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The DSA in Its Own Words

Pocket guide to official platform planks, constitutional clauses, compute moratoria and foreign policy positions. Every line inside quotation marks is verbatim from a document the Democratic Socialists of America, its chapters, or its official publications wrote and host themselves.

How to read this

Text inside quotation marks is copied character for character from a DSA primary source. Everything outside quotation marks is a plain gloss. Each card closes with its source. Where a piece is a signed member article rather than an adopted position, the card says so, using the publication's own disclaimer.

01 // Constitution and Courts

[01.1] A new founding document. The national program's stated aim is to "draft a new constitution, and create a democratic socialist republic." (Workers Deserve More, Our Perspective)

[01.2] No independent President or Supreme Court. "Replace the President and Supreme Court with an executive and judiciary chosen by and subordinate to Congress." (Workers Deserve More, A Real Democracy)

[01.3] No Senate. The program calls to "abolish the Senate." (Workers Deserve More, A Democratic Congress)

[01.4] No Electoral College. "Abolish the Electoral College." (Workers Deserve More, A Real Democracy)

[01.5] The frame. "complete victory will require building a new society from the ground up." (Workers Deserve More, Our Perspective)

02 // Police, Prisons and Borders

[02.1] Abolition, not reform. Defunding police is framed "as steps towards fully abolishing the police and prison system which protects the rich and jails the poor." (Workers Deserve More, End Mass Incarceration and Police Immunity)

[02.2] Ballots in prison. "restore the right to vote for incarcerated people and people with criminal convictions." (Workers Deserve More, Democracy For All)

[02.3] Noncitizen voting. "Extend full voting rights to all permanent U.S. residents" (Workers Deserve More, Democracy For All)

[02.4] Amnesty. "Legalize migration, grant amnesty for all immigrants regardless of status" (Workers Deserve More, Abolish ICE)

[02.5] No deportations. "End ICE detention and deportations and punish federal agents' brutality." (Workers Deserve More, Abolish ICE)

03 // Nationalization and Abolition of Capitalism

[03.1] Public ownership of the largest firms. "Establish public ownership of the largest corporations and essential industries" (Workers Deserve More, Economic Democracy)

[03.2] The end state. "Food, education, energy, medicine, and transportation aren’t for-profit businesses; they are common goods and utilities." (Workers Deserve More, A Day Without Capitalism)

[03.3] No landlords, no mortgages. "You don’t pay a mortgage or have a landlord, because comfortable housing is a human right." (Workers Deserve More, A Day Without Capitalism)

[03.4] A classless society. "If we lived in a classless society and governed ourselves, we could freely build a world without war or poverty." (Workers Deserve More, Our Perspective)

[03.5] Against profit, for planning. "We are socialists because we reject an economic order based on private profit, alienated labor," The alternative is "a humane social order based on popular control of resources and production, economic planning, equitable distribution" (DSA Constitution, Article II)

04 // Data Centers, AI and the Grid

[04.1] Written into the national program. "We can hear it in the rumble of bulldozers making way to build detention camps and data centers." And: "We’re promised magical technology with AI, but in reality, the bosses lay us off and track our every move." (Workers Deserve More, Our Perspective)

[04.2] New York statewide moratorium. "Several pieces of legislation written by Gonzalez related to data centers, including a one-year moratorium on the largest centers, have passed the State Assembly and Senate and are now before Gov. Kathy Hochul as the omnibus Responsible Data Center Development Act." The sponsor is New York State Senator Kristen Gonzalez (NYC-DSA). (Democratic Left, How DSA Organizes Against Data Centers, July 14, 2026)

[04.3] Seattle moratorium. "A one-year moratorium on large data centers was passed in Seattle in June after a letter-writing campaign by DSA and its allies sent more than 96,000 expressions of support to the city council." (Democratic Left, July 14, 2026)

[04.4] Tucson: water permit and public power. Campaigners "got their municipality-owned water system to deny it a permit." The chapter's municipalization push is "a measure that would have put the decision of whether to dedicate a chunk of their electrical supply to data centers into public control." The same article reports construction is now underway. (Democratic Left, July 14, 2026)

[04.5] A national coordination call. The Ecosocialism Transition Committee call included "representatives from Ithaca (N.Y.), Tucson (Ariz.), Corpus Christi (Texas), Metro D.C., and Seattle DSA." Gonzalez on the call: "We have an opportunity, especially as the DSA, to continue leading in these spaces so that we can unite working people across a state like New York," (Democratic Left, July 14, 2026)

[04.6] Oregon statewide moratorium petition. A Eugene-DSA endorsed candidate launched a petition "calling on Oregon governor Tina Kotek and the Legislature to immediately impose a statewide moratorium on new data centers." (Portland DSA, The Data Centrists, Apr 23, 2026)

[04.7] Data centers, labor and war. "Data centers’ key role in AI proliferation also means they contribute significantly to the AI ‘revolution’ eviscerating labor standards around the country. But the harm is not only domestic; it’s directly tied to the horrors of the United States’ wars in the Middle East." (Portland DSA, Apr 23, 2026)

[04.8] Hillsboro rezoning. Portland DSA targets a Democratic co-sponsor of a bill "which would have rezoned 1,700 acres in Hillsboro for data center construction." Outcome: "The bill died in committee," (Portland DSA, Apr 23, 2026)

[04.9] An anti-empire fight. Gabe E. of Portland DSA on the national political education podcast: "This is an internationalist fight against the impacts of American empire." (Democratic Left, Portland DSA Organizes Against Data Centers, June 21, 2026)

[04.10] Twin Ports, Minn.: the county commission run. The chapter ran a commission candidate after sitting commissioners signed NDAs "to hide plans for a hyperscale Google data center in our region". The chapter's line: "The companies that want to build hyperscale data centers are asking too much, and we are not buying." (Democratic Left, Midterms Live Blog, Nov 2, 2026)

05 // Palestine, Armed Struggle and Intifada

[05.1] The program plank. "Recognize the rights of the Palestinian people, including the right of return, the right to resist military occupation, and the right to self determination in a free Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital." (Workers Deserve More, Free Palestine)

[05.2] Aid and prosecutions. "End all military and economic aid to Israel." And: "Prosecute U.S. and Israeli leaders responsible for the genocide in Gaza." (Workers Deserve More, Free Palestine)

[05.3] After the 2025 ceasefire. "We will break the gears of the US imperial war machine that enables Israel and halt the flow of arms and oil to ensure our comrades may resist their oppression, cast off the occupation and with dignity, freely self-determine their future." (DSA national statement, Until Palestinian Liberation, Oct 13, 2025)

[05.4] Total isolation. The same statement commits to "working in coalition to effectively isolate Israel economically, culturally, and academically." It also affirms "upholding Palestinians’ rights to resist occupation in order to secure justice and dignity." (DSA national statement, Oct 13, 2025)

[05.5] "from the river to the sea" (2025). "The only way a permanent peace can be secured is through the end of Israeli apartheid and the establishment of a democratic secular state, from the river to the sea." And: "DSA will continue to fight for the end of apartheid, for a free Palestine from the river to the sea and for an end to US imperialism." (DSA national statement, On the Ceasefire in Gaza, Jan 22, 2025)

[05.6] "FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA" (2026). "As US hegemony declines, our solidarity with Palestinian resistance and their efforts to dismantle apartheid must not falter until we see a liberated Palestine, FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA." (DSA national statement, 78th Anniversary of the Nakba, May 15, 2026)

[05.7] Armed struggle, on the national blog. Signed article by Mohamed F. and Griffin M., Sept 19, 2024, published on dsausa.org and in Democratic Left. The page itself notes: "Signed articles do not necessarily represent the views of the organization."

"Israel has completely closed off the possibility of non-violent resistance or electoral organizing for Palestinians. The only option left is armed struggle."
"Palestinians have no other option than to engage in armed resistance."
"The military capacity of Gaza’s guerilla factions has demonstrated itself to be a singularly powerful force at reuniting Palestinians around the possibilities of a military path to liberation."

Source: DSA blog, Why Palestinians Engage in Armed Struggle

[05.8] Dismantling the state, in Socialist Forum. Signed essay by Sudip Bhattacharya and Johanna Lee, Spring/Summer 2026 issue (posted Aug 27, 2026). It argues the leader, "whether an elected member of Congress or someone who organizes in a labor union, must advocate for a total displacement of what is Israel to make way for a free, independent and a united Palestine (meaning: for Israel proper to become Palestine along with all parts of Gaza and the West Bank)." Also: "Instead we must forthrightly call for the end of Israel as a political entity, and for a free and liberated Palestine in its stead." (Socialist Forum, The Case for Dismantling the Israeli State)

[05.9] The anti-Zionist endorsement test (R-22, 2025 Convention). The National Electoral Commission quotes the resolution: "Be it resolved, … 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;" (DSA National Electoral Commission, What Makes a Good DSA Campaign)

[05.10] Listed as a requirement. National endorsement criteria: "Meet the organization-wide Anti-Zionist requirements:" (DSA National Electoral Commission, DSA Endorsement)

[05.11] "Intifada" in the youth section. The 2024 YDSA convention passed Resolution 17, titled "There is only one solution! Intifada! Revolution", reported as having "passed with 91% of votes in favor." YDSA's own recruitment page adds: "Throughout this past Spring, YDSA has been at the forefront of the “Student Intifada,” which spread throughout the country." (see YDSA, 2024 Fall Recruitment Drive) (YDSA, The Activist, 2024 YDSA Convention Day 2, July 21, 2024)

06 // Military, NATO and Ideological Discipline

[06.1] Defund the military. "Defund the Department of War." (Workers Deserve More, End The U.S. War Machine)

[06.2] Every base. "End all foreign wars and close overseas military bases." (Workers Deserve More, End The U.S. War Machine)

[06.3] Leave NATO. "The United States should immediately withdraw from NATO for the following reasons." (DSA International Committee, No to NATO, June 11, 2021)

[06.4] Expulsion for disagreement. Members may be expelled if found "in substantial disagreement with the principles or policies of the organization" (DSA Bylaws, Article I, Section 3)

[06.5] Who gets endorsed. Candidates must "View themselves as socialist organizers first, and legislators second" (DSA National Electoral Commission, DSA Endorsement)

07 // Primary Source Ledger

All pages fetched and checked on 2026-11-05.

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