Socialist Party of Michigan

This workshop will engage in a contemporary and historical examination of independent socialist political action in the United States, as well as the various efforts that have been undertaken throughout the past century to develop a mass-based labor party capable of sustainably breaking through the United States' long-standing two-party system. Particular attention will be given to analyzing the factors underlying the historically recurrent tendency of such efforts to quickly falter back into two major parties, as well as historical exceptions to this tendency, and the comparative developments and trajectories of such efforts in other nations abroad. The workshop will also strive to identify what immediate and long-term goals independent socialist action can best be aimed at achieving, what kinds of organizational questions (if any) may have determinative impact on its success, and how efforts at independent socialist political action can most effectively relate to contemporary social movements and grassroots struggles.

As one of the only two-nations in the world lacking uniform ballot access standards for candidates and parties seeking nationally elected office, the U.S. ballot access restrictions are not only among the world's most disparate, but also among its most restrictive. Correspondingly, to the extent that alternatives running outside the two major parties are able to gain access to election ballots, they tend to remain strongly disadvantaged by the U.S.'s plurality voting system, while being customarily excluded from most election media coverage and election debates. In response to such widespread impediments to meaningful electoral participation, a number of grassroots movements and coalitions for participatory election reform have been slowly but steadily growing over the past decade. In support of such efforts, this workshop will strive to provide an in-depth investigation into key reform measures that can significantly help level the playing-field for alternative political voices. Through the active input of participants, this workshop will then aim to develop a set of key areas for strategic focus that all participants can bring back to focus-related grassroots organizations and networks in their locales.

This workshop will engage in a contemporary and historical examination of independent socialist political action in the United States, as well as the various efforts that have been undertaken throughout the past century to develop a mass-based labor party capable of sustainably breaking through the United States' long-standing two-party system. Particular attention will be given to analyzing the factors underlying the historically recurrent tendency of such efforts to quickly falter back into two major parties, as well as historical exceptions to this tendency, and the comparative developments and trajectories of such efforts in other nations abroad. The workshop will also strive to identify what immediate and long-term goals independent socialist action can best be aimed at achieving, what kinds of organizational questions (if any) may have determinative impact on its success, and how efforts at independent socialist political action can most effectively relate to contemporary social movements and grassroots struggles.

As one of the only two-nations in the world lacking uniform ballot access standards for candidates and parties seeking nationally elected office, the U.S. ballot access restrictions are not only among the world's most disparate, but also among its most restrictive. Correspondingly, to the extent that alternatives running outside the two major parties are able to gain access to election ballots, they tend to remain strongly disadvantaged by the U.S.'s plurality voting system, while being customarily excluded from most election media coverage and election debates. In response to such widespread impediments to meaningful electoral participation, a number of grassroots movements and coalitions for participatory election reform have been slowly but steadily growing over the past decade. In support of such efforts, this workshop will strive to provide an in-depth investigation into key reform measures that can significantly help level the playing-field for alternative political voices. Through the active input of participants, this workshop will then aim to develop a set of key areas for strategic focus that all participants can bring back to focus-related grassroots organizations and networks in their locales.