MIA: History: ETOL: Document: Education for Socialist Bulletin: Aspects Of Socialist Election Policy
Encyclopedia of Trotskyism On-Line
—Socialist Workers Party [US] Education for Socialist Bulletins—
Aspects Of Socialist Election Policy
Introductory Note
Revolutionary Marxists have a long and rich history of utilizing the capitalist election arena. for their own purposes. These traditions the traditions of Marx, Engels, and Lenin—in the area of electoral activity have been applied and enriched by the American Trotskyist movement.
Since 1929 when the Communist League of America (Left Opposition) ran its first candidate—a city council position in Minneapolis—the Trotskyist movement has participated in the electoral arena with its own candidates. A study of these campaigns—how they were organized and what issues they raised is important and necessary.
However, another important area of electoral work and the purpose of this selection of documents and articles is to make available the experience of revolutionary socialists with forms of electoral work other than running its own candidates. These include the tactic of critical support, independent political action by labor and oppressed nationalities, and united socialist tickets, as well as forms that socialists do not support, such as capitalist third parties.
Doug Jenness,
February, 1971* * *
CONTENTS
I. THE COMMUNIST ATTITUDE TO PARLIAMENTARY REFORMISM
Theses Adopted at the 2nd Congress of the Communist International, 1920
II. CAMPAIGN FOR A LABOR PARTY!
III. CAPITALIST PEACE POLITICS: 1948 and 1968
Election Policy in 1948,
Summary Speech on Election Policy,
What McReynolds reveals about Peace and Freedom,
Letter from Dave McReynolds
Peace and Freedom: the trouble with a ‘minimum program’
Letter to The Militant, from
Who benefits from Black Panther, P & F alliance ?
P & F since the elections,
IV. UNITED SOCIALIST TICKET IN 1958
Regroupment and United Socialist Political Action
V. BLACK DEMOCRATS
Conditional Support of Black Candidates
Comments on the Trotsky-Johnson Discussion
Fundamental Aspects of the Atkinson Question
Cleveland Negro Almost Upset Machine,
Why Pres. Johnson Favors Stokes for Cleveland Mayor
Stokes’ Cleveland Victory,
Stokes-Hatcher Victory: A Real Gain for Blacks ?
VI. THE TACTIC OF CRITICAL SUPPORT
“Independent” Campaigns and the Tactic of Critical Support
The Aptheker Campaign,
The Silberman, Levin, Weinstein and Nakashima Campaigns,