Socialism in the United States

Socialism in the United States has encompassed various types of tendencies, including utopian socialists, anarchists, democratic socialists, social democrats, Marxist–Leninists, and Trotskyists. These movements trace their origins back to utopian communities that took root in the early 19th century, such as the Shakers, the activist visionary Josiah Warren, and intentional communities inspired by Charles Fourier. In the 1860s, immigration from Europe of radical labor activists, particularly of German, Jewish, and Scandinavian backgrounds, led to the establishment of the International Workingmen's Association in 1864 and the Socialist Labor Party of America in 1877.

During the 1870s, socialists of various tendencies actively participated in early American labor organizations and workers' demands to improve working conditions, as well as to officially recognize and practically implement the basic labor rights. These grievances culminated in the 1886 Haymarket massacre in Chicago, which resulted in the death of eleven people. One of the consequences of this tragic event was the establishment of International Workers' Day, which was proclaimed as a fundamental labor holiday. Apart from that, workers' organizations and socialist parties worldwide made the establishment of an eight-hour workday their primary objective.

In 1901, multiple socialist parties merged to create the Socialist Party of America (SPA). In 1905, anarchists created the Industrial Workers of the World. The Socialist Party of America, led by its national chairman Eugene V. Debs (who was also the SPA's candidate in the U.S. presidential elections), played a crucial role in igniting a widespread socialist opposition to World War I, which eventually led to the nationwide governmental repression collectively known as the First Red Scare. The Socialist Party declined in the 1920s, but the party nonetheless often ran Norman Thomas for president. In the 1930s, the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA) played a significant role in the labor and racial struggles of that time. In the 1950s, socialism was affected by McCarthyism, and in the 1960s, it was revived by the widespread radicalization brought by the New Left and similar movements' social struggles and revolts. In the 1960s, Michael Harrington and other socialists were called to assist the Kennedy administration and then the Johnson administration's War on Poverty and Great Society, while socialists also played important roles in the civil rights movement.

In the 1990s, interest in socialism slowly began to rise again, particularly among Millennials. The anarchist-associated alter-globalization movement led numerous protests against the World Trade Organization. In 2011, Occupy Wall Street further spurred the growth of socialist organizations. In 2015, Bernie Sanders's presidential campaign led to an explosion of socialist organizing, with the associated Democratic Socialists of America reaching membership levels similar to those of the 1900s.

Unlike in Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, a major socialist party has never materialized in the United States, whose socialist movement was relatively weak in comparison. The legacy of slavery entrenched deep racial divisions within the American working class, in stark contrast to the more cohesive labor movements in countries without such a history. These divisions created a two-tiered labor force with differing political priorities along racial lines, ultimately undermining class solidarity. Many white working-class Americans were reluctant to support progressive policies they perceived as disproportionately benefiting Black Americans, fearing these changes would come at the expense of their own economic well-being. As a result, many white voters gravitated toward conservative, anti-socialist ideologies, which promised to protect their economic interests and social status. In the United States, socialism can be stigmatized because it is commonly associated with authoritarian socialism, the Soviet Union, and other authoritarian Marxist–Leninist regimes. Writing for The Economist, Samuel Jackson argued that socialism has been used as a pejorative term, without any clear definition, by conservatives and right-libertarians to taint liberal and progressive policies, proposals, and public figures. The term socialization has been mistakenly used to refer to any state or government-operated industry or service (the proper term for such being either municipalization or nationalization). The term has also been used to mean any tax-funded programs, whether privately run or government-run. The term socialism has been used to argue against economic interventionism, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Medicare, the New Deal, Social Security, and universal single-payer health care, among others.

Milwaukee has had several socialist mayors, such as Emil Seidel, Daniel Hoan, and Frank Zeidler, whilst Socialist Party presidential candidate Eugene V. Debs won nearly one million votes in the 1920 U.S. presidential election. Moreover, self-declared democratic socialist Bernie Sanders won 13 million votes in the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primary, gaining considerable popular support, particularly among the younger generation and the working class. A September 2025 Gallup poll reported 39% of American adults had a positive view of socialism and 54% had a positive view of capitalism, down from 60% in 2021. In 2025, democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani defeated independent candidate Andrew Cuomo to win the mayorality of New York City, the United States' most populous city.