Who Are the Democratic Socialists?

Written by David E. Smith

Thanks to cable news and the wall-to-wall coverage of national conventions, most Americans have at least a basic sense of what Democrats and Republicans claim to represent. Yes, there’s still plenty of confusion in our political discourse — but generally speaking, Democrats push for more government intervention to solve real or perceived problems, while Republicans emphasize free markets, limited government, and individual liberty.

But how many Americans understand the goals of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)?

Their influence isn’t fringe anymore. With national figures like Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, and even rising voices like Zohran Mamdani, this movement now shapes legislation, elections, and American culture.

Here in Illinois, State Senator Robert Peters (13th District), Alderman Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33rd Ward) and former Alderman Carolos Ramirez-Rosa (35th Ward) self-identify as democratic socialists. It is also important to note that Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was elected to office with heavy socialist support and union backing.

The DSA describes itself as the largest socialist organization in the United States with nearly 100,000 members. It is gaining ground in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Seattle and of course, Chicago – where it has become a major national hub for the movement.

And since they’re seeking to influence our state and nation, we should know exactly where they want to take us. Their stated mission on their website:

DSA’s Mission is to unite workers
into a powerful political movement
to win the battle for democracy
and change the world.

Beyond the unmistakable Marxist language, one phrase should deeply concern every American who values our constitutional heritage: “win the battle for democracy.” Why? Because the United States is not a pure democracy.

We are — by design — a constitutional republic.

• In a republic, God-given rights are protected from the shifting passions of the majority.
• In a democracy, rights are whatever the ruling majority decides they are at any given moment.

James Madison warned of this danger:

“Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention.”

Our Founders deliberately chose a system where:

• Rights come from God, not the government
• The Constitution restrains government power
• The rule of law protects minorities and dissenters
• America’s system of checks and balances prevents unchecked power and keeps government officials accountable to the law — and to the people.

Democratic Socialists don’t seek to preserve the system of government given to us by our Founding Fathers — they seek to replace it. It is a fundamentally different philosophy rooted in an entirely different worldview — one that poses a direct threat to religious liberty, economic freedom, and the biblical understanding of family itself.

They would intentionally discard the very structure that made the United States exceptional by replacing our constitutional republic with a government-controlled system where all authority flows downward from the State. In their model, government becomes the ultimate provider, the ultimate protector, and finally, the ultimate authority — overshadowing the family, the church, and the individual citizen.

When government assumes the role of god:

• Conscience becomes regulated
• Worship becomes controlled
• Parents become irrelevant
• Freedom becomes conditional

And our individual rights? They would no longer be recognized as God-given, but State-granted — and therefore State-revoked the moment they become inconvenient to those in power. Democratic Socialism shouts “liberation” and “power to the people,” but it delivers control from the top down. It preaches justice while tightening the chains. It speaks of freedom while stripping it away. And behind every utopian slogan stands a government fully prepared to demand conformity and crush dissent.

According to their website, Democratic Socialists believe that:

• Private ownership is the problem
• The State should control major industries like energy, healthcare, education, and housing
• Wealth should be forcibly redistributed

In other words, government — not individuals, families, or churches — becomes the main provider.

Scripture affirms private property and personal stewardship: “You shall not steal.” — Exodus 20:15

You cannot steal what citizens are not allowed to own.

Dependency “From Cradle to Grave”

Their agenda promises:

• “Free” college
• “Free” healthcare
• “Free” childcare
• “Guaranteed” jobs
• “Guaranteed” housing

But “free” means taxpayer funded and control by bureaucrats. These programs replace independence with permanent dependency.

Where government grows, liberty shrinks.

The Social Revolution as Public Policy

Democratic Socialists are leading the charge for:

• Taxpayer-funded abortion through all nine months
• Radical gender theory in schools
• Elimination of parental rights
• Taxpayer-funded gender medical interventions on minors
• Redefinition of male, female and family

Patrisse Cullors, one of the co-founders of Black Lives Matter admitted:

“We cannot achieve socialist liberation without abolishing the nuclear family.”

This is a direct attack on God’s design for humanity.

Weakening American Sovereignty

Their immigration goals include:

• Non-citizen voting in local elections
• Sanctuary policies that shield criminals
• Mass amnesty and open borders

Not compassion — but political power.

Illinois already feels the consequences:

• Skyrocketing costs to taxpayers
• Community safety threatened
• Local services overwhelmed

Censoring Christian and Conservative Speech

Despite the “Democratic” label, this ideology:

• Punishes dissent
• Enforces speech codes
• Labels biblical morality as “hate speech”

Whenever socialism rises, freedom falls. Ask the victims that lived in Cuba, Venezuela, or China.

At its core, Democratic Socialism:

• Exalts government instead of God
• Replaces family with the State
• Substitutes truth with ideology
• Rewards envy and punishes hard work

Bottom Line

This is not just another political and cultural debate. It is a worldview war — a clash between truth and deception, freedom and control, light and darkness. What we are facing is not merely a disagreement over tax rates or government programs. It is part of the cosmic battle between God’s truth and the lies of our adversary.

It is good versus evil.

Democratic Socialism advances a counterfeit gospel: salvation through the State, equality through coercion, unity through enforced silence. It promises a man-made utopia but delivers political tyranny and spiritual bondage.

At its core, this movement seeks to replace God with government and transform citizens into subjects. That is why Christians cannot shrug this off as “just politics.” Souls, families, and freedoms are on the line.

In my opinion, the DSA is merely a stepping stone to full-blown Communism — and history proves it.

“Now the Lord is the Spirit;
and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
~2 Corinthians 3:17