Socialism in the United States is a broad movement that has encompassed a wide range of tendencies and theories. As an ideological family, it includes democratic socialism, social democracy, communism, and libertarian/anarcho-socialist. As economic models, it includes market socialism and state socialism. Philosophically, it includes Marxism, ethical socialism, utopian socialism, Christian socialism, and libertarian/anarcho-socialist thought. The movement has included both reformist socialism, which seeks change through elections, unions, and legislation, and revolutionary socialism, which seeks to replace capitalism through revolution.
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.Remes, Jacob (April 30, 2012). "May Day's radical history". Salon. Retrieved July 19, 2019. "In 1889, French syndicalist Raymond Lavigne proposed to the Second International—the international and internationalist coalition of socialist parties—that May 1 be celebrated internationally the next year to honor the Haymarket Martyrs and demand the eight-hour day, and the year after that the International adopted the day as an international workers' holiday. In countries with strong socialist and communist traditions, May 1 became the primary day to celebrate work, workers and their organizations, often with direct and explicit reference to the martyrs of the Haymarket Massacre. May Day remains an official holiday in countries ranging from Argentina to India to Malaysia to Croatia—and dozens of countries in between."
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.Anderson, Jervis (1973) . A. Philip Randolph: A Biographical Portrait. University of California Press. . Anderson, Jervis (1997). Bayard Rustin: Troubles I've Seen. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. Branch, Taylor (1989). Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954–63. New York: Touchstone. D'Emilio, John (2003). Lost Prophet: Bayard Rustin and the Quest for Peace and Justice in America. New York: The Free Press. D'Emilio, John (2004). Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
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,Foner, Eric (1984). "Why is there no socialism in the United States". History Workshop (17). where the socialist movement has been 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.Truman, Harry S. (October 10, 1952). "Rear Platform and Other Informal Remarks in New York". Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum. "The directive was drafted by Senator Taft at that famous breakfast in New York City a few weeks ago. Senator Taft left that meeting and told the press what the General stands for. Taft explained that the great issue in this campaign is "creeping socialism." Now that is the patented trademark of the special interest lobbies. Socialism is a scare word they have hurled at every advance the people have made in the last 20 years. Socialism is what they called public power. Socialism is what they called social security. Socialism is what they called farm price supports. Socialism is what they called bank deposit insurance. Socialism is what they called the growth of free and independent labor organizations. Socialism is their name for almost anything that helps all the people. When the Republican candidate inscribes the slogan "Down With Socialism" on the banner of his "great crusade," that is really not what he means at all. What he really means is, "Down with Progress--down with Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal," and "down with Harry Truman's fair Deal." That is what he means." Retrieved February 14, 2020.Reinhardt, Uwe E. (8 May 2009). "What Is 'Socialized Medicine'?: A Taxonomy of Health Care Systems". Economix. The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
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.Paul, Ari (November 19, 2013). "Seattle's election of Kshama Sawant shows socialism can play in America". The Guardian. Retrieved February 9, 2014.Brockell, Gillian (February 13, 2020). "Socialists were winning U.S. elections long before Bernie Sanders and AOC". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 14, 2020. 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 May 2025 Cato/YouGov survey found that 62 percent of young Americans (18-29) looked favorably upon socialism and 34 percent of them had a favorable view of communism. A September 2026 Gallup poll reported 43% of American adults had a positive view of socialism and 55% had a positive view of capitalism. 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.
19th century Utopian socialism and communities
Utopian socialism was the first American socialist movement. Utopians attempted to develop model socialist societies to demonstrate the virtues of their brand of beliefs. Most utopian socialist ideas originated in Europe, but the United States was most often the site for the experiments themselves. Many utopian experiments occurred in the 19th century as part of this movement, including Brook Farm, New Harmony, the Shakers, the Amana Colonies, the Oneida Community, The Icarians, Bishop Hill Commune, Aurora, Oregon, and Bethel, Missouri.
Robert Owen, a wealthy Welsh industrialist, turned to social reform and socialism and in 1825 founded a communitarian colony called New Harmony in southwestern Indiana. The group fell apart in 1829, mostly due to conflict between utopian ideologues and non-ideological pioneers. In 1841, transcendentalist utopians founded Brook Farm, a community based on Frenchman Charles Fourier's brand of socialism. Nathaniel Hawthorne was a member of this short-lived community, and Ralph Waldo Emerson had declined invitations to join. The group had trouble reaching financial stability, and many members left as their leader, George Ripley, turned more and more to Fourier's doctrine. All hope for its survival was lost when the expensive, Fourier-inspired main building burnt down while under construction. The community dissolved in 1847.
Fourierists also attempted to establish a community in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The North American Phalanx community constructed a Phalanstère—Fourier's concept of a communal living structure—out of two farmhouses and an addition that linked the two. The community lasted from 1844 to 1856, when a fire destroyed the community's flour and saw mills, alongside several workshops. The community had already begun to decline after an ideological schism in 1853. French socialist Étienne Cabet, frustrated in Europe, sought to use his Icarian movement to replace capitalist production with workers cooperatives. He became the most popular socialist advocate of his day, with a special appeal to English artisans who were being undercut by factories. In the 1840s, Cabet led groups of emigrants to found utopian communities in Texas and Illinois. However, his work was undercut by his many feuds with his own followers.C. Johnson, Utopian Communism in France: Cabot and the Icarians (1974)