2025 Convention Survey 1.0 - Reform & Revolution

Welcome to the 2025 DSA Pre-Convention Survey.

Presented by the Reform & Revolution caucus.

Welcome!

From party-building, to labor, to the state of our national and local organizing, there are so many important issues facing DSA. But how can our organization most effectively take account of and understand the various perspectives of our members?

Our aim with this survey is to learn more about the perspectives of DSA members on key issues. We will make available the anonymyized results of the survey sometime later in the pre-convention period.

We hope that the results of this survey will help to better inform DSA leaders and convention delegates on the priorities and concerns of the wider DSA membership.

The survey should take only 5 minutes to complete. You can fill it out yourself, or click here to schedule a call with one of our survey organizers to complete the survey over the phone. Thank you for your participation.

Respondent Information

Full Name

Phone Number

Email

I consent to follow-up communications related to this survey.

Yes No

DSA Chapter

Are you a member of a DSA Caucus?

If you selected other, what caucus(es) are you a member of?

Were you a delegate to the 2023 convention?

Yes No

Are you planning on running to be a delegate to the 2025 DSA Convention?

Thinking back over the last two months, about how many hours did you spend on DSA activities per week?

What major areas of work are you involved with in DSA?

How many years have you been in DSA (round to the nearest whole number).

2 for two years in DSA.

In you own words, what would you like to see prioritized at the 2025 DSA National Convention?

We will now begin the quantitative section of the survey.

Please answer the following questions on a scale of 1 to 5, with

1 meaning 'Strongly Disagree,'

2 meaning 'Somewhat Disagree'

3 meaning 'Neither Agree Nor Disagree'

4 meaning 'Somewhat Agree'

5 meaning 'Strongly Agree'

and 0 meaning 'Decline to answer.'

This section asks about the overall state of DSA.

Overall, DSA is prepared to meet the current political moment.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

There is a high level of communication and coordination between the national organization and chapters.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

DSA has the potential to be transformed into a mass socialist party.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

The National Political Committee elected at the last DSA convention has done the best job possible over the last two years.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

Small chapters deserve additional resources and support from the national organization.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

DSA National was wrong to lay off national staffers

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

The national organization is an effective steward of DSA’s financial resources.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

I feel the impact of DSA national staff on my organizing

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

The next section asks about politics and theory.

Are there any ideological labels with which you identify. If so, please list some or all.

Eg. Democratic socialist, Marxist, Maoist, Anarchist, Ecosocialist

The major political division within DSA is between social democrats and revolutionary socialists.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

DSA would benefit from a national program which more clearly outlines a break with the US capitalist system.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

Marxism should be the guiding philosophy of DSA

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

People in DSA spend too much time talking about theory

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

The following questions ask about electoral politics.

Making real steps towards the formation of a new party is one of the most vital tasks for DSA at this moment.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

DSA should break more fully with the Democratic Party

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

DSA needs to prioritize running ‘cadre candidates’ for public office.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

National DSA should have endorsed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in her 2024 re-election bid

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

There is still value in running candidates on the Democratic Party ballot line.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

A ‘pre-party’ slate of 10 DSA cadre candidates running in 2026 would help DSA move towards launching a new party.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

Any DSA member seeking public office should first receive the agreement of their local chapter, rather than seeking an endorsement after launching their campaign.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

DSA chapters should still be able to call for votes for non-cadre or non-DSA member candidates, whether this is called an ‘endorsement,’ a ‘second-tier endorsement,’ or a ‘voter guide.’

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

The following questions ask about internationalism.

DSA should support the US government sending arms to Ukraine to defend against the Russian invasion.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

DSA should support a ceasefire in the Ukraine-Russia conflict

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

DSA should support a ceasefire in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, even if it means Ukraine giving up sovereign control over parts now occupied by Russia, such as Crimea and the Donbass.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

It is likely that someone I know personally will be deported for their pro-Palestinian activism by Trump over the next 6 months.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

Campism is a political problem in DSA's international work

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

The fight against the genocide in Gaza should continue to be one of DSA's top priorities

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

The Cuban government acts in the interest of the Cuban working class

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

DSA should prioritize relationships with the leading, most influential left-wing parties/organizations in other countries rather than smaller parties/working class organizations that we are more politically aligned with.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

The following questions ask about DSA and the labor movement.

The labor movement is one of the most important fields of activity for socialists.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

The National Labor Commission is an effective leader of DSA’s national labor work.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

Too often, DSA’s labor work tails the union bureaucracy

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

Support from at least a handful of trade unions is vital to the success of a new political party.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

Socialists should not take a side in contract disputes unless they are a member of the union bargaining unit.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

The job of socialists in the labor movement goes beyond being a good trade unionist.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

It is not the job of socialists to tell union members what to do.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

Union staff organizers deserve the right to form staff unions and bargain collectively.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

UAW President Shawn Fain was right to endorse Kamala Harris

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

UAW President Shawn Fain was wrong to tell UAW members that Kamala Harris was "on our side."

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

Even the progressive unions will not back a new party without an energetic internal campaign

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

DSA should have held a bit more distance from Teamsters' President Sean O'Brien

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

It is not appropriate for staff unions to conduct strikes or other labor actions which disrupt the operations of the union in any way.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

At least five percent of union members in the United States hold politics which closely align with DSA.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

Fighting Trump, The Capitalist Class & The Right

DSA Must Do More To Resist Trump

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

Mass resistance to Trump will emerge sometime over the next 3 months.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

Mass resistance to Trump will emerge sometime over the next 6 months.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

Mass resistance to Trump will emerge sometime over the next two year.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

DSA organizing to establish sanctuary cities for abortion rights, gender-affirming healthcare, and to stop deportations would be an effective way to fight back against Trump

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

DSA should help organize national days of action to fight back against Trump.

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

The force necessary to stand up to Trump will come from the labor movement

1 - Strongly Disagree 2 - Somewhat disagree 3 - Neutral 4 - Somewhat Agree 5 - Strongly Agree 0 - No Answer

Additional Notes, Comments, or Feedback.

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