This episode continues the podcast's exploration of what we are building on today's Left by taking a look at the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

Most of our audience is likely to be familiar with DSA, at least by name. It's an organization that has moved from one intra-organizational controversy to the next, with the dramas often playing out in the algorithm-driven public square of Twitter (now also known as x.com). Most recently it was targeted for the stance some members took on Gaza in the early days after October 7.

However, while it's easy to focus on the internal churn, DSA is one of the most robust membership organizations on the US Left. It has thousands of smart and capable people actively invested in its success who fight tooth-and-nail over the direction of DSA. That is why there’s drama. Unlike a lot of staff-led movement NGOs, DSA has a governance structure that channels internal political struggle and makes it constructive for the organization as a whole. That’s why DSA has survived the challenging period of 2020-2023 — Bernie’s defeat, the pandemic, a new terrain under Biden and ensuing re-evaluation on the Left — with only a 20-30% membership melt, much lower than that of many progressive movement groups that peaked in the Trump era.

Hegemonicon host William Lawrence credits this resilience for his recent increased involvement as a rank-and-file member of Greater Lansing DSA. Last August he attended the DSA Convention as an alternate delegate from the chapter. Joining him this episode to discuss the process, struggles, and potential of DSA in this moment and beyond are National Political Committee Co-Chairs Ashik Siddique and Megan Romer.

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