essential to the political unification of the working class and the democratic left.
  7. The democratic socialist movement is profoundly ecological, understands that environmental exploitation is inherent to capitalism, and therefore is fully dedicated to the global fight for a just transition to avert climate and ecological catastrophe.
  8. Democratic socialists demand an end to anti-democratic, imperialist intervention by the US government in other countries, especially in the Global South, which has led to massive human and natural resource exploitation, the toppling of popular regimes, and even genocide around the world, and stand in solidarity with global left social movements and political parties fighting for self-determination, human rights, radical democracy and inclusive sustainable development.
  9. Democratic socialists enter defensive alliances to stop the further political and electoral advance of fascism, while also simultaneously fighting to complete the work of the abolitionists, Reconstruction, the labor movement, the civil rights movement, and the peace movement to demolish the military-industrial complex, to move beyond economic exploitation and capitalism, and to transform the United States into a true political and economic democracy.
  10. Specifically democratic socialist organizations with a welcoming, open, mass and nonsectarian character are required to cohere activists, facilitate popular education, and transmit a vision of a truly free, substantively equal, radically democratic post-capitalist society.

Be it finally resolved, that DSA will work to orient current and future members to this conception of democratic socialism and communicate it to the general public in the US and abroad.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

This resolution does not require specific actions from staff or members, resulting in minimal time and financial commitments.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43194 

Submitter’s source document: DSA and the Democratic Road to Socialism [UPDATED]

R26: Fight Fascist State Repression & ICE

Submitted by Jordan D (Philadelphia), Viv S (Philadelphia), Ethan E (New York City),

Ahmed H (New York City), Sophia C (New York City), Marina W (New York City), Luisa M (Portland), Andrew T (Denver), Claire (Denver), Bert K (East Bay), Francesca M (Connecticut). Qualified on May 4, 2025, with 497 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Escalating fascist repression by the Trump Administration is the most urgent existential threat to the socialist movement in the current political moment. Recent years have shown that mass abolitionist organizing has been a key point of activation within the working class. In order for DSA to effectively lead in the fight against fascism, this resolution presents three strategic points: a national ‘Abolish ICE’ campaign; local abolitionist organizing; and strengthening organizational security.

Full Text

Whereas, Donald Trump and the Republican Party have made clear their intentions to conduct the "largest deportation operation in history,” criminalize political dissent and advocacy (including threats and campaigns to prosecute immigration lawyers, Black Lives Matter activists, climate organizers, and pro-Palestine protesters as “terrorists”), institute political purges using Schedule F, defund universities that refuse to crack down on Palestine solidarity protests, and a litany of other repressive actions that constitute a fascist agenda in the United States;

Whereas, attacks on immigrant Palestinian solidarity activists like Mahmoud Khalil and Momodou Taal and immigrant rights advocates like Jeanette Vizguerra are the cornerstone of the fascist agenda to crush dissent and destroy any pretense of civil rights and a continuation of a legacy of repression of movements deemed hostile to US imperialism extending back to the Holy Land Five, Leonard Peltier, and beyond;

Whereas, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is part of a fascist strategy that unjustly treats immigrants as criminal threats to the nation and national identity, separates poor immigrant families, and perpetuates a culture of fear and oppression intended to chill dissent against the state;

Whereas, the criminalization of immigrants and the expansion of ICE’s powers under both Democratic and Republican administrations have violated human rights and utilized illegal, repressive tactics including detention, deportation, and violence against immigrant communities;

Whereas, at its height, the DREAMer movement and organizing for DACA pioneered a range of pressure tactics including high-profile hunger strikes, occupations, and protests to shut down detention centers;

Whereas, racial capitalism is the primary motivator for the currently escalating fascism both in the United States and globally (e.g. the oppression of pro-Palestinian activism meant to protect imperial US interests in the Middle East, the proliferation of the for-profit prison industry as a means for elites to gain wealth from human misery, etc.);

Whereas, per its 2021 political platform, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) supports abolishing the police, ICE, and the carceral state;

Whereas, DSA recognizes that the fight against fascism and for the right to political expression is inseparable from the fight for immigrant justice, and that defending the rights of immigrants is a cornerstone of anti-fascist struggle;  

Whereas, mass abolitionist organizing against police brutality and state repression, such as the George Floyd uprising, the Stop Cop City movement, and the 'Sanctuary Campus' campaign led by YDSA and National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) demonstrate that the abolitionist movement continues to be an inspiring source of popular consciousness and a point of activation against fascism within the working class;

Whereas, as socialists, we know that the only way to overcome fascism and escalating state repression is decisive and coordinated collective mass action and militant organizing within the working class and labor, social, and student movements;

Therefore, be it resolved, that DSA will develop a robust national priority ‘Abolish ICE’ 2025-2027 campaign directed to:

  1. Develop national Know Your Rights (KYR) materials available in the eight most commonly spoken languages in the United States that (a) offer citizen and non-citizen members regularly updated guidance about their rights, (b) suggest best practices to maintain operational and personal security in the face of rising fascism, (c) are regularly updated by a team of legal professionals and organizers with insight into relational support and communications, including representatives from the most impacted groups, such as immigrants and activists, and (d) identify capitalism, imperialism, and illegal US-backed sanctions as the root causes of immigration from the global south;
  2. Develop a shared resource hub housing trainings on local power mapping, direct action, and other organizing tasks that can also be distributed to chapters organizing around abolitionist demands;
  3. Support chapters organizing around ‘sanctuary city’ and ‘sanctuary state’ demands by helping to draft language for legislative resolutions introduced by DSA-endorsed elected officials, and support the NSJP-YDSA ‘Sanctuary Campus’ national priority campaign;
  4. Enumerate learnings from successful immigrants rights/defense coalition efforts (e.g. CIRC in Colorado) into resources for chapters navigating coalitional migrant defense organizing;
  5. Develop a toolkit for chapters to build local migrant defense coalitions and recruit & train members for migrant defense organizing, including KYR trainings, ICE Watch, rapid response coordination, and legal defense work;
  6. Participate in national and local coalitions centered around the demand of abolishing ICE; and
  7. Publish an analysis of the campaign prior to the 2027 convention via DSA’s publications highlighting successes, failures, and future work.

Be it further resolved, that the National Political Committee (NPC) will select an ‘Abolish ICE’ campaign Steering Committee comprising 11 members: six members elected from an open application process by Single Transferable Vote as well as one liaison each (for a total of five) from the IC Migrant Rights Working Group, YDSA National Coordinating Committee, National Abolition Working Group, National Electoral Commission, and Mutual Aid Working Group, with priority given to members with lived immigration experience and born outside the US;

Be it further resolved, that DSA will, through the relevant national bodies, support chapters in building local and state-level campaigns around abolitionist demands, such as:

  1. Fighting for ‘non-reformist’ reforms that challenge the core function of the state, such as ending cash bail, increasing court transparency, cutting police budgets, and eliminating mandatory minimums;
  2. Recruiting and running the electoral campaigns of explicitly abolitionist cadre candidates in service of an abolitionist and socialist electoral project;
  3. Building coalitions with local abolitionist organizations, such as racial justice, immigrants’ rights, prisoner solidarity, and labor groups;
  4. Creating public directories of resources including aligned legal advocates, mutual aid, case management, and other relevant support for undocumented or detained Americans and their families;
  5. Developing programs of solidarity with incarcerated individuals (including, but not limited to, political prisoners and immigration detainees) within local prisons or ICE detention facilities through means of letter writing, visitation, and direct material support.

Be it further resolved, that DSA will, with the support of YDSA and input of non-citizen members solicited by the NPC, create the Collective Defense Fund for the purpose of providing as-needed disbursements to chapters, aligned organizations, and other individuals for legal service or cash bail costs, alternative housing for suspended student protestors or undocumented students, or any other services relevant to abolitionist organizing deemed valuable by the NPC;

Be it further resolved, that communications to members regarding resources available to chapters through the Collective Defense Fund and Abolish ICE campaign shall be issued to membership quarterly through the DSA co-chair newsletter and national social media;

Be it further resolved, that DSA will prioritize broad, coalitional mass organizing with other groups in the progressive and Palestine solidarity movement spaces against the fascist Republican agenda through means such as mass demonstrations, direct actions, and strikes similar to the Inauguration Day ‘We Fight Back’ actions and the April 5 ‘March on Washington’ Day of Action, and the NPC will create a toolkit for anti-fascist messaging in conjunction with chapters and national bodies;

Be it further resolved, that the NPC, National Communications Committee, and National Political Education Committee will coordinate independent DSA analysis of the escalating fascist repression of the Trump Administration, as well as organizing tasks for socialists and the working class under Trump, encompassing spaces for internal (e.g., Discussion Board, facilitated discussion circles) and external (e.g., competing pieces in Democratic Left or Socialist Forum) member deliberation and public-facing communications in the form of pitched op-eds to media outlets;

Be it further resolved, that the NPC shall provide a status update on the ‘Strengthening Organizational Security’ section of the Strengthening and Expanding DSA: Navigating the Post-2024 Election Landscape Resolution by October 30, 2025 and provide a timeline for the completion of the parts not yet enacted;

Be it further resolved, that Red Rabbits will collaborate with the NPC to expand the number of chapters capable of self-sustaining post-protest jail support organizing and community defense through a coaching and chapter liaison program;

Be it further resolved, that the National Abolition Working Group and Red Rabbits will, with the input of local chapters, submit a report to the NPC within three months of this resolution’s passage detailing immediately actionable steps that DSA can take on local, regional, and national levels to better prepare the organization for a national uprising against federal agents and police brutality.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 2: $5000 to $10,000

This resolution received a 4 for Capacity Commitment due to the high level of sustained coordination and member involvement required to implement a multi-year, national-scale campaign centered on abolitionist and migrant defense organizing. The resolution mandates the development of multilingual materials, a shared resource hub for local organizing, legislative support for sanctuary campaigns, and the creation of a Steering Committee with liaisons from multiple national bodies, as well as the formation of the Collective Defense Fund, and other tasks. The scope of this resolution demands high levels of ongoing coordination between staff, the NPC, YDSA, Mutual Aid, IC Migrant Rights, and chapters, especially in rural or contested areas. The inclusion of legal professionals, organizers, and representatives from impacted communities further increases the complexity of implementation.

It received a 2 for Financial Impact due to the moderate financial outlay associated with implementing  the resolution, including legal advice and coordination as well as potential translation needs. This score assumes that the Collective Defense Fund will be raised externally and not drawn from DSA’s general budget, minimizing direct financial strain on the organization. It also assumes that DSA National will not directly fund legal defense efforts of individuals, but rather disbursements will be made through chapters and outside organizations, reducing legal and compliance risks.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43120 

Submitter’s source document: Fight Fascist State Repression & ICE

R27: Staff Relationship to Members in a Democratic Organization

Submitted by: Laura W (Portland), Kristin S (Mid Hudson Valley), Alex P (NYC), Hayley BB (Portland). Qualified on May 4, 2025, with 330 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This resolution clarifies the political role of staff and their relationship to members and elected member-leaders. Staff make members more collectively self-sufficient, and the NPC has the greatest responsibility in ensuring that!

Full Text

Whereas,

  • DSA employs dozens of staff to help carry out the democratically-decided priorities of members and elected leaders.
  • Staff are a valuable resource that enable the stability and day-to-day function of DSA to an extent that would not be feasible with unpaid member labor alone.
  • Staff have some special resources, privileges, and platforms that most members do not have. This can present a challenge to DSA’s internal democracy when staff are also tasked with carrying out decisions of the organization that they personally may not agree with.
  • The NPC is the highest authority between conventions and has the greatest responsibility in ensuring accountability to our priorities and values in the allocation of staff resources.
  • In the years to come, as in years prior, the NPC will be regularly charged with making decisions about hiring, staff work, and the budget.

Resolved,

  • DSA affirms that the role of staff is to make members more collectively self-sufficient to deliberate democratically and pursue our mission and priorities.
  • All DSA staff are encouraged to participate in political deliberation and exchange of ideas in DSA and state their views openly, provided they do not use the special resources available to them in their role as staff to organize members towards positions that are not already the policy of DSA.
  • Whenever feasible, DSA will ensure that the resources, knowledge, and skills available to staff are made available to members.
  • When hiring staff, DSA will prioritize considering applicants who share the understanding of the role of staff as laid out in this resolution and who have a history of participation and leadership in DSA nationally or their chapter. The NPC will proactively recruit applicants from chapters and national committees for all vacancies.
  • When assigning work to staff and overseeing that work, DSA Directors and Managers should seek guidance from democratically-selected member-leaders, particularly National Co-chairs and the NPC.
  • There shall be no official record of national DSA that NPC (either the whole body or a portion, as determined by the NPC) cannot access.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

This resolution relates to the relationship between staff and the organization, but does not require specific affirmative actions from staff or members, resulting in minimal time and financial commitments.

External Links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43140

Submitter’s source document: Resolution: Staff Relationship to Members

R28: See CR02-A01

Resolutions Subcommittee Note: R28, Anti-Imperialism in the 21st Century, was converted to the first amendment to CR02, Building an Internationalist Party.

R29: Proposal to Launch a Member-Led National Design Committee

Submitted by Kristin S (Mid-Hudson Valley DSA). Qualified on May 5, 2025, with 323 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This proposal launches a member-led design committee that restores member control over branding and art for DSA.

Full text

Whereas: DSA previously had a National Design Committee that produced a style guide and artistic and branding resources for the organization, but it has not been active in years.

Whereas: DSA and our chapters would benefit from re-establishing a national committee to produce artistic and branding resources in order to promote DSA’s visibility with consistent, high-quality materials.

Therefore be it resolved, DSA shall establish a National Design Committee (NDC) that is tasked with developing design resources for use across the organization for merch, literature, protest materials, banners, social media and any other materials that require graphics or design.

Be it resolved, the committee shall also be tasked with establishing a National Design Resource Center that makes available for chapter and national use all DSA design materials including but not limited to logos, graphics, fonts, colors, and templates for designing printed materials. This resource shall include both original material designed by the NDC as well as materials collected from local chapters. The NDC shall work with the NTC to make this resource easily available for members to access.

Be it resolved, the committee shall establish a system for national committees and chapters to request and receive design support in a timely manner.

Be it resolved, the committee shall work with relevant parties to revamp the DSA store to provide a wider range of DSA merchandise and be tasked with regularly adding new designs periodically, especially those relevant to national priorities.

Be it further resolved, the NPC shall put out an open call for any member in good standing who has skills relevant to the tasks laid out for the National Design Committee to join the committee within 60 days and shall appoint a 5 person steering committee from amongst the applicants to organize and coordinate the committee within 30 days of the opening of the call for members.

Be it finally resolved, the National Design Committee shall function as a sub-committee of the National Communications Committee. The chair of the NDC shall work closely with the co-chairs of the Comms Committee to ensure cooperation between the two bodies and to avoid duplicating work.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 3: $10,000 to $50,000

Standing up a National Design Committee and maintaining a robust Design Resource Center will require sustained coordination across multiple bodies, especially to manage design support requests and maintain accessible infrastructure. The merch component adds significant ongoing staff workload—rolling out new designs, managing inventory, and marketing products all demand time and expertise. It is scored 3 for Financial Impact primarily because of the merchandising component, which typically operates at a loss; costs related to production, e-commerce management, inventory, and design tools place the resolution in the moderate financial outlay range.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43095

R30: Fighting Back in the Class War: Preparing for May Day 2028

Submitted by Will B (Chicago), Sarah H (Chicago). Qualified on May 5, 2025, with 327 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This resolution lays out a political vision and tasks for DSA to orient around in the leadup to May Day 2028.

Full text

Whereas, Shawn Fain and the UAW have called for working people across the US to make May 1, 2028 a day of major labor action that has galvanized working class people nationwide; and

Whereas, while a nationwide general strike is unlikely to happen on that date, it is a rare opportunity to have a set future date for class struggle that many working class people and working class institutions are at least rhetorically committed to, and

Whereas, organizing towards May Day 2028 provides us a concrete opportunity to build rank and file class consciousness, cross-union organization, popular support, and renewed ties between the socialist movement and the labor movement; and

Whereas, building towards May Day 2028 is the kind of national project, like M4A, Bernie, and Strike Ready, that can unify members and chapters in very different circumstances and can be adapted to a wide variety of conditions; and

Whereas, DSA has a crucial role to play in moving towards and shaping May Day 2028 in a way that gets the working class in motion and builds working class consciousness, organization, and power

Therefore be it resolved, DSA will adopt the following political orientation toward organizing to May Day 2028

  1. Political Vision and Strategy. Rather than simply being an amalgam of a variety of individual contract campaigns, unified by a similar expiration date, May Day 2028 must be a moment of mass class consciousness and class action.
  1. Over the next three years, DSA will dramatically expand working class consciousness and organization so that, come May Day 2028, the working class can take action to demand a political transformation. This means that we must not only build the organization to get people in motion over the next three years, but also craft the political vision of what that day can be. Our vision of May Day 2028 is the collective action of workers across the country in pursuit of a democratically-determined set of central demands.  We must go beyond calling for mass action to lay the foundations and build the structures to make it possible. DSA will help bring together working class leaders to discuss and plan in a structured way, develop an ideological framework and resources to popularize May Day 2028, recruit and develop shop floor militants ahead of May 2028 labor activity, and serve as the home for the millions of as-yet-unorganized workers who may nevertheless want to organize towards this goal.
  2. While segments of organized labor have embraced the task of organizing for May Day 2028, much of the labor movement remain aloof from the possibility of coordinated action. DSA, with thousands of members embedded in their unions and their workplaces, is uniquely suited to organize the working class towards May Day 2028 and to bring their unions along with them. We will seek opportunities to work with union leadership where our goals and tasks align, but our focus and priority will be to organize the rank and file of the labor movement and the broader working class ahead of May Day 2028. Not only is that what we, as a mass organization, are best suited for, it is also a recognition that the power of organized labor lies with the rank and file. A union’s membership can move its leadership on a political question far more easily than vice versa.

Be it further resolved that DSA will commit to pursuing to following actions between now and May 1st 2028:

  1. Maintaining a Strategic Vision
  1. DSA’s National Labor Commission will continue to collectively develop an analysis of which areas of the economy and labor movement are the most strategic places for DSA members to get involved.
  2. This analysis will be done with an eye to where DSA and its members can have the biggest impact on orienting the labor movement and working class towards mass action for May Day 2028
  3. Chapters and chapter labor formations will be encouraged to engage in the NLC’s collective analysis and to develop their own analysis of local labor conditions, considering their area’s major industries, employers, and unions, the relationship between the political terrain and the public sector, and any major contracts set to expire over the next three years.
  1. Unified DSA Preparation
  1. DSA will coordinate among chapters and national bodies to ensure that our efforts and resources are used in a unified way to prepare for May Day 2028.
  2. A National May Day 2028 Committee (MD28) will be established to do this coordinating work.
  3. DSA will aim to anchor a May Day Convention in late 2026 or early 2027, in concert with major unions that have taken up May Day 2028 as a priority, of unions and other organizations, with a priority on rank and file representation, with the purpose of collectively establishing a plan and set of demands for May Day 2028.
  1. Embedding in the Labor Movement
  1. DSA will continue to encourage members to get jobs in strategic workplaces, industries, and unions, either as a part of a short- to medium-term salting effort or as a long-term commitment to becoming a shop floor militant.
  2. DSA will provide members interested in getting strategic jobs support, including through national programs like Workers Organizing Workers and through chapter-level jobs pipeline programs.
  3. DSA will support its members in organizing on the shop floor. Shop floor organizing should start with the concrete issues workers are facing, and ideally should ultimately connect those issues to a broader set of demands and fights that can unite workers nationwide for May Day 2028.
  4. DSA members are encouraged to organize around May Day 2028 in their unions. This will look different depending on particular circumstances, but this might include passing a resolution to create a May Day Committee in their union to organize the membership in advance of 2028, lining up contracts to expire on or around May Day 2028, and organizing political education and political discussion events around their union’s political action, cross-union solidarity, and May Day 2028.
  1. Cross Union Organizing
  1. DSA members are encouraged to organize cross-union rank and file networks and spaces to organize for May Day 2028. This can look like groups of rank and file workers and local unions coming together to develop an analysis of local conditions, local demands, and shared work, including but not limited to solidarity, new organizing, ballot measures, and local candidates, to build up our strength and power in the leadup to May Day 2028. It can also include industry-specific networks like the Federal Unionists Network organizing around sectoral issues.
  2. DSA will nationally and locally build worker committees for particular strategic employers, industries and unions to coordinate around shared work and support each other in our organizing at work and in our unions. This will help our members organizing in their workplaces and their unions stay with it for the long haul to spend the next 3 years building towards May Day 2028.
  1. Labor Solidarity
  1. DSA will continue to do the kind of broad labor solidarity work we’ve done locally and nationally, including examples like our Strike Ready Campaign for the UAW’s Big 3 Auto Strike. Our work will prioritize supporting unions at the level of the rank and file to be able to stay on strike one day longer than the boss and will serve as a way to get our members who otherwise aren’t involved in the labor movement engaged in class struggle. By showing workers nearing or actually going on strike the power of class consciousness and class organization, and by giving working class people outside of organized labor an onramp into labor struggle, we will bring the working class together in class struggle as we build towards May Day 2028.
  2. We will conduct this work both in our chapters, with local labor formations encouraged to use an analysis of local conditions to figure out what labor struggles they can be most useful in providing solidarity, and in our national organization, building on the work of our Strike Ready campaigns and the Solidarity Captains network.
  1. Political Education and Agitation
  1. DSA will develop materials for agitation and political education around the need to build class power ahead of May Day 2028. We will produce both materials that can be used in one-on-one organizing and in meetings as well as mass communications materials, including images, short videos, posters and flyers to assist members in having political discussions directly with their coworkers, community, and those they meet at actions.
  2. Chapters will use these agitational materials and hold political education events directed at the broader working class, particularly in the aftermath of large actions (e.g. May Day rallies, anti-Trump protests) that can provide a political context for the present moment, a vision for the future, and a theory of change for how we get there. National DSA will, through the NPEC and the MD28, provide materials for chapters to do these events. 

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

The resolution is ranked a 4 for capacity commitment, as it entails sustained national coordination, deep chapter engagement, and long-term rank-and-file organizing infrastructure. It establishes a new national May Day 2028 Committee, tasks DSA with coordinating strategic labor organizing efforts across chapters, supports member salting and shop floor activity, and calls for a national convention with union partners to plan shared demands and action. It is also ranked a 4 for financial impact, primarily due to the costs associated with convening an additional national convention, producing education and organizing materials, and supporting new programs.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43114 

Submitter’s source document: Fighting Back in the Class War: Preparing for May Day 2028

R30-A01: Tenants & Workers Together in 2028

Submitted by: Alex S (Los Angeles), Ben M (NYC), Jason R (Connecticut), Sebastian FG (NC Triangle), Travis W (Austin). Qualified on Jun 29, 2025, with 301 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Building on the whole-of-DSA approach to cohering a strategy for May Day 2028 by incorporating tenant organizing work through the Housing Justice Commission & by providing instructions to the Growth & Development Cmte to support chapters reorienting to a national campaign for strike readiness and building left-labor coalitions. The amendment also calls for workshops & workers circles that provide groups of rank & file workers to think through what participation can look like in their workplace.

Full text

[deleted text red and struck out, added text green and underlined, and omitted text unaffected]

[...]

1. Political Vision & Strategy

[...]

c. The success of May Day 2028 will depend less on the best laid plans of labor movement top brass and more on the degree to which rank and file workers in and out of unions take initiative themselves. That in turn depends on our ability to publicize both the call for the general strike and effective instances of rank and file participation; provide resources and coaching for rank and file workers who want to find ways to participate with their co-workers; and creative efforts to link immediate shopfloor concerns to broader political demands.

[...]

4. Embedding in the Labor Movement

[...]

e. DSA chapters and chapter labor formations shall be encouraged to conduct thorough mapping of where their members are concentrated, and promote trainings supported by the NLC and workshops that help rank and file members in less-engaged unions to get engagement in their workplaces. Where capacity allows, chapters and chapter labor formations will be encouraged to hold frequent May Day themed workers circles for rank and file workers to engage their co-workers around actions that advance their power on the job and build out the movement for a general strike.

[...]

8. Tenant Union Involvement

  1. Between 2025-2027, the Housing Justice Commission (HJC) in collaboration with the MD28 shall facilitate participation by DSA members in the tenant movement in national organizing trainings, conferences, and other programs aimed at supporting preparations for a May Day 2028.
  2. The HJC shall coordinate with chapters to map out the presence of and their relationship with local tenant unions.
  3. The HJC shall work with chapters and tenant unions to map out Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties with expired covenants, or covenants that will be expiring in the next several years in that are prime targets for organizing, and develop LIHTC-specific resources for the Emergency Tenant Organizing Committee.
  4. The HJC shall develop draft resolutions for tenant unions to adapt and pass pledging support for May Day 2028 and develop their union's strategy for how they will be involved in labor actions and coalitions that year.

9. Chapter Capacity Development

  1. Between 2025-2027, the Growth & Development Committee (GDC) in collaboration with the MD28, and any other relevant bodies as determined by the National Political Committee, shall coordinate chapters to engage in regular structure tests to increase internal strike preparedness, strengthen local coalitions, and develop capacity for supporting local strikes.
  2. The GDC shall develop trainings and resources related to mobilizations for May Day as well as other significant dates such as International Women’s Day, Trans Day of Visibility, and other high-turnout annual mobilization dates which engage the multi-racial working class.
  3. The GDC shall develop new strategies and tactics based on the Organizing Fairs conducted in Spring 2025 with a goal of engaging a broad range of left-wing and labor organizations in directly recruiting and onboarding new organizers into mass work projects related to building labor, tenant and community organizations.
  4. The GDC shall encourage and provide space for chapters to report back via writings and group discussions on their experiences to learn from successes and failures in participating in these coalitions, mobilizations, etc.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

This amendment does not affect the overall capacity or cost requirements for the underlying resolution. The amendment adds several tasks to the resolution, including integrating in tenant union involvement and chapter capacity development via  GDC, the resolution is already scored at the maximum 4/4.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/47150

Submitter’s source document: Tenants & Workers Together in 2028

R31: Rejecting the Normalization of Zionism and Occupation

Submitted by Amy P. (Orange County), Smith B. (Orange County). Qualified on May 5, 2025, with 312 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

It is standard practice within the Palestinian solidarity movement to avoid using terms which normalize Zionism and the Zionist entity. The IC has been handicapped in recent times by the current NPC from using denormalization terminology in its statements, despite such terms being common among our solidarity partners. This resolution strongly encourages the NPC, NPEC, and IC to use denormalization language, ensuring that the IC can use such terms in the future.

Full text

Whereas, the apartheid and illegitimate state of Israel has been engaging in an illegal occupation and genocide of Palestine for 77 years since the Nakba, displacing millions and killing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians;

And whereas, the terminology commonly used in the media and in public forums regarding the Zionist entity has largely legitimized and normalized the entity and the occupation, deeming it a nation-state equivalent to that of all other;

And whereas, Palestinian organizations and our allied Palestinian solidarity partners have consistently called to an end of the normalization of the Zionist entity by changing the terminology used in both public and internal communications;

Therefore be it resolved, that the Democratic Socialists of America rejects the normalization of the Zionist entity and reaffirms that it is an illegitimate state engaging in the illegal occupation of Palestine and genocide of the Palestinian people; and

Be it further resolved, that the national organs of the Democratic Socialists of America, including but not limited to the National Political Committee, the International Committee, and the National Political Education Committee, shall avoid to the extent possible the use of the terms “Israel” and “State of Israel” for public communications, replacing them with more descriptive terms such as “the illegal Israeli occupation” or “the illegitimate state of Israel,” or with the terms in the next resolve if the organ in question determines one of those terms would be better for use; and

Be it further resolved, that the aforementioned organs of the Democratic Socialists of America shall in all internal DSA communications refrain from using the terms “Israel” and “State of Israel,” using instead “Zionist entity” or “the settler-colonial project in Palestine,” and

Be it finally resolved, that the aforementioned organs of the Democratic Socialists of America shall, for both public and internal communications, refer to the military which enforces the illegal occupation of Palestine either with descriptive terms or with the terms “Israeli Occupying Forces” or IOF, refraining from using “Israel Defense Forces” or “IDF.”

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

This resolution does not require specific actions from staff or members, resulting in minimal time and financial commitments.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/40349 

Submitter’s source document:Rejecting the Normalization of Zionism and Occupation

Learn more about the inaugural Cross-Organizational Political Exchange on Saturday!

R32: Towards a Multilingual DSA / Hacia un DSA Multilingüe

Submitted by Julian A (Metro DC DSA), Sebastian FG (NC Triangle DSA), Jason R (CT DSA), John O (Metro DC DSA). Qualified on May 5, 2025, with 394 signatures as of May 21, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Towards a Multilingual DSA commits DSA to building multilingual organizing capacity, starting with Spanish. It builds on the already-existing HJC Language Exchange to expand language exchange programs on national and local levels. By investing in member-led language work, DSA follows the legacy of past socialist movements and strengthens its ability to organize with immigrant and non-English speaking workers.

Full text

English

Whereas, immigrant and national minority communities tend to be among the most exploited strata of the working class, and represent a particular target of the far right through Trump’s mass deportations and ICE raids targeting students,
        Whereas, approximately 43.4 million people (13.7% of the population) in the U.S. speak Spanish as their first language,
        Whereas, Spanish is the second most spoken language in the U.S. after English, and the U.S. is the second-largest Spanish-speaking country in the world,
        Whereas, 47.6% of the foreign-born workforce in the U.S. identifies as Hispanic, making them the largest group of foreign-born workers in the country.
        Whereas, past socialist parties in the U.S., such as the Communist Party USA (CPUSA), at their height of organization & participation fostered the ability for workers to organize and participate in their native languages by developing a multilingual political culture and party newspapers published in over 25 languages,
        Whereas, immigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries organized Language Federations, networks of workers who shared a language and a belief in socialist politics, which would eventually affiliate with the Socialist Party USA (SPUSA), CPUSA, or other left wing and trade union movements,
        Whereas, Zohran Mamdani’s campaign and others have shown the electoral impact that the socialist movement can have by reaching out to immigrant workers,
        Whereas, the development of capacity for DSA members and DSA as an organization to engage with non-English speaking workers in our organizing is an important step towards making DSA a multilingual organization,
        Whereas, professional interpretation services are expensive, and socialist organizations in the past were able to succeed through recruiting and developing multilingual organizers and community organizations,
        Whereas, since January 2024 the Housing Justice Commission (HJC) has run a successful weekly trial program of an English/Spanish Language Exchange, which has helped DSA members across the country improve their Spanish fluency and organizing-related vocabulary,
        Whereas, the HJC English/Spanish Language Exchange has had success in engaging with tenant unionists who are not DSA members, bringing them closer to our organization,
        Whereas, DSA members and their tenant unions are building out local language exchange programs, such as the one held by Tenant and Neighborhood Councils in the East Bay,

Be it therefore resolved, that the DSA prioritizes building itself as a multilingual organization, starting with Spanish as the second most-spoken language and expanding to others where possible,
        Be it further resolved, the HJC Language Exchanges shall be chartered as Language Exchange for Organizing Needs (LEON). LEON shall run language exchange programs and work to expand DSAs language diversity and multilingual organizing capacity as listed below,
        Be it further resolved, DSA shall encourage members to learn Spanish and other languages through LEON by advertising it through all convenient means, including but not limited to:

  • As a part of onboarding new members into DSA, DSA will ask members what languages they speak,
  • Membership surveys shall include a question on what languages members speak, and their proficiency level with each,
  • The list of members who speak languages included in an active language exchange project will be shared with LEON;
  • Chapters will be encouraged to use member language data to organize local Language Exchange efforts, in coordination with LEON where possible,

Be it further resolved, LEON will work to support national DSA, DSA chapters, and tenant and labor organizations with translating campaign literature, statements, and other political documents both through organizing multilingual member translators, and making recommendations for paid translation services and organizing partners,
        Be it further resolved, LEON shall support chapters in setting up their own Language Exchange projects, first by encouraging groups of members from interested chapters to participate in national Language Exchange together,
        Be it further resolved, LEON shall aim to build toward the capacity to train members as organizing interpreters and multilingual meeting facilitators,
        Be it further resolved, LEON will be allocated an annual budget of at least $15,000 to support its efforts, and this money shall be spent on instructional support and curriculum development for Language Exchange projects, support for chapter level exchange and interpretation programs, and resources which expand multilingual capacity such as graphic design programs,
        Be it further resolved, the International Committee (IC) shall, in coordination with LEON and any other national DSA bodies deemed relevant by the National Political Committee (NPC), identify organizations with which to partner on cross-organization Language Exchanges,
        Be it further resolved, the NPC is tasked with determining a permanent place for LEON within or as a joint project between relevant commissions or working groups, or within any other structure they determine relevant to this resolutions implementation,
        Be it further resolved, LEON shall have its leadership appointed by the NPC, by a process chosen by the body LEON is placed under, or by any other process determined by the Convention, from a list of members of LEON who join through a form open to all multilingual DSA members and DSA members learning a language,
        Be it finally resolved, that until a permanent placing and leadership of LEON is selected, LEON will continue to be housed in the HJC so as to preserve continuity of work and ensure effective implementation of this resolution.

Español

Considerando, que las comunidades migrantes y de minorías nacionales tienden a estar entre los estratos más explotados de la clase obrera, y representan un blanco particular de la extrema derecha a través de las deportaciones masivas de Trump y los allanamientos de ICE dirigidos a estudiantes
        Considerando, que aproximadamente 43,4 millones de personas (13,7% de la población) en los Estados Unidos hablan español como su primer idioma,
        Considerando, que el español es después del inglés el idioma más hablado en EE.UU., y que EE.UU. es el segundo país con mayor número de hispanohablantes del mundo,
        Considerando, que el 47,6% de los trabajadores extranjeros en EE.UU. se identifican como hispanos, lo que les convierte en el mayor grupo de trabajadores nacidos en el extranjero del país,
        Considerando, que los partidos socialistas anteriores en EE.UU., como el Partido Comunista de EE.UU. (CPUSA), en su apogeo de organización y participación fomentaron la capacidad de los trabajadores para organizarse y participar en sus lenguas maternas desarrollando una cultura política multilingüe y periódicos del partido publicados en más de 25 idiomas,
        Considerando, que los inmigrantes de los siglos XIX y XX organizaron federaciones lingüísticas, redes de trabajadores que compartían un idioma y una creencia en la política socialista, que con el tiempo se afiliarían al Partido Socialista de EE.UU. (SPUSA), al CPUSA o a otros movimientos sindicales y de izquierdas,
        Considerando, que la campana de Zohran Mamdani ha mostrado el impacto electoral que puede tener el movimiento socialista acercándose a los trabajadores inmigrantes,
        Considerando, que el desarrollo de la capacidad de los miembros del DSA y del DSA como organización para colaborar con los trabajadores de habla no inglesa en nuestra organización es un paso importante para hacer del DSA una organización multilingüe,
        Considerando, que los servicios de interpretación profesional son caros, y las organizaciones socialistas en el pasado fueron capaces de tener éxito a través del reclutamiento y desarrollo de organizadores y organizaciones comunitarias multilingües,
        Considerando, que desde enero de 2024, la Comisión de Vivienda Justa (HJC) ha llevado a cabo un exitoso programa de prueba de intercambio de idiomas inglés/español semanal, que ha ayudado a los miembros de DSA de todo el país a mejorar su fluidez en español y su vocabulario político,
        Considerando, que el Intercambio de Idiomas del HJC ha conseguido relacionarse con sindicalistas de inquilinos que no son miembros del DSA, acercándoles a nuestra organización,
        Considerando, que miembros del DSA y sus sindicatos de inquilinos están desarrollando programas locales de intercambio de idiomas, como el que llevan a cabo los Consejos de Inquilinos y Vecinos del Este de la Bahía,

Resuélvase, que el DSA dará prioridad a construirse como una organización multilingüe, comenzando con el español como segunda lengua más hablada y expandiéndose a otras donde sea posible,
        Resuélvase además, que los Intercambios Lingüísticos del HJC se constituirán como Intercambio Lingüístico para las Necesidades Organizativas (LEON, por sus siglas en Inglés). LEON llevará a cabo programas de intercambio lingüístico y trabajará para ampliar la diversidad lingüística y la capacidad organizativa multilingüe del DSA, tal y como se indica a continuación,
        Resuélvase además, que el DSA fomentará que los miembros aprendan español y otros idiomas a través de LEON, anunciándolo a través de todos los medios convenientes, incluyendo pero no limitado a:

  • Como parte de la incorporación de nuevos miembros al DSA, se les preguntará a los miembros qué idiomas hablan,
  • Las encuestas de afiliación incluirán una pregunta sobre qué idiomas hablan los miembros y su nivel de dominio de cada uno de ellos,
  • La lista de miembros que hablan idiomas incluidos en un proyecto activo de intercambio de idiomas se compartirá con LEON;
  • Se animará a los capítulos a utilizar los datos lingüísticos de los miembros para organizar esfuerzos locales de intercambio de idiomas, en coordinación con LEON siempre que sea posible,

Resuélvase además, que LEON trabajará para apoyar al DSA nacional, a los capítulos del DSA, y a las organizaciones de inquilinos y laborales con la traducción de literatura de campaña, declaraciones, y otros documentos políticos, tanto a través de la organización de traductores miembros multilingües, como haciendo recomendaciones para servicios de traducción pagados y organizando socios,
        Resuélvase además, que LEON apoyará a los capítulos en la creación de sus propios proyectos de Intercambio de Idiomas, en primer lugar alentando a los grupos de miembros de los capítulos interesados a participar juntos en el Intercambio Lingüístico nacional,
        Resuélvase además, que LEON tratará de desarrollar la capacidad de formar a sus miembros como intérpretes organizativos y facilitadores de reuniones multilingües,
        Resuélvase además, que se asignará a LEON un presupuesto anual de al menos 15.000 dólares para respaldar sus esfuerzos, y que este dinero se destinará a apoyo instructivo y desarrollo curricular para proyectos de Intercambios Lingüísticos, apoyo a programas de intercambio e interpretación al nivel de los capítulos, y recursos que amplíen la capacidad multilingüe, como programas de diseño gráfico,
        Resuélvase además, que LEON, en coordinación con el Comité Internacional (IC) y cualquier otro organismo nacional del DSA que el Comité Político Nacional (NPC) considere relevante, identificará y hará recomendaciones sobre organizaciones multilingües y de habla no mayoritaria inglesa con las que colaborar en Intercambios Lingüísticos interorganizacionales,
        Resuélvase además, que se encomienda al NPC la tarea de determinar un lugar permanente para LEON dentro o como proyecto conjunto entre las comisiones o grupos de trabajo pertinentes, o dentro de cualquier otra estructura que se determine pertinente para la aplicación de la presente resolución,
        Resuélvase además, que la dirección de LEON será designada por el NPC o por cualquier otro proceso que determine la Convención, a partir de una lista de miembros de LEON que se afilien mediante un formulario abierto a todos los miembros multilingües del DSA y a los miembros del DSA que estén aprendiendo un idioma.
        Resuélvase finalmente, que hasta que se seleccione un lugar y una dirección permanentes de LEON, LEON seguirá estando dentro del HJC para preservar la continuidad del trabajo y garantizar la aplicación efectiva de la presente resolución.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 2: Low to Moderate Finances 3: $10,000 to $50,000

The resolution involves a moderate time commitment, primarily focused on expanding existing structures rather than creating entirely new ones. While these activities require coordination between LEON, the IC, NPC, and chapters, they fall within manageable capacity given DSA’s existing organizing frameworks. Staff involvement is limited to administrative support, logistical coordination, and occasional technical assistance, keeping the overall time burden moderate.

It is scored a 3 for Financial Impact as it includes an annual budget allocation of at least $15,000. There may be additional administrative and coordination costs as well, including volunteer support, and potential partnerships with external organizations for cross-organizational language exchanges. While some translation work will be volunteer-led, the resolution anticipates spending on paid services when necessary, further contributing to the overall financial impact.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43530

Submitter’s source document: Towards a Multilingual DSA / Hacia un DSA Multilingüe

R33: Unite Labor & the Left to Run a Socialist For President and Build the Party

Submitted by Allan F. (At-Large), Nate K. (Atlanta), Taylor C. (At-Large), Jordan B. (Seattle), Frances G. (Los Angeles), Ben D. (Metro DC), Alex P. (NYC), Kareem E (NYC). Qualified on May 5, 2025, with 380 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

DSA needs to bring together labor unions and other mass organizations into a left-labor coalition to run a Presidential candidate in the 2028 Democratic primary. This coalition should also run a national slate of down-ballot candidates in the 2026 and 2028 elections on a common pro-labor platform. This coalition can lay the foundations for a future worker’s party.

Full text

Whereas, Donald Trump has returned to the White House, launching unprecedented attacks on democratic institutions, the public sector, marginalized communities, and working people broadly on behalf of the billionaire class, which have fueled greater popular resentment of the current US political and economic order and contributed to a growth in class consciousness.

Whereas, the failure of the Democratic Party leadership to seriously resist the Trump administration has galvanized the Democratic base against the party establishment. The Democratic Party's favorability has dropped to record lows, creating new openings for independent political organization. The current political moment demands that DSA work to cohere the working class around a new political opposition movement against both Trumpism and the Democratic Party establishment.

Whereas, presidential campaigns present a crucial opportunity for socialists to spread our political vision. They can grow an organization’s membership and deepen its bench of down-ballot electeds. The 2016 and 2020 Bernie Sanders presidential campaigns were the most important factors in the growth of the modern socialist movement and modern DSA.

Whereas, the lack of a viable left-wing challenger in the 2024 Democratic presidential primary was extremely detrimental for the left and the working class broadly. DSA was left in the difficult position of critiquing the two candidates of the status quo without organizing workers around our own alternative left candidate as a positive example of our political vision.

Whereas, the Zohran Mamdani mayoral campaign shows the opportunity that executive office races present in reaching ordinary people and growing DSA’s profile. The Zohran campaign also shows that more work must be done in theorizing how exactly DSA should relate to a candidate’s campaign and vice versa, how to translate the momentum from a campaign into long-term growth for the organization, and how to coordinate our electeds into a single unified block behind a campaign.

Whereas, Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, two of the country's most well-known democratic socialists, have traveled the country to rally support for a new political opposition movement against the Democratic establishment. Sanders has stated he intends "to rally people to get engaged in the political process and run as independents outside of the Democratic Party," and the tour has drawn enthusiastic support from tens of thousands of workers.

Whereas, with Congressional Democrats at record low popularity, the upcoming 2026 midterm elections present a unique opportunity for electoral success for DSA and the broader Left.

Whereas, the 2028 presidential election presents an important opportunity for DSA and the left more broadly to field a serious challenger. A presidential campaign can grow DSA, raise the profile of our down-ballot candidates, popularize our socialist platform, and amplify class conflict between the Democratic Party’s capitalist donors and its increasingly unified working-class and left voter bases.

Whereas, the 2028 election also presents an important opportunity to further the merger of the socialist and labor movements, and lay the foundations for a future left-labor party. With the election season coinciding with Shawn Fain’s 2028 May Day strike wave, socialists have an opportunity to connect the economic struggle of labor with political struggle, channeling the economic demands of labor into a political platform.

Resolved, DSA should aspire to build a broad left-labor coalition, composed of labor unions and other mass organizations, which can draft a platform; recruit candidates for federal, state, and local office for the 2026 and 2028 elections; and draft a socialist candidate for the 2028 presidential election. In order to gain real traction and look more like Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaigns than past third-party campaigns, DSA should back a viable candidate in the Democratic presidential primary, such as a nationally known elected official, labor leader, or public figure, who will primarily publicly identify with and promote DSA, socialism, and/or a left-labor coalition rather than the Democratic Party. DSA will advocate for such a coalition to endorse independent and nonpartisan down-ballot candidates as well as candidates running in Democratic primaries.

Resolved, DSA shall work to build this coalition as a formal electoral alliance of the working class and the political left in the United States. DSA shall reach out to labor unions, political parties, mass organizations, and notable public figures about forming such a coalition to run a slate of candidates in 2026 and 2028, including a possible presidential candidate. Outreach should prioritize:

  • Guest organizations represented at the 2025 DSA Convention
  • Labor unions such as UE, UAW, NNU, SEIU and CWA
  • Political parties such as the Vermont Progressive Party and the Working Families Party
  • Democratic Socialist elected officials and public figures, including Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, and other Squad members

Resolved, DSA shall work to align and cohere our allies into a unified federal political coalition through our work on immediate political tasks including coordinating grassroots activism, pressure campaigns and national days of action to oppose and defeat the Trump administration's fascist initiatives. DSA will advocate for expanding the Fighting Oligarchy tour and existing nationwide protests into a sustained campaign of rallies and mobilizations against fascism throughout the duration of the Trump administration, building towards the 2026 and 2028 elections.

Resolved, the NPC shall form a multi-tendency exploratory committee tasked with reviewing the lessons of the 2016 and 2020 “DSA for Bernie” campaigns and explore the different possibilities for a 2028 DSA Presidential campaign (including the relative merits of an ‘independent expenditure’ campaign vs. a campaign in direct consultation with the candidate). The committee shall include at least 1 national co-chair, 3 at-large NPC members and 2 representatives from the NEC. The committee shall submit a report to the NPC prior to the 2027 convention. If DSA decides to endorse a candidate for the 2028 Democratic primary, the committee shall draft a consensus resolution outlining the campaign for the 2027 DSA convention.

Resolved, DSA shall seek to form a broad left-labor coalition to run a presidential candidate and other federal candidates, but is not precluded from running federal candidates without one. If a labor-left coalition emerges, DSA should advocate for it to continue and grow through the course of the 2028 elections, toward a long-term goal of forming an independent working-class political party.

Resolved, the NPC shall appoint DSA’s representatives to any national coalition body. If a coalition that DSA is a member of decides to endorse a presidential candidate, the NPC shall hold a national all-member referendum on whether to endorse that candidate.

Resolved, the NPC shall develop a communications plan for DSA to publicly agitate for the creation of a broad alliance of the left and labor in the United States, including an NPC statement, social media communications, and a pamphlet modeled after the Rank and File Strategy and Workers Deserve More pamphlets.

Resolved, if there isn't sufficient interest in forming a broad left-labor coalition, DSA should still attempt to endorse a viable and politically aligned presidential candidate. Likewise, if there is no sufficient presidential candidate, DSA should still attempt to cohere a larger left-labor coalition.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

This resolution outlines a multi-year electoral strategy focused on building a national left-labor coalition, with components that may include support for a 2028 presidential campaign, down-ballot candidate recruitment, national mobilizations, and outreach to unions, elected officials, and allied organizations. It calls for the formation of a multi-tendency exploratory committee, the development of a national communications plan, and coordination of national political campaigns. Given the breadth and duration of these activities, the resolution is scored a 4 for Capacity Commitment due to the significant staff coordination and sustained member engagement required across chapters and national bodies. The Financial Impact is also scored a 4, based on projected costs associated with potential presidential campaign activity, production and distribution of national political materials, organizing mobilizations, supporting coalition work, and managing electoral efforts over multiple cycles — with anticipated expenditures reasonably expected to exceed $50,000.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43854

Submitter’s source document: 2028 Presidential Reso

R33-A01: A DSA Presidential Platform (2 of 2)

Submitted by Jenna G (Pinellas), Jack L (NYC). Qualified on Jun 29, 2025, with 266 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

DSA can strengthen its role in 2028 by creating a Democratic Socialist Presidential Platform. The amendment tasks the exploratory committee with developing a platform, promoting it publicly and urging candidates to adopt it. It also encourages the formation of rank-and-file networks to support DSA’s 2026 and 2028 national candidates.

Full text

[Deleted text red and struck out, added text green and underlined, and omitted text unaffected]

[...]

Resolved, DSA should aspire to cohere and lead an independent, working-class build a broad left-labor coalition, composed of labor unions and other mass organizations, which can draft a platform; recruit candidates for federal, state, and local office for the 2026 and 2028 elections; and draft a socialist candidate for the 2028 presidential election. In order to gain real traction and look more like Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaigns than past third-party campaigns, DSA should back a viable candidate in the Democratic presidential primary, such as a nationally known elected official, labor leader, or public figure, who will primarily publicly identify with and promote DSA, socialism, and the coalition’s labor affiliates, /or a left-labor coalition rather than the Democratic Party. DSA will advocate for such a coalition to endorse independent and nonpartisan down-ballot candidates as well as affiliated candidates running in Democratic primaries.

[...]

Resolved, DSA will support chapters in building local rank-and-file networks that can foster the development of grassroots support for an electoral coalition and eventual 2026 and 2028 slate of candidates, e.g., through “labor for X candidate” campaigning. Depending on the chapter, these networks may be drawn from local labor, tenant, anti-war or other community organizing efforts.

Resolved, DSA shall work to align and cohere our allies into a unified federal political coalition through our work on immediate political tasks including coordinating grassroots activism, pressure campaigns and national days of action to oppose and defeat the Trump administration’s fascist initiatives. DSA will advocate for expanding the Fighting Oligarchy tour and existing nationwide protests into a sustained campaign of rallies and mobilizations against fascism throughout the duration of the Trump administration, building towards the 2026 and 2028 elections.

[...]

Resolved, before selecting a presidential candidate or joining any wider coalition, the exploratory committee will be tasked with drafting a Democratic Socialist Presidential Platform to develop DSA’s unique vision for socialist presidential politics. This platform— drawing on DSA’s national program — will use the presidency to fight openly for socialism in our lifetime. It will organize the working class to dismantle the imperialist police state and provide peace, homes, healthcare, and democracy for all… DSA will publicly agitate around this platform and encourage any prospective presidential candidate to adopt the platform proposals.

Resolved, DSA shall seek to form a broad left-labor coalition to run a presidential candidate and other federal candidates, but is not precluded from running federal candidates without one. If a labor-left coalition emerges, DSA should advocate for it to continue and grow through the course of the 2028 elections, toward a long-term goal of forming an independent working-class political party.

[...]

Resolved, the NPC will also develop a strategy to help socialist elected officials adopt and fight for DSA’s platform. DSA will relentlessly defend its candidates from right wing attacks, while also openly encouraging socialist electeds to take principled stands against genocide, imperialism, the police state, and all forms of capitalist oppression.

Resolved, if there isn’t sufficient interest in forming a broad left-labor coalition, DSA should still attempt to endorse a viable and politically aligned presidential candidate. Likewise, if there is no sufficient presidential candidate, DSA should still attempt to cohere a larger left-labor coalition. To receive endorsement, the campaign must have real mass purchase, and DSA must retain the freedom to organize around democratizing the campaign’s operations and decision-making, and to criticize shortcomings of the campaign’s politics.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

This amendment does not affect the overall capacity or cost requirements for the underlying resolution. While it adds several tasks to the resolution including support for chapters building local rank-and-file networks and drafting a presidential platform, the resolution is already scored at the maximum 4/4.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/46108

Submitter’s source document: Unite Labor and the Left Amendment

R33-A02: Building a United Front Toward 2028 (formerly R37)

Submitted by Ahmed H (New York City), Francesca M (Connecticut), Martina M (Central New Jersey), Austin G (Richmond), Austin B (Philadelphia), Jorge R (New York City), Skye O (Los Angeles). Qualified on May 6, 2025, with 434 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Resolutions Subcommittee Note: R33-A02 is being offered as a substitute for R33. If adopted, R33-A03 would replace the text of R33 entirely. See RONR 12th ed. 12:69-90.

Summary

Two important events in 2028 – the presidential elections and the labor movement’s response to the UAW call for a May Day strike – present crucial opportunities for mass organizing. DSA must engage with our partners across left, labor, and liberation movements in pursuit of a united front. This resolution convenes a 2028 Planning Committee to liaise across national bodies and build chapter preparedness ahead of 2028, and directs DSA to take incremental steps toward a broad electoral coalition.

Full text

Whereas, a united front tactic has been instrumental throughout history in fighting fascism and imperialism, and in achieving unprecedented democratic victories for the Left on unfavorable terrain (e.g., the 1967 United Front in West Bengal; the Sigamos Haciendo Historia coalition spearheaded by Morena in Mexico);

Whereas, the 2028 presidential election, coming at the end of Trump’s second term and possibly coinciding with a May Day mass strike should the labor movement coalesce behind United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain’s call to align contracts, will be a major site of political mobilization that requires that DSA develop an organizational strategy for engagement;

Whereas, the uncertainty around the specific opportunities and scenarios we may be faced with in relation to both the election and a potential mass strike require that DSA begin now the process of building chapter preparedness, opening dialogue with other formations, and developing robust analysis around the viability and requirements of different strategies;

Whereas, the chances of an insurgent socialist challenger in the Democratic primary are uncertain, and if such a challenger should arise, they will face obstruction by the Democratic Party, which has shown during the 2016 and 2020 Bernie Sanders primary campaigns its willingness to pull any stops to prevent a progressive victory;

Whereas, the 2023 DSA National Convention voted to pass the National Electoral Committee Consensus Resolution which, as amended, directed the NEC to “develop programs and strategies to strengthen our already existing organizational independence from the Democratic Party” with the goal of “presenting a third, democratic socialist alternative for working-class people that is organizationally, strategically, and visibly independent of the Democratic Party”;

Whereas, should progressive political forces outside the Democratic Party enter into a coalitional collaboration around a unified strategy for the 2028 election, DSA’s participation in such a coalition would significantly strengthen its reach while advancing DSA’s electoral strategy goals as outlined by the 2023 convention;

Whereas, a broad Arab, Muslim, youth, immigrant base, and broader sections of the Democratic voter base largely came together in support of Uncommitted, “No Votes For Genocide”, and third-party candidates in the 2024 presidential election with large numbers of abstention in key swing states;

Whereas, the 2024 presidential election saw burgeoning collaboration between progressive third party campaigns entering vote-swap agreements with each other;

Whereas, building alternative electoral coalitions with other Left and progressive forces entrenches bases disillusioned with the dual-party system and the Democratic Party, and builds up infrastructure for strategic independent local, state, and federal races.

Therefore, be it resolved, DSA shall make it a priority to explore building and supporting a broad Left-Labor coalition through the two agitational organizing opportunities offered by the 2028 presidential elections and the possibility of a May Day 2028 general strike;

Be it resolved, the National Political Committee shall begin the process of entering into direct regular dialogue with other political organizations, including, but not limited to, political parties, labor unions, tenant unions, social movements and other organizations aligned with our values (in particular, immigrant, abolitionist, and Palestinian diaspora organizations), in the pursuit of coalition building;

Be it resolved, the NPC shall work to advance and agitate around strategic demands from the “Workers Deserve More” platform in meetings with coalitional partners about May Day 2028 and the 2028 Presidential election; DSA members shall also work to establish the “Workers Deserve More” platform through local union participation and local electoral campaigns;

Be it resolved, by the end of 2025, the NPC shall convene a 2028 Planning Committee comprised of one liaison each from the NEC, NLC, YDSA NCC; the two NPC co-chairs; as well as 6 at-large members selected by the NPC by Single Transferable Vote from an application process open to all DSA members in good standing;

Be it resolved, the NPC shall strive for demographic and geographical representation on the committee, with a minimum of one representative of each major region of the United States, gender diversity, and inclusion of Black, brown, and immigrant members; and prioritizing members with a history of chapter- or national-level electoral or labor organizing, and/or who occupy leadership roles in their respective chapters;

Be it resolved, the 2028 Planning Committee shall develop proposals for an independent coalitional electoral strategy at the national and local level, including the 2028 Presidential Election, by researching:

  • A list of other socialist formations, progressive parties and organizations, and labor unions that might be willing to engage in such an electoral coalition (e.g. the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), the Working Families Party (WFP), the Green Party, United Auto Workers (UAW), United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE), and others);
  • The administrative viability of DSA obtaining ballot access independent of the Democratic Party and/or sharing ballot access with other coalition partners;
  • The strategy employed by insurgent progressive electoral coalitions around the world (e.g., Morena in Mexico and the New Popular Front in France), including similarities and differences in political conditions and actors (e.g., role of labor or lack thereof);

Be it resolved, the 2028 Planning Committee shall direct the NEC to form a subcommittee tasked with:

  • Providing direct assistance to local chapters that are interested in exploring ballot access for local races, including in coalition with other political organizations within their jurisdictions, and helping facilitate statewide coordination between chapters exploring ballot access;
  • Supporting chapters interested in pursuing ballot access to run independent candidates in 2026 as a structure test through field guidance and national resources;
  • Produce resources to help chapters achieve filing deadlines, collect signatures, and meet other ballot access requirements;

Be it resolved, the 2028 Planning Committee shall bring a proposal based on the previous research, structure tests, and shifting material conditions of the national political landscape to the 2027 DSA National Convention for an organizational strategy for 2028.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

This resolution received a Capacity Commitment score of 4 due to its ambitious, multi-year scope requiring deep coordination between national bodies, chapters, and external partners. It calls for the formation of a new 2028 Planning Committee, extensive coalition-building, and chapter-level electoral experimentation, all of which demand significant staff and member involvement leading up to the 2027 Convention and the 2028 election/strike moment.

The Financial Impact score of 4 ,reflects the substantial costs associated with organizing national coalitions, supporting ballot access campaigns, producing resources, and hosting strategic convenings.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43128

Submitter’s source document: Building a United Front toward 2028

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R34: Workers Deserve More, Forever: For a Coherent and Continuous Program Befitting DSA’s Political Growth

Submitted by Michaela B (NNJ), Alex P (NYC), Zev R (NYC), Oren S (NYC). Qualified on May 6, 2025, with 276 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This resolution would enshrine the Workers Deserve More Program as DSA’s platform. It also creates a committee to propose edits based on political commitments made by delegates at convention to the NPC, coordinate a public campaign to popularize Workers Deserve More using digital, press, print, video and social media interventions, and create political education training events to ensure WDM is incorporated into chapter campaigns and DSA elected officials’ platforms.

Full text

Whereas: Socialist and labor parties throughout the world have political programs that analyze history and political economy, put forward a coherent vision of the world they are fighting for, immediate demands to help get there, and a strategy to achieve both. These are written in a language accessible to broad layers of people outside the organizations and often include design elements that are transferable across mediums and easily recognizable.

DSA’s organizational strategy has long included the promotion of some form of “Where We Stand” document or “platform” that explains what DSA is and what we are trying to do, versions of which are on our website and in many of our chapters’ bylaws.

The resolution “Defending Democracy Through Political Independence” passed in 2023 resulted in the formation of a multi-tendency “For Our Rights Campaign Committee” (FORC) which successfully produced the short program “Workers Deserve More” (WDM) for 2024, outlining DSA’s current and evergreen political and social stances and demands in readable, attractive prose and artwork.

Since the task of writing WDM was completed, FORC has been dissolved.

Chapters and priority committees across DSA have found the printed booklet and the online version of WDM invaluable organizing tools to advertise DSA to newcomers, educate and orient new members, and as a guide for debate and deliberation among active members, and have innovated various short versions (eg palm cards) and digital media to further the WDM message and represent DSA as an independent political organization.

The 2025 convention is the occasion for our organization to pass our 2025-27 agendas and elect our new leadership, and until the entire convention is over and any changes to our priorities are tallied and published, DSA does not know what a current program reflecting our political growth and what we have committed to setting forward ought to contain.

Be it resolved: “Workers Deserve More” will remain the name of DSA’s program indefinitely, replacing all other organizational documents that represent our national platform and “Where We Stand” except within chapter bylaws, which may be amended according to the discretion of chapter members. The current WDM will stand as DSA’s political position statement until a new WDM is created to replace it. Future conventions retain the right to change the name of the political program.

The NPC will hold an application period immediately after the new NPC is seated, starting in 2025 and ending 30 days thereafter, for an 13 member Program committee. The makeup of the Program committee will be:

  • one member of the GDC steering committee
  • one member of the IC steering committee
  • one member of the NEC steering committee
  • one member of the NLC steering committee
  • one member of the NPEC steering committee
  • four members of the NPC, including one YDSA co-chair and one DSA co-chair
  • four at-large members in good standing

and will be approved and seated by the full NPC within two weeks of the conclusion of the application period. Committee members will be elected by the relevant bodies and submitted for NPC approval, and NPC and at-large members will be elected by the NPC via STV. The Program committee will then elect 2 co-chairs.

The tasks of the Program committee will be to:

  • assess all the political commitments delegates made at convention, and propose WDM edits to the NPC to clearly and accurately reflect priorities, demands, continuities and new perspectives in a document that generally matches the length and prose style of WDM.
  • submit this document by December 1 of the same year for NPC approval
  • roll out a month long public national campaign to unveil the new WDM by February 1 of the year after convention, with digital, press, print, video and audio interventions, with support from the National Tech Committee, Democratic Left/Socialist Forum, the National Communications Committee and our national staff, as well as DSA-endorsed elected officials wherever possible
  • create and implement political education sessions and training to support rank and file members, DSA leaders, and DSA-endorsed electeds in the adaptation and use of WDM across our campaign and priority committees and chapters, in collaboration with the Democracy Commission and our national staff. The rollout of these sessions and training will begin by February 1 across the country, to take place relatively simultaneously over the course of a month. All curricular materials will be made available to DSA’s members in good standing.
  • oversee the distribution of WDM pamphlets to chapters, campaign committees, and the DSA store.

After these tasks are completed, the Program committee will dissolve and the NPC members who had been on the committee will be primary liaisons and stewards to the organization’s various bodies and socialists in office to support and promote the effective use of WDM.

In order to receive a national endorsement, electoral candidates will be expected to accept and promote DSA’s program, and align their own campaign platforms with its contents to the best of their ability.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 2: Low to Moderate Finances 1: Less than $5000

This resolution received a 2 for Capacity Commitment due to the formation of a national Program Committee and the coordination required among multiple national bodies to produce and launch a revised political program. The most significant capacity demand comes from the creation and implementation of political education sessions and trainings for members and leaders across the country, in coordination with the Democracy Commission and national staff, all on a six-month timeline. It was scored a 1 for Financial Impact because the expected costs—such as printed materials and digital rollout—are relatively limited and can be absorbed within existing infrastructure, keeping expenditures under $5,000.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43098

Submitter’s source document: WDM 2.0 reso

DSA is the largest socialist organization in the United States, with 80,000 members in more than 200 chapters across the country.

R34-A01: A Fighting Socialist Program for DSA[10]

Submitted by Ruy M (At-Large), Sarah M (Portland), Emma B (Portland), Henry DG (Boston), Connell H (River Valley), Duncan H (Seattle), Parker M (River Valley), Remi D (ROC), Tzipora S (Pittsburgh). Qualified on May 3, 2025, with 290 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Resolutions Subcommittee Note: R34-A01 is being offered as a substitute for R34. If adopted, R34-A01 would replace the text of R34 entirely. See RONR 12th ed. 12:69-90.

Summary

This resolution establishes a political program for DSA, expressing our analysis of capitalism in the US and outlining clear fighting demands for our organization to rally around which will provide guidance for our political work and will enable us to win over critical layers of the working class through active campaigning and organizing to attain them.

Full text

A resolution for a program for the Democratic Socialists of America to be adopted at the 2025 DSA National Convention.

Whereas in order to build a new society, our organization must have unity around our goals and beliefs and an ability to explain our politics to people in our lives and communities.

Whereas historical socialist parties have developed unity by adopting a program which explains capitalist society, includes demands which connect to present consciousness, and clearly states that the working class will need to conquer political power.

Whereas although DSA passed a platform in 2021 and a program for the 2024 elections, DSA has not adopted a clear and precise general program yet.

Whereas while DSA remains a broad-tent embracing a diversity of socialist tendencies, a DSA program must clearly explain how we will end the capitalist state and place the working class in control of society;

Therefore be it resolved, that DSA will adopt a political program to replace both the 2021 Platform and Workers Deserve More to be the basis of political unity with the organization and to provide an explanation of our political aims to the working class; and

Resolved, that DSA's program will be posted prominently on our website and on other materials, included in new member materials, and will be distributed widely among both our membership and the wider working class; and

Resolved, that the program so adopted may only be changed at a DSA National Convention; and

Resolved, that a Program Coordinating Committee will be established and tasked with promoting chapter use of the program; and

Resolved, that Program Coordinating Committee will be further tasked with assisting chapters in adapting an immediate program to local and tactical conditions, providing a practical bridge between the struggles chapters engage in and the long-term political struggle waged by DSA; and

Resolved, that DSA adopts the following as its program:

POLITICAL PROGRAM OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA

We live in a country run by a class of bosses and billionaires called capitalists. They have bought and run the Democratic and Republican parties, most news outlets, colleges and universities, and every branch of government from city halls to the Senate. They use their power to exploit the vast majority who work to live—the hundreds of millions of us who make up the working class. This system can only be ended by the working class taking political power from the rich and building a new society. We in the Democratic Socialists of America fight for that society: a democratic socialist society.

Our wages are stagnant, our hours are long, and prices are only growing higher. We increasingly live paycheck to paycheck, one bad day away from financial ruin. And yet it is our labor that powers this unjust system. The capitalists who own the businesses we work at take all the profits for themselves and use them to control our society. This is the exploitation that defines the capitalist system.

The capitalist system exploits Black, immigrant, and Indigenous people by dividing them from the rest of the working class. Millions of people of color face discrimination, unemployment, and police violence, locking them out of political power and an equal quality of life. Oppressive laws restricting abortion, marriage, and self-expression force women and queer people to choose between being controlled by their family or living in poverty outside of it.

Different people face different kinds of oppression, but as members of the working class we all want to control the direction of our lives. Every law, policy, or practice that oppresses us for who we are stems from the capitalists’ control over our society and reinforces it. We all have a common interest against the capitalist bosses: their rule threatens our freedom and safety. To be able to defeat the ruling class and end their exploitation of our labor, we need to fight the oppression every working person faces in this country. No matter their race, gender, or sexual orientation, we stand side by side.

Capitalism is a global system that exploits workers around the world. The most powerful capitalists use their wealth to influence governments into waging wars, toppling other governments, and starving entire peoples with sanctions and embargoes. They use this power to coerce other countries into selling their natural resources, labor, and goods for cheap prices. This imperialist exploitation forces workers of wealthy and poor countries to compete in a race to the bottom.

The United States has become a superpower through exploiting and oppressing countries throughout the Middle East, Latin America, Asia, and Africa while crushing and bribing workers at home. As workers in the most powerful country on the planet, we must build a global movement against the exploitation of the working class by opposing our government's imperialist goals and toppling its capitalist backers.

Both political parties work for the capitalist class in a political system rigged to keep the ruling class in charge. The working class needs a party of its own to change this. We need an organization by and for our class, where our politicians reflect our values and where we make our decisions democratically. Democratic Socialists of America is that party. We are united by a program of putting workers in control. In our fight against oppression and exploitation, we sit with our neighbors on rent strikes, stand with unions in strikes to win better pay and benefits, protest oppression, and feed our communities. We elect our own members to legislatures around the country to speak out against injustices while fighting for healthcare and cheap groceries.

Winning reforms or building a mass workers’ party alone is not enough. The Constitution is written to protect the rich few from the working majority. Anything we win from the rich can be taken away with the stroke of a pen. The historic victories of the labor movement, the New Deal, and the Civil Rights movement are already being stripped away. In order to protect our victories and implement the wider changes we need, the working class must take political power from the rich and create a new republic based on a democratic constitution.

But winning the battle for democracy is just the start of the fight. The capitalist class will fight back tooth and nail with their control of industries and money. If we want a government by and for workers to stand a chance, we must immediately use political power to seize control of key industries and finance. We will replace the secret deliberations of a few shareholder boards with public, democratic control at every level of the economy. We will have a socialist society where economic prosperity will serve our needs instead of profit.

The future of our country and the future of humanity will be decided by which class rules: capitalists or workers. Democratic Socialists of America is dedicated to overthrowing the capitalists’ dictatorship and establishing a democratic socialist government.

What We Fight for Today

DSA fights all over the country for policies that will improve the lives of working people today. These policies alone will not end the unjust system we live under, but we believe that by fighting the bosses for things working people need now, we can build a movement that can eventually take power and build a government of working people.

  1. End the Deportations: ICE’s deportations are a weapon used to oppress the working class and must end immediately. Abolish ICE and end the exploitation of migrant workers.
  2. Stop the Genocide: Free Palestine. We call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. End support for the state of Israel, including military support, weapons sales, the targeting of pro-Palestinian activists, and tax incentives for Israeli bonds.
  3. Lower the Prices: People are struggling to make ends meet. The cost of living must go down. Essential goods like food, water, and energy must be made affordable by controlling the prices directly.
  4. Jobs for All: A good job is a human right. We demand the minimum wage be increased to $20 an hour, a 32 hour workweek, and a jobs program guaranteeing everyone in this country a living wage.
  5. Medicare for All: Nobody should be afraid of going bankrupt due to a medical emergency. We demand the cancellation of all medical debt and a universal health care system that includes abortion and gender-affirming care.
  6. Housing is a Human Right: Nobody should sleep on the streets. Freeze rents and evictions, and allow tenants to collectively bargain. Create universally accessible social housing by redistributing housing hoarded by landlords.
  7. Democratic Elections: Our elections are undemocratic, with an unrepresentative Senate, gerrymandered House districts, restrictions on voting rights, and unaccountable money spent by SuperPACs. We fight for voting rights for all, ending the Electoral College, public campaign finance, and proportional representation.
  8. Fight Oppressive Laws: We fight for sanctuary cities and oppose every oppressive or discriminatory law. We are fighting to end all legal and political oppression against people for their race, gender, sexual orientation, immigration status, disability, and more. DSA stands for new rights and laws protecting the oppressed.
  9. Protect the Environment: Corporations must not destroy the environment for their profits. Environmental regulations must be enforced to protect our communities. We fight for a Green New Deal to begin investing in green energy, infrastructure, and build free public transportation with a just transition for every worker.
  10. A Union For Every Worker: Dignity at work is a fundamental right. We call for a mass new organizing campaign by the largest trade unions, and demand a government which protects the right for workers to organize and gives federal workers the right to strike. We are fighting and building unions to organize every worker in a powerful, democratic union.
Winning a Socialist Republic

Democratic Socialists of America fights today for things like universal health care, jobs for all, and ending oppression. But we do not limit ourselves to individual reforms— we fight to create a new society. Doing that will require a mass movement of the working class, ready to decisively defeat the capitalists and end their rule over society. Democratic Socialists of America puts forward the following program to end capitalist dictatorship and begin building a socialist society:

  1. A Democratic Socialist Republic: We are fighting for the working class to conquer power from the capitalists, smash their oppressive state, and create a government controlled by the working class. We are fighting to build a working class democracy, a socialist society without the racist prison and police system where we will finally be able to live as equals.
  1. Abolish the Presidency and the Senate, and place supreme political power in a working class democracy consisting of a unicameral legislature, workers’ councils, and popular assemblies.
  2. Guarantee freedom of speech, protest, organizing, and the right to strike.
  3. Require all elections to be conducted proportionally.
  4. Provide universal citizenship for residents and guarantee freedom of movement through our borders.
  5. Replace existing law enforcement agencies with a public safety force run by local communities for de-escalation and protecting democratic and social rights. Ban former officers from joining and eliminate qualified immunity.
  6. Guarantee full rights for people under trial and rehabilitation, and transform prisons into public facilities for rehabilitation and re-entering society. End all forms of prison slavery.
  7. Enshrine the right to abortion, receive reproductive care, and the right to form families regardless of marriage or blood relation.
  1. A Workers’ Economy: A mass workers’ movement for political power must immediately place the economy under the control of the working class. With democracy in our workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods, we can leverage prosperity to build a good life for everyone.
  1. Nationalize large corporations, transportation, and essential industries, replacing the shareholder boards with public workers councils drawn from unions and accountable to working class democracy.
  2. Provide quality housing, food, education, water, family care, and other fundamental necessities of life to all residents. Support the creation of public spaces and art.
  3. Guarantee universal healthcare for all, free at point of service. Coverage will include disability care, gender-affirming care, and reproductive healthcare.
  4. End the segregation and exploitation of Black people and other people of color. Use the wealth of the rich to pay reparations and build their communities.
  5. Nationalize all utilities and build a national power grid using solar, wind, and other clean energy technologies in place of fossil fuels. Secure a just transition to a sustainable economy and respect planetary boundaries.
  6. Centralize infrastructure and provide free public transit across the country, including expanded regional and high-speed electric rail.
  1. An End to Empire: A socialist government will end foreign wars and the war against oppressed people at home, end the United States’ part in the exploitation of the international working class, and pursue a just transition for the majority of defense workers towards work which serves all of humanity.
  1. Limit the military to self-defense, public infrastructure, and disaster relief, with its leadership accountable to working class democracy. Guarantee civilian rights and residence during military service.
  2. Grant all nations and colonies within the United States the right to determine their destiny, including separation or joining the republic.
  3. Guarantee right of return to Indigenous nations based on historic treaties or adaptations by their democratic representatives.
  4. Close all overseas military bases, end our occupations of other countries and bring our military home, end trade in weapons, dismantle all secret agencies, and grant immunity and protection for whistleblowers.
  5. End sanctions and economic strong-arming of other countries.
  6. End all economic and military support for states engaged in apartheid or genocide.
  7. Share research, resources, and technology needed to build an interconnected, global energy infrastructure powered completely by clean, renewable energy sources.

Resolved, the section of the program entitled "What We Fight For Today" is adopted until the 2027 National Convention, when the Program Coordinating Committee will provide an update for the National Convention within its consensus proposal. If significant political changes make a demand redundant or require significant rewording to reflect changed conditions before the 2027 convention, the NPC may amend the "What We Fight For Today" section by ⅔ vote of the entire membership of the NPC. Amendments to the program may not contradict the full program and should be drawn from the principles of the full program.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

This resolution does not require specific actions from staff or members, resulting in minimal time and financial commitments.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/41058 

Submitter’s source document: A Fighting Socialist Program for DSA

R35: For Working-Class Member Leadership

Submitted by: Laura W (Portland), Alex P (New York City), Kristin S (Mid-Hudson Valley). Qualified on May 6, 2025, with 305 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This resolution instructs the NPC to implement more stipends for elected leaders in next year’s budget. National leaders are almost all unpaid, which makes it very difficult to spend the time necessary to lead politically! We want our national leaders to come from a variety of backgrounds, not just white collar professionals or high income earners who have relatively more free time.

Full text

Whereas: DSA has long made a practice of paying elected members to lead the organization, including full-time salaries for National Co-Chairs, part-time stipends for YDSA Co-Chairs, part-time stipends for YDSA National Coordinating Committee members (until 2025), part-time stipends for NPC Steering Committee members (until 2025), and full-time salaries for National Labor Commission Co-Chairs (approved by the 2023 Convention but not implemented).

Whereas: Salaries and stipends for members are a common practice in unions and parties around the world because they allow elected leaders to carry out a political mandate while under democratic oversight, which is much less feasible when an organization relies exclusively on unpaid member labor, unelected staff, and outside consultants.

Whereas: Salaries and stipends for elected members strengthen the working-class character of DSA because they allow people to lead who otherwise would not have time due to work or other economic constraints. Otherwise, socialist leaders will disproportionately come from circumstances that tend to naturally have more flexibility and freedom, such as high-income families, white-collar professions, and personal lives without children or caregiving responsibilities.

Whereas: In discussing how to implement paid political leadership, some members of the Democracy Commission expressed the difficulty of making a recommendation because of practical considerations around the budget, and this resolution addresses that.

Resolved: This resolution re-affirms the commitments made at previous conventions to enact paid political leadership in national DSA.

Resolved: Unless the NPC makes an affirmative finding by majority vote that the funds are not available for budget year 2026, the NPC will implement additional part-time stipends for member-leadership roles in the 2026 budget. In case of a finding of lack of funds, the NPC will publish and carry out a savings and fundraising plan to implement those stipends in the following year. In this process, the NPC will prioritize part-time stipends for Communications Chair or Co-Chairs, the NPC Steering Committee, and National Labor Commission Co-Chairs.

Resolved: Stipends equivalent to half-time wages or higher shall only be implemented for NPC members or positions that have been elected by a vote of the most recent national convention delegates, either at convention or subsequently.

Resolved: Before creating a new staff position, the NPC will first consider whether the work could be done by elected or appointed members, either on a paid or unpaid basis.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 2: Low to Moderate Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

The administrative setup for additional stipended leadership roles will require some staff coordination, but DSA already has established processes for implementing stipends for member-leaders, keeping the capacity demands relatively contained. The 4 reflects the anticipated cost of adding multiple half-time or higher stipends, which would significantly increase ongoing personnel expenses by more than $50,000.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43131

R35-A01: Stipend the NPC

Submitted by Tom J (Twin Ports). Qualified on Jun 29, 2025, with 282 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This amendment strikes references to non-NPC leadership stipends, inserts text creating a $1000 dollar per month stipend for at-Large NPC members, and specifies that only NPC or NCC members may receive leadership stipends, as stipends and convention leadership elections for bodies nominally directed by the NPC or NCC would create dual mandates which undermine the authority of the organizations’ primary elected leadership.

Full text

[Deleted text red and struck out, added text green and underlined, omitted text unaffected]

Resolved: This resolution re-affirms the commitments made at previous conventions to enact paid political leadership in national DSA.

Resolved: Unless the NPC makes an affirmative finding by majority vote that the funds are not available for budget year 2026, at-Large members of the NPC will receive a $1000 dollar per month stipend beginning January 2026 the NPC will implement additional part-time stipends for member-leadership roles in the 2026 budget. In case of a finding of lack of funds, the NPC will publish and carry out a savings and fundraising plan to implement those stipends in the following year. In this process, the NPC will prioritize part-time stipends for Communications Chair or Co-Chairs, the NPC Steering Committee, and National Labor Commission Co-Chairs.

Resolved: Stipends equivalent to half-time wages or higher shall only be implemented for NPC or NCC members or positions that have been elected by a vote of the most recent national convention delegates, either at convention or subsequently.

[...]

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 2: Low to Moderate Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

This amendment does not change the overall scoring of the underlying resolution. On cost, while it does reduce the cost of the stipends, it would still add over $50,000 to the annual budget (approximately $168,000 per year), resulting in an overall score of a 4 being maintained. It does not affect the overall capacity requirements.  

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/44174 

Submitter’s source document: Stipend the NPC

R36: A Unified Democratic Socialist Strategy for Palestinian Solidarity

Submitted by Andrew B (NYC-DSA), Olivia K (Portland DSA), Hailey S (Metro Detroit DSA). Qualified on May 6, 2025, with 352 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Solidarity with the Palestinian people obligates us to be targeted, unified, and unwavering in our commitment to build the BDS Movement. This resolution offers a cohesive DSA strategy to fulfill these obligations while building a stronger organization and a stronger movement.

Full text

Whereas, as democratic socialists living in the heart of the U.S. empire, we have a responsibility to follow the leadership of oppressed people in their struggles against harm perpetrated by the United States government.

Whereas, the BDS Movement represents the largest majority of Palestinian civil society composed of over 170 parties, unions, and other organizations, and has explicitly called upon international organizations to impose boycotts and divestment initiatives against Israel.

Whereas, the BDS National Committee formed in Ramallah in 2007 has the mandate to formulate strategies in accordance with the 2005 BDS Call and serve as the Palestinian-led reference point for global BDS campaigns.

Whereas, DSA endorsed the BDS movement at its 2017 national convention and enshrined our support into the platform passed at the 2021 convention.

Whereas, in the most recent escalation of the U.S. Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people since October 7th, 2023, DSA both nationally and at the chapter level have led and participated in a variety of political interventions for Palestine including No Money for Massacres, local ceasefire resolutions, labor organizing for a ceasefire, municipal divestment campaigns, the Uncommitted Movement, the March on the DNC, YDSA-led university divestment, and nationally coordinated Boycott Chevron work.

Whereas, this work has ultimately been unsuccessful as Israel’s genocide with US support continues with impunity.

Whereas, ending the complicity of states, corporations, and institutions in Israel’s ongoing genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza is the most effective form of solidarity with the Palestinian struggle to end the genocide and dismantle Israel’s 76-year-old regime of settler-colonialism and apartheid.

Whereas, only targeted strategic campaigns that focus on mass organizing and orienting to the largest sections of the working class can build the power to force the U.S government, institutions and corporations to end their complicity in Israeli genocide, apartheid and occupation.

Whereas, DSA chapters across the country are engaging in various BDS campaigns, but DSA currently has no universal or formal support infrastructure to track and support BDS organizing across DSA chapters and national bodies outside of limited attempts such as the International Committee’s StopFuelingGenocide campaign.

Therefore be it resolved, DSA reaffirms our unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people in the struggle against Zionist settler colonization, Israeli apartheid, and US Imperialism,

Be it further resolved, DSA understands our primary responsibility as a US based organization in the heart of empire is to force our government and institutions to end their complicity through boycotts, divestments, and sanctions, as called for by the largest portions of Palestinian Civil Society in 2005 and represented by the BDS National Committee, and DSA commits to supporting the BDS movement in all aspects of our work.

Be it further resolved, DSA nationally will engage in the broadest coalitions possible to further Palestine solidarity organizing while limiting deeper partnerships to organizations that endorse the BDS movement and support the three demands outlined in its introductory call: ending Israeli occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall; recognizing the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN Resolution 194.

Be it further resolved, DSA chapters are encouraged to participate in coalition with other organizations in their communities including but not limited to grassroots Palestinian activist organizations, labor unions, tenants unions, and religious organizations.

Be it further resolved, DSA will prioritize campaigns targeting (1) institutions including but not limited to universities, city/town/state governments, and pension funds and (2) corporate pressure campaigns targeting companies including but not limited to Chevron and Maersk.

Be it further resolved, the DSA International Committee is tasked with creating and maintaining an expansive chapter tracking and training infrastructure for local Palestine solidarity organizing.

Be it further resolved, the IC will be responsible for generating an annual report of chapter Palestine solidarity activities to be published to membership.

Be it further resolved, chapter training will revolve around building sustainable BDS campaigns and using campaign work to build strong chapters. These trainings should be given both in the form of national calls as well as one on one mentorship with the leaders of chapters. Topics for these trainings should include but are not limited to:

  • The Organizing Cycle
  • The “Labor Notes Bullseye”
  • Listwork
  • Power mapping
  • Campaign Escalation
  • Effective Comms Strategies
  • Press Relations
  • Info Security
  • Protest Safety

Be it further resolved, the International Committee and YDSA will collaborate on shared campaigns and actions with overlapping targets such as Chevron.

Be it further resolved, DSA International Committee will work with YDSA to create resources to help support DSA chapters and organizers in their work supporting student activism such as the “How DSA can support the Student Revolution for Gaza” Emergency Meeting held on 04/28/24.

Be it further resolved, DSA chapters are directed to support campus-based BDS work through the mobilization and organization of broader community and worker support.

Be it further resolved, that the National Labor Committee (NLC) will assist the International Committee in providing training to chapters on how to best establish relationships with organized labor with the goal of increasing labor’s support to aforementioned BDS campaigns targeting institutions and companies.

Be it further resolved, the NLC shall complete a mapping of DSA union members and, in consultation with the IC, identify strategic targets including leveraging support to external campaigns such as municipal divestment and launching internal campaigns to divest union funds from Israeli apartheid and genocide.

Be it further resolved, the NLC will create training and resources for union members to organize for Palestine.

Be it further resolved, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) will be responsible for identifying opportunities for state and local pro-Palestine legislation as modeled off of Zohran Mamdani’s “Not on Our Dime” bill in the NY State government.

Be it further resolved, DSA organizing will prioritize campaigns focused on intersectional targets that are relevant to different struggles and DSA organizing bodies such as immigrant justice organizing against Palantir in collaboration with the International Migrants working group of the International Committee and Housing Justice organizing against Airbnb in collaboration with the Housing Justice Commission.

Be it further resolved, the National Communications Committee (NCC) will work with the IC to highlight chapter’s Palestine Campaigns, especially chapter victories. The NCC will also work with the IC to create informational graphics, short form videos, and visual statements about the work that chapters are engaged in, the conditions within Palestine, and DSA’s political perspective on those conditions.

Be it further resolved, the Democratic Left Editorial Board is requested to publish a monthly piece of content related to DSA organizing for Palestine to be included in the monthly NPC newsletter when feasible.

Be it further resolved, DSA will host an in-person national conference for DSA Palestine organizers to discuss Palestine solidarity strategy in 2026. If an independent conference is deemed infeasible by the NPC, the organization will aim to plan a single day or simultaneous gathering appended to a YDSA National event, Socialism Conference, or a similar national event.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 2: $5000 to $10,000

This resolution received a 3 for Capacity because the activities within demand sustained staff and member involvement, particularly in campaign support, political education, and coalition-building. While much of the work builds on existing structures, the scale and expectation for national coordination place it in the moderate to high time commitment range.

This scoring is based on the understanding that it mandates political alignment with and support for the BDS movement’s targeted campaigns as it applies to DSA direct spending, but does not mandate a full-scale vendor screenings across all spending. Instead, it expects DSA operations to avoid reimbursement for expenses related to companies under active BDS campaigns. This will require some active setup and monitoring from staff, which contributes to the score of 3 for capacity.

It received a 2 for Financial Impact because, while the resolution primarily relies on existing member capacity, chapter-led efforts, and internal coordination, there are modest financial outlays anticipated for national campaign materials, including printed resources, national conference logistics , and communications infrastructure . These costs are expected to fall within the $5,001–$10,000 range, reflecting limited but notable expenditures that go beyond routine administrative support.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/41716 

Submitter’s source document: A Unified Democratic Socialist Strategy for Palestine Solidarity

R37: See R33-A02

Resolutions Subcommittee Note: R37, Building a United Front Toward 2028, has been converted to the second amendment to R33, Unite Labor & the Left to Run a Socialist For President and Build the Party, as a substitute for the main motion.

R38: See CR09-A02

Resolutions Subcommittee Note: R38, Resolution for the Organizational Merger of TRBA and QSWG, has been converted to the second amendment to CR09, 2025 TRBA Consensus Resolution.

R39: Organizing Against the IHRA Working Definition

Submitted by Elisha A (Tacoma/Pierce County), Jon DA (Los Angeles). Qualified on May 9, 2025, with 318 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Since 2016 the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism has been used as a tool to instrumentalize Antisemitism against the left and chill anti-Zionist free speech. Despite past blunders DSA has an opportunity to play a key role against IHRA adoption. This resolution adopts the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism as an alternative and corrective to the IHRA Definition, and establishes an ad-hoc working group to coordinate pro-active organizing against IHRA adoption.

Full Text

Whereas

  1. The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is an anti-Zionist organization opposed to racism in all its forms, including antisemitism.
  2. In 2016, the 31 member countries of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) adopted a “working definition” of antisemitism as a “non-legally binding statement.”
  3. One of the primary authors of the IHRA Working Definition, Kenneth Stern, has himself denounced the codification of the IHRA Working Definition into law and its use as a “hate speech code” stating that it was intended only for gathering data, and identifies the codification as a part of a broader scheme of lawfare intended to chill anti-Zionist free speech through intimidation.
  4. Today, the IHRA plays a role in the Trump Administration’s fascist attacks on free speech and academia, particularly Palestinian Americans, as guided by the Heritage Foundation’s “Project Esther,” a document endorsed by no major Jewish organization in the United States.
  5. It is necessary for opponents of the IHRA, including DSA, to offer an alternative and corrective tool to the IHRA.
  6. A group of “International scholars in antisemitism studies and related fields” have crafted the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA) as a competing definition seeking to:

“respond to the Working Definition of Antisemitism adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in 2016. ‘The IHRA Definition’ (including its “examples”) is neither clear nor coherent. Whatever the intentions of its proponents, it blurs the difference between antisemitic speech and legitimate criticism of Israel and Zionism. This causes confusion, while delegitimizing the voices of Palestinians and others, including Jews, who hold views that are sharply critical of Israel and Zionism...A definition unique for clearly demarcating certain examples of what does not, on the face of it, constitute antisemitism, including the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions, and opposition to Zionism.”

  1. Many Jewish anti-Zionist and anti-apartheid organizations have made statements celebrating the JDA as a counterweight against the IHRA and a tool to combat the instrumentalization of antisemitism. These organizations include Jewish Voice for Peace, If Not Now, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, and Diaspora Alliance, among others.
  2. No other anti-Zionist organization in the US has DSA’s direct relationship with local and state level elected officials or cadre members elected to public offices.
  3. In the past DSA chapters have been caught flat-footed by pushes for adoption of the IHRA Working Definition. In 2022, when DSA Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman voted for a resolution adopting the IHRA definition at the municipal level, it was large part because DSA LA was unprepared to educate or direct their Socialist in Office (SIO) on the topic. The incident eventually resulted in Raman’s censure by her chapter.
  4. There have long been efforts by organizations aligned with DSA such as JVP’s “Fight antisemitism, reject the ADL” campaign that have sought to counter the efforts of Zionist lawfare groups and IHRA adoption.

Therefore, be it resolved

  1. The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) hereby adopts the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism as an alternative and in opposition to the IHRA Working Definition, and as a framework to fight against both the instrumentalization of antisemitism as a cudgel against the left and antisemitism itself however it may manifest, including JDA’s FAQs, which include the guidance that:
  1. The JDA may be used for a number of purposes, including “education and raising awareness about when speech or conduct is antisemitic (and when it is not), developing policy for fighting Antisemitism, and so on. It can be used to support implementation of anti-discrimination legislation within parameters set by laws and norms protecting free expression.”
  2. But the JDA may not be used as a “hate speech code”...“nor should it be codified into law, nor used to restrict the legitimate exercise of academic freedom”…”nor to suppress free and open public debate”.
  1. DSA shall establish the Fight the IHRA, Fight Antisemitism Working Group (FIFAWG) as an ad-hoc national working group with a 2 year mandate.
  1. The NPC is charged with appointing, by a process of open application, a 5 member Organizing Committee of DSA members with relevant knowledge and experience which will govern the FIFAWG.
  2. Following its appointment the FIFAWG Organizing Committee shall open applications for general membership.
  1. The FIFAWG is charged with:
  1. Creating resources for local chapters to educate their electoral committee leadership, Socialists in Office, and chapter leadership about the IHRA Working Definition and how to organize against it. Resources and information may be sourced from potential organizations with prior experience on this issue such as the Diaspora Alliance.
  2. In collaboration with the NEC, holding at least 1 online training for local electoral committee leadership, Socialists in Office, and chapter leadership on why and how we must proactively oppose the IHRA Working Definition, and the instrumentalization of antisemitism.
  3. Developing a framework to guide local DSA chapters and YDSA chapters in building local coalitions with interested groups such as Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and If Not Now (INN) chapters, local Palestine solidarity coalitions, independent Jewish Community Centers, and friendly synagogues against IHRA adoption at the local level (municipal, state, university, etc).
  4. Identifying opportunities for DSA chapters to oppose the IHRA Definition and push organizations and municipalities at the local level that have adopted the IHRA Definition to either rescind their adoption or adopt the JDA as a corrective.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 2: Low to Moderate Finances 1: Less than $5000

This resolution is scored a 2 for Capacity Commitment due to the moderate level of staff coordination and member participation required to establish the Fight the IHRA, Fight Antisemitism Working Group (FIFAWG), develop educational resources, and host at least one national training in collaboration with the NEC. Member engagement is also moderate, centered on volunteering for the working group, attending trainings, and utilizing developed resources locally.

It received a score of 1 for Financial Impact as there are no significant costs outside of existing resources.  

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/42542 

Submitter’s source document: Organizing Against the IHRA Working Definition

R40: Build Worker Power, Defeat Amazon

Submitted by Galen ZS (Louisville), Ray HC. (Inland Empire), Paul B. (Philadelphia), Ira P. (NYC). Qualified on May 7, 2025, with 364 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Unionizing Amazon is a do or die for the Labor Movement and Socialist movement in the U.S. DSA members continue to be key leaders in the union fight of a generation. This resolution demonstrates that DSA recognizes the stakes of this fight, and empowers the NPC to direct DSA resources to support unionization efforts at Amazon. It also directs WOW and the DSA Amazon Rank-and-File network to collaborate to grow the organizing efforts nationwide.

Full text

WHEREAS, organizing Amazon is the fight of our generation, and is a do-or-die struggle for the Labor movement and Socialist movement,

WHEREAS, between 2023 and 2025 Amazon organizing and agitation led by DSA members in conjunction with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) has increased dramatically;

WHEREAS, the Amazon Teamsters organizing campaign, as well as independent efforts like the Amazon Labor Union, CAUSE, and Amazonians United have benefited greatly from, and been deeply influenced by, the groundwork laid through the efforts of leftists – including many DSA members – in the preceding years;

WHEREAS, this represents an unprecedented convergence of the goals of the largest socialist organization in the country and one of the largest unions in the country;

WHEREAS, efforts to continue training and equipping workers to build power in their shop floors through the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee (EWOC) and more recently the Workers Organizing Workers (WOW) training series have demonstrated members’ interest and resolve to participate in new organizing;

WHEREAS, this new organizing will only be possible through continued worker recruitment, training, and retention with an emphasis on directing DSA members to work at strategic Amazon facilities all across the country;

WHEREAS, the NLC has set for itself the goal of recruiting 75 Amazon Solidarity Organizers (ASOs) before the end of the year;

WHEREAS, we can only achieve this goal if DSA is willing to invest significantly more resources and capacity than has been invested to this point;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the NPC will be empowered to allocate funds either in conjunction with groups aligned with our goals or wholly from the DSA budget to expand the number of paid hours dedicated to national-level coordination of  Amazon organizing efforts.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DSA urges WOW facilitators and the network of current DSA Amazon workers to cooperate as closely as possible to synthesize their efforts and direct them towards maximizing support and resources for prospective and current Amazon employees engaged in union organizing.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 3: $10,000 to $50,000

This resolution is scored a 3 for Capacity Commitment due to the moderate to high level of staff coordination and member participation required to expand national-level Amazon organizing efforts. Empowering the NPC to allocate funds for additional paid hours in national coordination implies ongoing involvement from both staff and volunteer organizers, including planning, outreach, and integration with existing structures like WOW facilitators and DSA Amazon worker networks. The synthesis and alignment of these efforts across multiple teams requires sustained communication, strategy development, and implementation over time.

It is scored a 3 for Financial Impact, as it involves allocating new or expanded funding for national coordination roles. While exact figures are not specified, this indicates a moderate financial outlay likely falling between $10,001 and $49,000 annually. These costs may include stipends for coordinators, administrative overhead, and logistical resources needed to scale up organizing capacity.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43693

Submitter’s source document: Build Worker Power, Defeat Amazon

R41: See CR05-A02

Resolutions Subcommittee Note: R41 was converted to the third amendment to CR05, NEC Consensus Resolution, and renumbered CR05-A02, One DSA Toward a Unified Endorsement Process.

R42: Labor for an Arms Embargo

Submitted by Griffin M (Metro DC), Abdullah F (Los Angeles), Tej B (Los Angeles). Qualified on May 7, 2025, with 356 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This is a resolution committing DSA to support Palestinian liberation by organizing workers into a political movement to win an arms embargo against Israel. This campaign has already been approved by a membership meeting of the National Labor Commission. An article explaining the approach of the campaign can be read here.

Full text

Whereas, Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people continues under the Trump administration just as it began under the Biden administration, financed and militarily supported by the U.S. government,

Whereas, U.S. and Israeli officials have regularly publicly commented that Israel’s genocide would not be possible without the specific munitions, vehicles, and supplies that the U.S. provides,

Whereas, a majority of the American public is opposed to our government’s official foreign policy of support for Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians, which means that our task is not simply educating the public, but strategically organizing that majority sentiment and building power,

Whereas, organizers and researchers affiliated with the Progressive International, Palestinian Youth Movement, and DSA have identified specific ships, planes, cargo, and logistics hubs used to supply Israel,

Whereas, the National Labor Commission voted in favor of a Labor for an Arms Embargo campaign at its March membership meeting,

Whereas, despite majority public support for an arms embargo, AIPAC successfully primaried and defeated two of the most consistent votes against military aid to Israel in Congress, Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush.

Therefore be it resolved that DSA’s main focus to support the Palestinian struggle for national liberation will be winning an arms embargo against Israel and an end to U.S. military supplies to Israel.

Therefore be it further resolved that in line with the Labor for an Arms Embargo campaign approved by the membership of the National Labor Commission, the main way that DSA members will organize for an arms embargo will be by organizing as workers to put pressure on political targets along the military logistics supply chain like port authorities and city and state legislatures.

Therefore be it further resolved that to do this, DSA members will be tactically flexible but guided by the necessity to convince majorities of their coworkers to support an arms embargo and dedicate member and union resources to cross-union city-based campaigns to disrupt the delivery of military supplies to Israel.

Therefore be it further resolved that the main Palestinian solidarity criteria that DSA members use to evaluate endorsing federal-level politicians will be their willingness to vote against any and all military aid to Israel.

Therefore be it further resolved that the main Palestinian solidarity criteria that DSA members will use to evaluate endorsing state- and city-level politicians will be, if applicable, their willingness to campaign for cities that they represent to become “War Crime Free Cities”.

Therefore be it finally resolved that DSA national leadership will identify congressional districts and build the capacity in the next two years to run congressional candidates who will vote against military aid to Israel.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 2: Low to Moderate Finances 1: Less than $5000

This resolution is scored a 2 for Capacity Commitment because it involves moderate staff coordination and member participation centered on strategic direction-setting, campaign alignment, and internal education. While it calls for national leadership to build capacity for future congressional campaigns, this work is framed as long-term planning rather than immediate execution, and does not require new infrastructure or intensive staff involvement at this stage. It is scored a 1 for Financial Impact as it does not involve direct costs beyond current operations. Activities rely on existing chapter structures, volunteer labor, and internal coordination.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/42712

R42-A01: For a Strike Ready Labor for an Arms Embargo

Submitted by Martina M (Central New Jersey), John H (At Large), Nell G (Metro DC), Andrew D (San Francisco), Hazel W (San Francisco). Qualified on Jun 27, 2025, with 282 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This amendment brings the resolution further in line with other supply chain-based pressure campaigns already underway in the US and worldwide, by increasing the emphasis of the Labor for an Arms Embargo campaign on workers’ self-organization to form International Solidarity organs in their unions and to become strike ready to directly stop the flow of arms. The amendment removes the mandate to run congressional candidates in the next two years.

Full text

[Deleted text red and struck out, added text green and underlined, omitted text unaffected]

[...]

Whereas, on June 13 2025, Israel initiated open warfare with Iran.

Whereas, despite majority public support for an arms embargo, AIPAC successfully primaried and defeated two of the most consistent votes against military aid to Israel in Congress, Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush.

Therefore be it resolved that DSA’s main focus to will support the Palestinian struggle for national liberation will be by winning an arms embargo against Israel and an end to U.S. military supplies to Israel.

Therefore be it further resolved that in line with the Labor for an Arms Embargo campaign approved by the membership of the National Labor Commission, the main way that DSA members will organize for an arms embargo will be by organizing as workers to put directly apply pressure on political targets along the military logistics supply chain like port authorities and city and state legislatures.

Therefore be it further resolved that to do this, DSA members will be tactically flexible but guided by the necessity to convince majorities of their coworkers to support an arms embargo and dedicate member and union resources to cross-union city-based campaigns to disrupt the delivery of military supplies to Israel.

Therefore be it further resolved that the Labor For an Arms Embargo campaign will prepare union members engaged in the arms logistics and supply chain to be “strike ready” to directly stop the flow of arms to Israel, and prepare union members outside the arms logistics and supply chain industries to be “solidarity strike ready”.

Therefore be it further resolved that the DSA members engaged in this work will create and/or sustain International Solidarity organs in their locals and internationals (Committees, Working Groups, etc.) for the purpose of mobilizing and educating workers in anti-imperial ideas, starting with the need for Palestinian Liberation.

Therefore be it further resolved that the main Palestinian solidarity criteria that DSA members will use to evaluate endorsing federal-level politicians will be their willingness to vote against any and all military aid to Israel.

Therefore be it further resolved that the main Palestinian solidarity criteria that DSA members will use to evaluate endorsing state- and city-level politicians will be, if applicable, their willingness to campaign for cities that they represent to become “War Crime Free Cities.”

Therefore be it further resolved that DSA national leadership will identify congressional districts and build the capacity in the next two years to run congressional candidates who will vote against military aid to Israel.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 3: Moderate to High Finances 1: Less than $5000

This amendment would result in the underlying resolution's capacity score increasing from 2 to 3 as it represents a shift from general pressure campaigns to direct agitation for strike readiness in both arms logistics and broader union sectors, which requires significantly more coordination, training, and sustained member engagement. These new components demand more intensive support from national staff, structured campaign planning, and chapter-level organizing capacity , pushing the resolution into the medium to high time commitment range. It remains scored a 1 for Financial Impact because the work continues to rely primarily on existing volunteer labor, internal coordination, and chapter-led efforts, with only incidental anticipated new expenditures beyond current operations.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/47277

Submitter’s source document: For a Strike Ready Labor for an Arms Embargo

R43: Locals First DSA: Increase Dues Income for Locals and Stabilize National Budget

Submitted by Nell G (Metro DC), Ahmed H (New York City), Andrew T (Denver). Qualified on May 7, 2025, with 381 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Resolutions Subcommittee Note: Per CR01, Democracy Commission DSA National and Chapter Affiliation Agreement and Article 2, Section 6 of the DSA Bylaws, the DSA National Convention has primary authority over the collection and distribution of member dues. If R43 is referred to the National Political Committee, sections of the resolution regarding any procedures for the collection of dues or the sharing of dues between chapters and the national organization cannot take effect.

Summary

DSA’s deepest organizing happens in our local chapters. This resolution doubles a chapter’s share of dues to 40% of all dues income by 2027, giving our locals the resources they need to build and sustain new organizing in line with best practices adopted across the labor and socialist movements, including the CWA, UAW, and PT in Brazil. It also increases our national budgetary reserves, gives chapters the option to receive monthly disbursements, and sets guard rails against cutting dues share.

Full text

Whereas, DSA’s deepest, most consistent, and impactful organizing happens at the local level;

Whereas, the 2019 DSA National Convention voted to pass Resolution #55 Resolution on Grassroots Fundraising and Small Chapter Growth, which established the following dues-sharing rates based on chapter size: “30% of the average monthly dues contribution for the first 50 monthly- dues-paying members; 25% for monthly-dues-paying members 51-200; and 20% for any monthly-dues-paying members exceeding 200”;

Whereas, unions such as the Communications Workers of America Union (CWA) directs 60% of dues to locals, and United Auto Workers (UAW) sends 38% of dues to its locals while left parties’ such as Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) in Brazil direct up to 85% of dues to its locals (Art. 190);

Whereas, the current tiered-model of apportioning dues shares established by Res. #55 complicates staff work and creates uncertainty for chapters’ treasurer projections, as the rates of dues shares are subject to constant change as a result of chapter growth or shrinkage, changes in type of dues (e.g. monthly versus annual), and variable calculations based on the type of dues and size and order of chapter membership lists;

Whereas, not all chapters are separately incorporated and/or maintain bank accounts, creating additional complications and increases in staff time for dues disbursement (e.g. PEX cards);

Whereas, DSA currently maintains an annually calculated reserve policy when budgeting that leaves six months’ planned expenses for Staff Wages, Staff Benefits, Other Staff Fringe, Occupancy, Insurance, Equipment Leases, Equipment Purchases, Supplies, Telephone/internet, Shipping & postage, Printing & copying, Software, and Financial fees lines in reserve;

Whereas, DSA has experienced substantial increases in membership and revenue from dues following the re-election of Trump;

Whereas, tightening the feedback loop between recruitment and dues income encourages chapters to conduct sustained recruitment and engage in deeper organizing;

Whereas, increasing financial alignment between chapter and national incentives to focus on membership recruitment and retention is mutually beneficial and provides longer term stability;

Whereas, increased chapter funds are paramount to the ability of chapters to maintain and recruit membership through engaging programming and in-depth, concrete organizing that foster local and community-centered organizing work that responds and adapts to local needs and political realities and pursues more ambitious local campaigns and projects;

Whereas, increased chapter funds allow chapters to launch tailored programs to increase member engagement and equity such as initiatives to provide transportation access (e.g. transit fee reimbursements), tech support, childcare, and professionally translated chapter resources;

Whereas, any sudden cuts to chapter dues income can be extremely destructive to chapters’ organizing projects and inhibit some of DSA’s most valuable and consistent organizing;

Whereas, DSA’s most important political interventions continue to happen at the local chapter level which eventually coalesce and accumulate to national interventions;

Be it therefore resolved, DSA shall increase dues shares to 30% of all dues income for all chapters for the FY2026 Budget and increase dues share to 40% of all dues income for all chapters for the FY2027 Budget and thereafter;

Resolved, DSA shall ratify and increase its existing budget reserve policy to cover nine (9) months of planned expenses as listed above by FY2028;

Resolved, in the case of a projected national budget deficit that may trigger the existing reserve policy, the National Political Committee (NPC) is required to notify chapter leadership and national membership by email and the DSA Forums two (2) months ahead of any decision to cut disbursement amounts of dues shares to locals;

Resolved, the NPC shall be permitted to cut dues shares below 30% in FY2026 and below 40% in FY2027 and thereafter if, and only if, DSA is operating with less than six (6) months of reserves (two quarters);

Resolved, the NPC may only cut up to 15% of chapter income derived from dues share in any given year;

Resolved, separately incorporated chapters shall be eligible for monthly dues share disbursements if they maintain financial requirements that streamline the disbursement process (e.g. active chapter treasurer information, ACH/direct debit, establish fiscal policies, operating budget to track all revenue/expenses in a ledger, etc.) and a form shall be created for chapter treasurers to apply and maintain this information;

Resolved, chapters are strongly encouraged to allocate a portion of received increases in chapter funds to programs that increase members’ ability to meaningfully participate in chapter organizing and democracy, including transportation access, childcare, and translation;

Resolved, the Growth & Development Committee shall provide guidance and support to chapters wishing to implement equity and accessibility programs, by sharing best practices.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

This resolution increases the portion of dues returned to chapters — to 30% in FY2026 and 40% in FY2027. Based on FY2025 projections, this could mean an additional $600,000+ in national expenditures per year, as more funds will be disbursed from the national organization to local chapters.

In addition, this resolution is ranked at a 4 for capacity commitment, as it would mandate a significant increase in time and labor demands on the finance staff team to shift to monthly payments. Finance staff already spends a substantial amount of time managing quarterly disbursements due to inconsistent banking setups across chapters, PEX card administration, and varying levels of financial reporting readiness. Transitioning to monthly disbursements would dramatically increase this workload and require significant restructuring of current processes. An increase in the dues share on a quarterly basis could take place with less capacity needed. Or, we could buy a CRM which would require a lot of money and startup capacity.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43111

Submitter’s source document: Locals First DSA: Increase Dues Income for Locals and Stabilize National Budget

R43-A01: Towards a Well-Financed Federation

Submitted by Jonah S. (Fort Collins), Brynn L. (Denver). Qualified on Jun 29, 2025, with 355 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

This amendment would:

  • Change chapter dues-share to 25% in FY2026 and 27.5% in FY2027
  • Phases-out old formula over FY2026 and FY2027 to prevent inadvertent reductions
  • Expand dues-share to state orgs
  • Restores NPC’s budgetary flexibility and strikes arbitrary reserve hike
  • Builds on chapter incorporation/affiliation agreements
  • Creates GDC fundraising resources and trainings
  • Mandates B&F and GDC create a Participatory Fundraising Strategy for chapters, state orgs, and national to collaborate on fundraising

Full text

[Deleted text red and struck out, added text green and underlined, and omitted text unaffected]

Whereas, DSA’s deepest, most consistent, and impactful organizing happens typically starts at the local level;

[...]

Whereas, increased chapter funds may allow chapters to launch tailored programs to increase member engagement and equity such as initiatives to provide transportation access (e.g. transit fee reimbursements), tech support, childcare, and professionally translated chapter resources;

[...]

Whereas, many of DSA’s most important political interventions currently continue to happen take place at the local chapter level, often which eventually coalesceing and accumulate into national interventions;

Whereas, creating new institutional mechanisms which further the long-term project of cohering chapters, state organizations, and national DSA into a democratic federation is of exigent need for DSA to be able to counter both the impending fascist threat of the second Trump administration and the failure of neoliberal Democrats to offer an alternative;

Whereas, retaining the incentive for chapters to encourage their members to switch to monthly or Solidarity Income-Based Dues collectivizes fundraising work and helps improve the whole organization’s fiscal sustainability;

Be it therefore resolved, DSA shall increase chapter dues-shares to 2530% of all the national average monthly dues payment income for all chapters multiplied by the number of monthly dues-paying members in a given chapter for the FY2026 Budget and shall increase chapter dues-share to 27.540% of all the national average monthly dues payment income for all chapters multiplied by the number of monthly dues-paying members in a given chapter for the FY2027 Budget and thereafter, for administrative purposes, this new formula shall be known as the “New Harmonized Formula - Chapters”;

Resolved, that the dues-share payment calculation formula prescribed by 2019 Res. #55 shall be known as the “Old Step Formula” for administrative purposes;

Resolved, that in order to prevent the inadvertent reduction of dues-share payments to small chapters in the transition to the New Harmonized Formula, the Budget & Finance Committee shall calculate potential disbursements under both the New Harmonized Formula and the Old Step Formula for each chapter and disburse the prevailing sum to each chapter for FY2026 and FY2027.

Resolved, that the Old Step Formula shall be completely phased-out for FY2028 Budget and thereafter;

Resolved, that DSA shall expand the dues-share program to include State and Regional Organizations (“state organizations”) chartered under Article IV, Sections 3-4 of the DSA Constitution by providing state organizations with 5% of the national average monthly dues payment multiplied by the number of monthly dues-paying members in a state organization’s turf in FY2026, and shall increase dues-share to state organizations to 7.5% of the national average monthly dues payment multiplied by the number of monthly dues-paying members in a state organization’s turf in FY2027 and thereafter, for administrative purposes, this new formula shall be known as the “New Harmonized Formula - State Orgs”;

Resolved, DSA shall ratify and increase its existing budget reserve policy to cover nine (9) months of planned expenses as listed above by FY2028;

Resolved, in the case of a projected national budget deficit that may trigger the existing reserve policy, the National Political Committee (NPC) is required to notify chapter leadership, state organization leadership, and national membership by email and the DSA Forums at least one (1) two (2) months ahead of any decision to cut disbursement amounts of dues shares to locals or state organizations;

Resolved, the NPC shall be permitted to cut dues shares below 30% in FY2026 and below 40% in FY2027 and thereafter if, and only if, DSA is operating with less than six (6) months of reserves (two quarters);

Resolved, the NPC may only cut up to 15% of chapter income derived from dues share in any given year;

Resolved, the NPC shall be empowered to establish guidelines and standards consistent with chapter incorporation and affiliation agreements as a condition of eligibility for dues-share;

Resolved, separately incorporated chapters and state organizations shall be eligible for monthly dues-share disbursements if they maintain financial requirements that streamline the disbursement process (e.g. active chapter treasurer information, ACH/direct debit, establish fiscal policies, maintain an operating budget, to track all revenue/expenses in a ledger, etc.) and a form shall be created for chapter treasurers to apply and maintain this information;

Resolved, chapters are strongly encouraged to allocate a portion of received increases in dues-share chapter funds to programs that increase members’ ability to meaningfully participate in chapter organizing and democracy, including transportation access, childcare, and translation;

Resolved, the Growth & Development Committee shall provide guidance and support to chapters wishing to implement equity and accessibility programs, by sharing best practices.;

Resolved, chapters and state organizations are strongly encouraged to allocate a portion of dues-share to programs that expand their organizing capacity, spur recruitment, bolster fundraising efforts, and improve budgeting practices, thus maximizing the effect of their increased disbursements;

Resolved, the Growth & Development Committee shall collaborate with the Budget & Finance Committee to create, prior to FY2026, a Dues-Share Estimation Toolkit in the form of a spreadsheet (or something similar) for chapter and state organization treasurers to estimate their dues-share payments and compute the effects of utilizing incentives such as encouraging their members to switch to monthly or Solidarity Income-Based Dues;

Resolved, the Growth & Development Committee shall host fundraising trainings at least twice a year for chapter and state organization leaders to participate in and collaborate with the Budget & Finance Committee and Development staff to create a Participatory Fundraising Strategy with toolkits to take effect no later then the FY2027 Budget and thereafter so that chapters and state organizations may fundraise using best practices in concert with national initiatives.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 4: Greater than $50,000

This amendment does not change the overall scoring of the underlying resolution. While it reduces the proposed dues share (to 25%), the financial impact remains above $50,000 per year - approximately $83,000 additional dues payments in FY2026, based on current 2025 numbers.

For capacity, it does not reduce the workload for staff  as monthly disbursements and financial coordination with chapters remains. It also adds new work for staff, including recalculating disbursement formulas and updating systems and documentation, which requires some upfront labor. Finally, expanding dues share payments to include statewide organizations will require significant setup and ongoing coordination from staff, further contributing to the overall time commitment.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/47010

Submitter’s source document: R43A: Towards a Well-Financed Federation

R44: Resolution on Staff, Contractors, and Budgeting

Submitted by: Tom J (Twin Ports DSA). Qualified on May 8, 2025, with 309 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

In order to prevent the 2024 budget crisis from reoccurring and resolve some of the conflicts which emerged from the budget crisis, the resolution establishes a number of policies relating to DSA’s expenditures and the budgeting process. This raises DSA’s reserve requirement, caps staff expenditure at half of recurring income, requires the NPC to propose and the National Convention approve budgets, and adds limits on new expenditures over fifty thousand dollars per year, among other measures.

Full Text

Whereas, DSA in 2024 faced an initial projected deficit of 2 million dollars.

And whereas, this deficit was resolved only through months-long, frequently vitriolic debate over budgetary priorities and extensive budget cuts which touched nearly every aspect of DSA’s work.

And whereas, the National Convention has in the past failed to provide meaningful guidance to the NPC on budgetary priorities by passing resolutions with conflicting mandates for prioritization, authorizing expenditures vastly in excess of the resources available to DSA, and the assignment of resources like staff time to projects without a clear vision for their specific use.

And whereas, DSA’s budgeting is complicated by the existence of the National Convention, one of our largest recurring expenditures, which occurs only every other year, causing large spikes and drops in year-to-year expenditure.

And whereas, the conflict over the 2024 budget was exacerbated by repeated breakdowns of communication between the staff union and the NPC.

And whereas, the National Convention has frequently attempted to create new staff positions without a complete understanding of the existing staff structure of DSA or a clear vision for their job duties, leading the NPC to ignore many hiring requests made by the Convention in favor of requests made by prior director-level staff.

And whereas, in the course of the conflict over the 2024 budget, the right of DSA’s rank and file members to perform work within DSA has been called into question.

And whereas, DSA has in the past spent frivolously on an external contractor charging rates well in excess of the cost of an additional staff member for a role initially intended to be filled by a member of DSA’s staff.

And whereas, rank and file DSA members and even Convention delegates are not always aware of the full scope or functions of DSA’s staff, which limits the degree to which membership can exercise meaningful democratic oversight over the national organization.

And whereas, DSA has in the past hired to a degree which we lacked the financial stability to confidently maintain over the long term.

And whereas, DSA’s financial situation is significantly influenced by the external political situation in the United States, over which we have limited control.

And whereas, for DSA to provide stable employment and stable access to organizing resources under these circumstances requires a degree of financial caution beyond what would normally be found in a 501c non-profit.

Therefore be it resolved, that DSA adopts the following reserve policies:

  • DSA should seek to have 8 months of operating expenses in reserve.
  • If DSA’s reserves reach 6 months of operating expenses, an automatic budgeting process will be triggered with the goal of restoring positive net cash flow within 3 months.

Be it further resolved, that DSA adopts the following policies regarding staffing:

  • Staff expenditure, excluding full time paid leadership, should generally not exceed 40% of DSA’s recurring income.
  • Total staff expenditure, including full time paid leadership, should generally not exceed 60% of DSA’s recurring income.
  • The NPC may not create any new staff position which would cause staff expenditure, excluding full time paid leadership, to exceed 50% of DSA’s recurring income, and if staff expenditure exceeds 50% of DSA’s recurring income a hiring freeze will automatically go into effect.
  • All direct employees of DSA, including full time paid leadership, should have job descriptions published in a manner accessible to the general membership of DSA.
  • DSA should generally avoid contracting out or hiring additional staff for functions which could be performed by rank and file DSA members.
  • No external contractor may be hired for a continuous, long term, full time position which could be filled by an employee of DSA. External contractors should only be hired for functions with sporadic or unpredictable workloads, temporary functions, or functions with workloads that are sufficiently small that employing a contractor would be substantially cheaper than hiring a direct employee of DSA for the same task.

Be it further resolved, that the above policies are intended primarily to limit hiring, and should not be used as sole justification for a reduction in existing staff expenditure.

Be it further resolved, that DSA is not only member-led but member-run. The National Convention recognizes the essential role of rank and file members in organizing DSA at every level.

Be it further resolved, the NPC is instructed to seek explicit acknowledgement of the right of rank and file DSA members to perform work in DSA in all future collective bargaining agreements with the DSA Union.

Be it further resolved, that the National Political Committee is prohibited from adopting any contract with any party which would categorically bar rank and file DSA members from an area of work in the national organization, though it retains the authority to determine the division of labor between staff and rank and file members within national DSA and the specific conditions under which members may have access to DSA resources and member information.

Be it further resolved, that a non-voting observer to the NPC may be selected from the DSA staff union by mutual agreement of the union and the NPC to facilitate communication between the NPC and the staff union. This observer will be entitled to access all debate and information to which the full NPC is entitled access, but will also be bound by the confidentiality rules of the full NPC, unless waived by a motion of the NPC.

Be it further resolved, that DSA adopts the following policies and standing rules regarding budgeting:

  • The NPC will present to all future National Conventions a draft budget for the following year for debate, amendment, and ratification.
  • One full debate block will be allocated to the debate, amendment, and ratification of the draft budget at all future National Conventions.
  • Any resolution calling for new spending in excess of 50,000 dollars which is not included in the proposed draft budget must be accompanied by an amendment to the draft budget accounting for that spending, which may be approved, amended, or rejected independently of the underlying political content of the resolution.
  • Resolutions calling for new spending of less than 50,000 dollars may be considered as single resolutions, separate from the budget process, but passage of such a resolution will still cause the draft budget to be amended to reflect any such spending.
  • Budgets passed by the Convention may be amended by the NPC to account for changes in DSA’s financial situation, organizing needs, or the external political situation.
  • Changes to the budget by the NPC should not disregard the basic political intent of the Convention’s budgetary decisions.

Be it finally resolved, that the NPC will investigate the feasibility of moving to a biennial budgeting process, and will implement one if feasible.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 2: $5000 to $10,000

Implementing this resolution would require a major overhaul of the current budgeting cycle, which is typically based on the calendar year. Changing this foundational timeline represents a significant organizational shift that will impact the NPC, finance staff, and related committees, necessitating faster and more coordinated budget planning and execution. Moreover, the National Convention’s schedule will need substantial replanning to allocate enough time for comprehensive budget debate, amendment, and ratification. The financial impact is considered moderate, primarily due to anticipated costs for hiring auditors, consultants, and contractors to address bookkeeping cleanup, fiscal year adjustments, and other related financial requirements. There additionally may be tax implications of the changes which could lead to additional costs.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/40924

Submitter’s source document: Resolution on Staff, Contractors, and Budgeting

R44-A01: For a Member-Guided Budgeting Process

Submitted by: John L (New Orleans), Shane K (Greater Baltimore). Qualified on Jun 26, 2025, with 308 signatures as of June 29, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed. Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed.

Summary

This amendment more effectively centers chapters and members by aligning the base resolution more closely with best and realistic practices for managing organization funds. It defines key terms, prioritizes chapter funding, replaces rigid convention budgeting with a flexible spending framework, and improves communication between the NPC and staff union through CBA-guided collaboration.

Full Text

[deleted text red and struck out, added text green and underlined, and omitted text unaffected]

[...]

And whereas, DSA is built by the contributions of its members through dues, which fund both national and local work, and strengthening the amount returned to chapters is essential to reinforcing the foundation of DSA as an organization – its members and chapters.

And whereas, democratic, participatory budgeting is essential to ensuring that DSA’s expenditures reflect the priorities and values of its membership.

And whereas, a full budget includes both income and expenses, and consists of dozens of technical line items that are difficult to meaningfully debate at Convention; moreover, financial projections—particularly dues income—are often uncertain until after Convention due to unpredictable political conditions, making it impractical to adopt a detailed line-item budget in August.

[...]

Be it further resolved, that DSA adopts the following policies regarding staffing:

  • Staff salaries and benefits expenditure, excluding full time paid leadership, should generally not exceed 40% of DSA’s recurring dues income.
  • Total staff salary and benefit expenditures, including full time paid leadership, should generally not exceed 60% of DSA’s recurring dues income.
  • The NPC may not create any new staff position which would cause staff salary and benefit expenditures, excluding full time paid leadership, to exceed 50% of DSA’s recurring dues income, and if staff expenditure exceeds 50% of DSA’s recurring dues income a hiring freeze will automatically go into effect.
  • All direct employees of DSA, including full time paid leadership, should have job descriptions published in a manner accessible to the general membership of DSA.
  • DSA should generally avoid contracting out or hiring additional staff for functions which could be performed by rank and file DSA members.
  • No external contractor may be hired for a continuous, long term, full time position which could be filled by an employee of DSA. External contractors should only be hired for functions with sporadic or unpredictable workloads, temporary functions, or functions with workloads that are sufficiently small that employing a contractor would be substantially cheaper than hiring a direct employee of DSA for the same task.

[...]

Be it further resolved, that any income that exceeds the staffing thresholds outlined above will prioritize increasing dues share payments and direct grants to chapters before allocating funds toward additional national staff, consultants, or administrative expansion.

Be it further resolved, that a non-voting observer to the NPC may be selected from the DSA staff union by mutual agreement of the union and the NPC to facilitate communication between the NPC and the staff union. This observer will be entitled to access all debate and information to which the full NPC is entitled access, but will also be bound by the confidentiality rules of the full NPC, unless waived by a motion of the NPC.

Be it further resolved, that the NPC and DSA staff union are encouraged to explore mechanisms for regular, transparent communication to strengthen mutual understanding and coordination, which may include joint meetings, designated liaisons, or other mutually agreed processes that respect the boundaries of the collective bargaining agreement, reciprocity and organizational governance.

Be it further resolved, that DSA adopts the following policies and standing rules regarding budgeting:

  • The NPC will present to all future National Conventions a Spending Framework based on clearly defined Spending Categories, each expressed as a percentage of projected recurring dues income or total operating expenses a draft budget for the following year for debate, amendment, and ratification. These categories shall reflect the strategic goals, resource needs, and political direction of DSA as determined through member engagement, chapter resolutions, and organizational experience.
  • Each Spending Category may include, but is not limited to: staffing (excluding or including leadership), organizing and regional work, administrative costs, political education, communications, and other relevant areas. The Convention may establish minimums, maximums, or target ranges for each category, allowing the NPC discretion to allocate funds within those parameters based on evolving conditions.
  • One full debate block will be allocated to the debate, amendment, and ratification of the draft spending framework at all future National Conventions.
  • Any resolution calling for new spending in excess of $50,000 dollars which is not included in the proposed draft budget spending framework must be accompanied by an amendment to the draft budget accounting category for that spending, which may be approved, amended, or rejected independently of the underlying political content of the resolution.
  • Resolutions calling for new spending of less than 50,000 dollars may be considered as single resolutions, separate from the budget framework process, but passage of such a resolution will still cause the draft budget framework category to be amended to reflect any such spending, as necessary.
  • Budgets Spending frameworks passed by the Convention may be amended by the NPC to account for changes in DSA’s financial situation, organizing needs, or the external political situation.
  • Changes to the budget spending framework by the NPC should not disregard the basic political intent of the Convention’s budgetary decisions.

Be it finally resolved, that the NPC and Budget & Finance Committee will investigate the feasibility of proposing and passing a full budget at future Conventions and moving to a biennial budgeting process, and will implement one if feasible.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 4: High Finances 2: $5000 to $10,000

This amendment would result in the resolution being scored a 3 for Capacity Commitment and a 1 for Financial Impact. The shift from requiring a detailed line-item budget at Convention to using broader budget categories significantly reduces the need to overhaul the current annual budget cycle. As a result, staff, Budget & Finance and the NPC would no longer be required to prepare a full, finalized budget prior to Convention, easing the timeline and coordination burden. However, the removal of co-chairs from staff salary and benefits calculations will require some initial work to update how expenses are tracked and reported. This change will involve adjustments to internal financial systems. These updates, while manageable, will require a moderate level of staff and member involvement during the transition period. The amendment will also require coordination for continued discussions with the staff union. On financial considerations, this amendment would reduce the need for external accounting or consultant support typically associated with auditing and restructuring detailed budget line items. Therefore, the overall financial impact remains minimal, relying primarily on existing infrastructure and administrative tools already in place.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/46099

Submitter’s source document: For a Member-Guided Budgeting Process

R45: Voting Rights for All Members

Submitted by Nickan F (East Bay), Nate K (Atlanta), Aaron F (New York City). Qualified on May 8, 2025, with 310 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Resolutions Subcommittee Note: If CR01, Democracy Commission DSA National and Chapter Affiliation Agreement, as written by the Democracy Commission is adopted on the Consent Agenda or otherwise, this resolution will be brought as a motion to amend something previously adopted per RONR 12th ed. 35:2.7b. Otherwise, this resolution will be considered as a regular main motion. In addition, this item was updated with additional language on August 3rd upon request of the authors.

Summary

This resolution provides that all members in good standing will have voting rights for chapterwide and branchwide decisionmaking, and prohibits chapters from restricting those voting rights.

Full Text

Whereas, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is a membership-based, democratic organization grounded in the principle that all members should have an equal voice in shaping the direction of the organization; and

Whereas, DSA nationally defines membership without requiring additional participation thresholds for fundamental rights such as voting; and

Whereas, some DSA chapters have adopted bylaws that impose additional “active” criteria beyond dues-paying status in order to determine a member’s eligibility to vote in chapterwide or branchwide votes; and

Whereas, such restrictions on voting rights can create barriers to participation, reinforce structural inequalities, and undermine the democratic and inclusive nature of our organization; and

Whereas, creating a national standard for voting rights will promote fairness, transparency, and accessibility across all chapters;

Be it therefore resolved, that the Democratic Socialists of America affirms that, as a general rule, any dues-paying member in good standing shall be eligible to vote in any chapterwide or branchwide decision-making process, including but not limited to elections, endorsements, and priority-setting; and

Be it further resolved, the only additional condition for voting eligibility that chapters are permitted (but not required to) enforce for chapterwide or branchwide votes is a probationary period of no longer than thirty days;

Be it further resolved, that, aside from the above exception, DSA chapters shall not impose additional requirements (such as prior meeting attendance, involvement in committees, or participation in chapter priorities) as a condition for voting eligibility in chapterwide or branchwide votes, but working groups and other chapter bodies may continue to impose these requirements; and

Be it further resolved, that the National Political Committee (NPC) shall work with all chapters to ensure local bylaws and practices are brought into alignment with this policy within 90 days of its adoption, and shall provide guidance and support to chapters in revising conflicting bylaw language; and

Be it finally resolved, that any chapter found to be in violation of this policy after this grace period shall be required to submit a compliance plan to the NPC and shall be ineligible to receive certain forms of national support (such as staff support, dues share, or access to other national resources) until they are in compliance with this resolution.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

This resolution mandates rights and democratic procedures for members at the chapter level and directs the National Political Committee to support chapters in aligning their bylaws accordingly, but it does not create substantial new workload or resource demands for the national organization.

External Links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43433

Submitter’s source document: Voting Rights For All Members Resolution

R46: Resolution to Censure LA City Councilwoman Nithya Raman

Submitted by: Richard S (Greater Baltimore), Alex M (Seattle). Qualified on May 8, 2025, with 283 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Despite her continued endorsement by DSA Los Angeles, Nithya Raman’s support of Zionism and her acceptance of funds from Zionist organizations puts her at substantial odds with DSA. It is DSA’s responsibility to demonstrate that Raman’s actions are anathema to our organization’s values through a formal censure. This resolution censures DSA-LA elected Nithya Raman, calls for her membership to be formally reviewed by national DSA, and mandates that its text be made public on adoption.

Full text

Whereas, DSA-LA Socialist in Office (SiO) and City Council Member Nithya Raman has repeatedly demonstrated antagonism toward the movement for Palestinian liberation as follows:

  • During the ongoing genocide, Raman sought and received the endorsement of Democrats for Israel, a liberal Zionist lobby group which condemns anti-Zionist organizing, including student encampments which YDSA chapters have played a significant role in, as antisemitic, and cheers on the continued slaughter of the Palestinian people.
  • Raman co-authored a resolution to prioritize an anti-Palestinian LA United School District resolution, which was used to shut down the United Teachers Union of Los Angeles’s historic BDS resolution vote.
  • Raman voted for a resolution to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which defines anti-Zionism as antisemitism.
  • Raman condemned Palestinian resistance while failing to condemn Israeli apartheid and genocide, and likewise condemned DSA’s post-October 7th statement expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people.
  • Raman has continued to platform Zionist lobbyists who have condemned DSA statements and student actions in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

And whereas, these actions have harmed anti-Zionist organizing and recruitment in DSA and YDSA by demonstrating inadequate political discipline and putting our organization at odds with pro-Palestine allies and DSA’s own organizing,

And whereas, these actions conflict with NPCR #8 as passed by 2023 Convention;

And whereas, these actions have already resulted in YDSA’s censure of Raman;

And whereas, despite being censured by her chapter and YDSA, Raman has not meaningfully improved on this issue nor taken accountability for her actions;

Therefore be it resolved, that DSA formally censures Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman;

Be it further resolved, that DSA advises the NPC to seriously review the membership of Nithya Raman and reopen dialogue with DSA-LA on revoking her local endorsement, as it is the view of Convention that she is in substantial disagreement with the principles and policies of the organization, and her expulsion may thus be warranted under Article I, Section 3 of the DSA Bylaws;

Be it further resolved, that the text of this motion be published to the public.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

This resolution for censure does not mandate significant work or cost for staff or members at the national level.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/40928 

Submitter’s source document: Resolution to Censure LA City Councilwoman Nithya Raman

R47: Resolution to Censure U.S. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Submitted by: Richard S (Greater Baltimore), Alex M (Seattle), Eric CK (North New Jersey). Qualified on May 9, 2025, with 287 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s tacit support of Zionism in the face of liberal betrayal of international law, and her dogged support for the Democratic Party establishment to the detriment of DSA’s member-led organizing, have actively harmed our organization. Such action warrants censure by the DSA Convention. This resolution censures NYC-DSA elected Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, calls for her membership to be formally reviewed by national DSA, and mandates that its text be made public on adoption.

Full Text

Whereas, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez originally ran on DSA’s endorsement as an outsider willing to primary and support other socialist and progressive candidates for Congress;

And whereas, Ocasio-Cortez has signaled to Democratic Party leadership that she would not continue to back primary challengers to incumbent Members of Congress in an attempt to win her (now failed) bid for Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee;

And whereas, Ocasio-Cortez has not only ineffectively voiced opposition to the Democratic Party’s support of Israel’s unjust and criminal war, but has actively promoted said war as follows:

  • In a March 2024 interview with CNN, Ocasio-Cortez failed to support Palestinian resistance against settler-colonial occupation, and instead stated her support of the United States and Israel’s plan to crush Palestinian resistance,
  • In an April 20th congressional letter, Ocasio-Cortez affirmed Israel’s right to “self-defense” and supported further funding of the Iron Dome,
  • Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden, and later Kamala Harris, despite their unconditional support of Israel financially and ideologically, and,
  • Ocasio-Cortez voted for House Resolution 888, which not only states that Israel has a “right to exist”, but that to deny this is antisemitic;

And whereas, these actions have harmed anti-Zionist organizing and recruitment in DSA and YDSA by demonstrating inadequate political discipline and putting our organization at odds with pro-Palestine allies and DSA’s own organizing;

And whereas, these actions conflict with NPCR #8 as passed by 2023 Convention;

And whereas, these actions have already resulted in the NPC’s approval of conditional criteria for Ocasio-Cortez’s re-endorsement, to which her chapter responded by withdrawing their request for national re-endorsement;

And whereas, these actions have additionally resulted in YDSA’s censure of Ocasio-Cortez;

Therefore be it resolved, that DSA formally censures United States Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez;

Be it further resolved, that DSA advises the NPC to seriously review the membership of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and reopen dialogue with NYC DSA on revoking her local endorsement, as it is the view of Convention that she is in substantial disagreement with the principles and policies of the organization, and her expulsion may thus be warranted under Article I, Section 3 of the DSA Bylaws;

Be it further resolved, that the text of this resolution be published to the public.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

This resolution for censure does not mandate significant work or cost for staff or members at the national level.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/40931 

Submitter’s source document: Resolution to Censure U.S. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

R48: Equality Before Convention

Submitted by Richard S (Greater Baltimore), Tom J (Twin Ports), Jen M (Eugene-Springfield). Qualified on May 10, 2025, with 290 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Convention is the highest body of DSA; all must be equal before it including the NPC. The NPC is able to set con rules, which privileges proposals by the NPC. Any National Convention proposals put forward by the NPC shall, at minimum, meet the same requirements for consideration as all other submitted proposals. The NPC shall not remove or reduce any requirements for National Convention proposals put forward by the NPC so as to render their requirements unequal to that of all other proposals.

Full text

Whereas, The National Political Committee (NPC), as the highest body in DSA between National Conventions, has a position of authority within DSA;

Whereas, National Convention proposals put forward by the NPC are advantaged by that position of authority;

Whereas, The NPC has approval over National Convention rules during the Pre-Convention period;

Be it therefore resolved, Any National Convention proposals put forward by the NPC shall, at minimum, meet the same requirements for consideration as all other submitted proposals;

Be it finally resolved, The NPC shall not remove or reduce any requirements for National Convention proposals put forward by the NPC so as to render their requirements unequal to that of all other proposals.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

This is a procedural resolution for Convention that does not mandate significant work or cost for staff or members at the national level.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43586 

Submitter’s source document: Equality Before Convention

R49: Resolution on the Use of X.com

Submitted by Sam L (NYC-DSA). Qualified on May 11, 2025, with 281 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

  • Resolves that DSA national committees, chapters and members will deprioritize the use of X.com in favor of other communications channels.
  • Resolves that DSA will explore the feasibility of collaborating with Tesla Takedown organizers on a boycott of X.com.

Full text

Whereas:

  • X.com, formerly known as Twitter, is privately owned by Elon Musk who is an open fascist, a sexual predator, a racist, and the world’s richest man.
  • X.com is increasingly a tool for growing the fascist movement in the United States and extending Musk’s personal control over the government.
  • Reliance on X.com for public debate and private direct messaging are both major vulnerabilities for the left that could be exploited by Musk.
  • The Tesla Takedown movement has emerged as an organic and effective form of opposition to Musk by targeting one of his companies with boycotts.

Resolved:

  • DSA and its national committees will deprioritize the use of X.com in favor of other communications channels.
  • DSA encourages DSA members and DSA chapters to deprioritize the use of X.com in favor of other communications channels.
  • DSA will explore the feasibility of collaborating with Tesla Takedown organizers on a boycott of X.com.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

This resolution does not mandate significant work or cost for staff or members at the national level.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/43166 

Submitter’s source document: Resolution on the use of X.com

Platform Changes (PC)

To be considered for debate at the Convention, amendments to the platform must have a minimum of 250 signatures of support from DSA members in good standing. Platform changes submitted by the National Political Committee with two-thirds approval may be considered even if they do not receive 250 signatures. Proposals meeting the signature requirement also become eligible for amendment prior to convention.

Any member or group of DSA members in good standing may propose amendments until the submissions period for amendments closes June 29, 2025. To qualify for discussion and consideration, the amendment must have a minimum of 250 signatures from DSA members in good standing.

In all platform amendments, added text is green and underlined, text being removed is red and struck out, and omitted text is unaffected.

PC01: Ecosocialism Within Ecological Limits: Expanding the Green New Deal

Submitted by Sämu B, Boston. Alexandria S, At-Large. Coilean M, Metro DC. Qualified on Apr 7, 2025, with 284 signatures as of May 11, 2025. Resolutions Subcommittee Review Status: Completed, Budget & Finance Review Status: Completed

Summary

Our resolution modifies the Green New Deal part of DSA’s platform to include language supporting ecosocialist organizing principles that respect our planet’s ecological limits. An economy based on the continual exponentiation of GDP ignores ecological capacity–enforcing an economic system rooted in injustice and the plundering of natural resources from frontline communities. This resolution embraces establishing Decent Living Standards and Decent Living Energy policies to meet all peoples needs.

Full text

WHEREAS, capitalism has brought humanity to the brink of annihilation by creating the conditions for a sixth mass extinction and catastrophic climate change; and,

WHEREAS, the continued rise of GHG concentrations has been fueled by the need of global capitalism for increased profits through a cycle of endless, unsustainable economic growth; and,

WHEREAS, economic growth measured by the current standard of gross domestic product (GDP) fails to account for use-value in its calculations, labelling all production as growth, including harmful, toxic, exploitative and wasteful production processes and products; and,

WHEREAS, GDP fails to account for various elements that are important for societal well-being; instead, there are many sectors that will need to grow as we transition to ecosocialism, including but not limited to: healthcare, education, public transportation, public park spaces, renewable energy; and housing.

WHEREAS, science argues that our planet has finite resources that cannot sustain the standard of 3% economic growth per year needed to maintain a standard of profit that will satiate the greed of the global capitalist class; and,

WHEREAS, the primary way DSA and YDSA have thus far engaged with this existential threat has been through the framework of the Green New Deal, which has served as a locus of popular mobilization against the neoliberal status quo, yet; and,

WHEREAS, the Green New Deal has been stalled indefinitely by the undemocratic structures of the United States government, including the Senate and Presidency, proving the necessity of agitating for working class control of climate policy and a revolutionary transformation of society; and,

WHEREAS, the conditions where the Green New Deal Campaign Commission (GNDCC) developed the Building For Power campaign have significantly changed, through the newly elected republican supermajority at the federal level, eviscerating environmental policy and enforcement mechanisms that reduced environmental impact, albeit to a limited extent; and,

WHEREAS, at the 2024 YDSA Convention, R16.1 Ecosocialism Beyond the Green New Deal overwhelmingly passed by 93% in favor, amending YDSA’s platform to include defining socialism as “democratization of all of society in order to end oppression, exploitation, and domination of people and the planet” and to fight for an economy “democratically planned to meet human needs within ecological limits”; and urging DSA writ large to adopt analogous measures; and,

WHEREAS, the movement for a Green New Deal represents a significant step in fighting the ecological crisis, yet because the ecological crisis is rooted in the fundamental tendency of capitalism towards infinite economic growth on a finite planet, an ecosocialist program must also fight for a society beyond the logic of capitalism; and,

WHEREAS, the Green New Deal, furthermore, is an opportunity to fight for a broader, transformative ecosocialist program which connects us to radicalizing young and working people throughout the course of struggle; and,

WHEREAS, overcoming the ecological crisis will require reducing material and energy throughput in the Global North countries whose economies are the engine of climate catastrophe and mass extinction at the expense of the entire world, which will in turn require the restructuring of society to meet human needs without endless economic growth, a process known as degrowth, and,

WHEREAS, revolutionizing society at the scale and scope necessary to begin rationally governing the relationship between humanity and nature, i.e., to guarantee the survival of the human species, is an immense, long-term project which necessitates a political strategy that fights for and expands the Green New Deal; and,

WHEREAS, given the gravity of the crisis we face, and our belief that DSA is and should strive to continue to be the vanguard of the socialist movement, it is our responsibility as an organization to intervene decisively in the ongoing debate around both long-term and short-term ecosocialist strategy;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, DSA’s platform shall be amended as follows:

Green New Deal

Capitalism has created an existential crisis for humanity through endless extraction, exploitation, and destruction of our planet. By cChasing short-term profits and endless economic growth, without regard for the immediate and long-term impacts, climate change is yet another challenge humans will have to overcome in the 21st century. produces catastrophic climate change. The dynamic of exploitation for profit drives a system of endless accumulation, or growth, of capital wealth. Accompanying The changing climate is a part of a planetary crisis constituted by several major trends: the sixth mass extinction and biodiversity loss, reversible and irreversible destruction of life-support ecosystems, plastic and toxin accumulation in all biomass and organisms, habitat destruction due to mining and industrial agriculture, and dispossession of Indigenous land protectors from their sovereign territories, among others. in biodiversity that is historic at a geological level. Instead of pursuing a rational strategy based in ecological science to tackle the climate and ecological breakdown, the capitalist class ignores the IPCC’s call to action to halve emissions by 2030. As global greenhouse gas concentrations exceed 419 parts per million (ppm), the global capitalist class, led by the United States of America, has used it this crisis to further already-existing massive wealth inequality, suppress democracy, make jobs precarious, foster racialized and gendered violence, militarize borders, and start endless wars. The members of global society people of the Global South and other frontline communities in the Global North are made most vulnerable by imperialism and colonialism, a cycle fueled by the capitalist class’s pursuit of endless profit and growth for the capitalist class through the exploitation of labor and extraction of natural resources from their communities. Frontline communities are hit hardest and first, and the frontlines of while the climate crisis quickly rapidly expandings to threaten the whole working class of the United States of America. Economic elites defer their timelines of action to 2050 or later, well past the time they we have to deal with consequences of their failures—but faster decarbonization and reduction of material throughput will give all of us the greatest chance of avoiding more catastrophic climate tipping points. This means that DSA affirms what scientists have already observed: biophysical, planetary limits to economic growth exist. DSA is fighting for a social order that works for people and our planet, not profit. We’re fighting for a Green New Deal–within ecological limits–that shifts power to the working class, ends the domination of massive corporations over our lives, repairs our infrastructure, and regenerates living systems.

Our goal is a truly just transition to a sustainable worldwide economy that embraces humanity's ecological limits, rejecting economic growth assessment that is not based on use value through societal and ecological needs care, that secures human flourishing for many generations to come. Our demands:

  • Decarbonize the economy within a decade.
  • Mobilize all carbon-intensive sectors of the US economy to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions at the source as fast as technically possible, and shift from endless fossil-fueled growth to regenerative systems that abide by our ecological limits.
  • Build consensus throughout the Global North for decarbonization targets that greatly outpace those of less industrialized Global South countries, which have contributed the least to and will suffer the most from global warming, while highly industrialized societies have the greatest capacity to rapidly transform to zero-carbon systems.
  • Reject greenwashing campaigns relying on false solutions in the form of growth-enabling technologies, including forms of carbon capture and storage (CCS) such as direct air capture (DACCS) and bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS).
  • Demilitarize, decolonize, and strive for a future of international solidarity and cooperation toward global climate justice.
  • [...]
  • Establish decent living energy (DLE), the minimum amount of energy needed to live, and decent living standards (DLS), the material requisites of a good life.

Capacity Commitment & Financial Impact Scores

Capacity 1: Minimal Finances 1: Less than $5000

As a political platform amendment, it does not require specific actions from staff or members, resulting in minimal time and financial commitments.

External links

Original forum submission: https://discussion.dsausa.org/t/41441 

Submitter’s source document: Ecosocialism Within Ecological Limits

Table of Capacity and Financial Scores

Please refer to this spreadsheet: DSA 2025 Convention - Cost Out Report

Index by Portfolio

Electoral

Internationalism

Labor

Other Priority Campaigns

Green New Deal & Ecosocialism

Housing

Queer Socialists Working Group & Trans Rights and Bodily Autonomy

Organizational Reform & Oversight

Democracy Commission Proposals

Constitutional and/or Bylaws Amendments

Member-Submitted and Consensus Resolutions

Program & Platform

Additional Resources

Official Convention Website

  • Opinions of the Parliamentarian

Convention 2025 Portal - DSA Discussion Forum

Official DSA Website

Minutes of Convention Planning Committees

Previous Versions

Previous Years

[1] Please refer to the individual proposals for scoring, the Consent Agenda is merely a list of items to adopt en masse.

[2] If CB01-5 is adopted, then R17 will be considered as a motion to amend something previously adopted (RONR 12th ed. 35:2.7b). Otherwise it will be considered as a regular main motion.

[3] If both CR01 and R45 are adopted, then the Resolutions Subcommittee and incoming NPC will reconcile the text of both, per the last paragraph of the Consent Agenda resolution.

[4] This score and analysis corresponds to this CB amendment’s enabling resolution, CR01: Democracy Commission National DSA & Chapter Affiliation Agreement.

[5] This score and analysis corresponds to the resolution’s enabling CB amendment, CB01-8: Implementing Chapter Affiliation Agreements.

[6] It is the opinion of the Parliamentarian that the NPC is not authorized to originate polls: only the methods described in Article XIII of the Bylaws (member or chapter originated) are allowed. You can read the opinion in full here.

[7] The authors of this resolution agreed to incorporate changes proposed in a submitted amendment, R08-A: 5% or Ordinary Business Threshold, written by Adam Ascione D’Elia (NYC).

[8] Good Steward is defined by the NTC as: providing open access to our data or to the tool itself without vendor lock-ins, if the company develops the tool directly with the community developers if the tool is Open Source, if they bottom-line community efforts around the project like conferences, trainings, or other ways to ensure everyone can learn the tool.

[9] Hosting Providers will also require a separate assessment via the same Rubric for due diligence.

[10] This resolution was originally numbered R23 (submitted by Ruy M and Sarah M) and was then merged with R12: Workers Demand the World: A Revolutionary Program for DSA (submitted by Connell H, Duncan H, Parker M, Tzipora S) by mutual agreement of the authors.