The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) released its official 2026 national program, titled Workers Deserve More, on July 14, 2026. Drafted between April and June 2026 by a committee elected under rules from the 2025 DSA National Convention, the document was finalized and approved by the National Political Committee. It is available at program.dsausa.org and outlines the organization’s vision for transforming the United States into a democratic socialist society.
With membership exceeding 120,000, DSA describes the program as a long-term roadmap. Some demands could be pursued under the current system, while full realization would require deeper structural changes, including a new constitution and a democratic socialist republic. The program is organized into three main sections: Thriving Working-Class Communities, Working-Class Foreign Policy, and Working-Class Democracy.
Thriving Working-Class Communities
This section focuses on everyday economic security and public services. Key proposals include:
- A 32-hour workweek with full pay and benefits, paid family leave for all workers, and a living minimum wage.
- Free, quality public education from pre-K through college, plus cancellation of all student debt.
- Universal healthcare at no cost to individuals, with expanded public hospitals and clinics and free medical education and training.
- Housing treated as a human right through new publicly owned social housing, universal rent control, regulation of investment properties, and a guaranteed right to counsel for tenants.
- A Green New Deal featuring a federal jobs guarantee, massive public investment in sustainable energy and transit, phase-out of fossil fuels, and public ownership of major energy infrastructure.
- Steps toward ending mass incarceration, including demilitarizing police departments, ending qualified immunity, empowering civilian oversight, treating addiction and mental health as health issues, and redirecting funds as part of a longer-term goal of abolishing the police and prison system.
- Policies to address legacies of slavery and colonialism, including reparations and major investment in neglected communities, plus strengthened anti-discrimination measures and respect for tribal sovereignty.
- Support for equal rights and fair compensation for all forms of labor, including care work.
Working-Class Foreign Policy
DSA calls for major shifts in U.S. international engagement:
- Defunding the Department of War (Defense), ending foreign wars, closing overseas military bases, and supporting veterans.
- Ending economic sanctions, blockades, and embargoes against countries such as Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran.
- Full recognition of Palestinian rights, including the right of return and self-determination in a free Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital; ending all military and economic aid to Israel; and supporting accountability measures related to the conflict in Gaza.
- Abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), ending detention and deportations, legalizing migration, granting amnesty to immigrants regardless of status, providing a path to citizenship for permanent residents, and removing visa caps and quotas.
Working-Class Democracy
The democracy section proposes fundamental changes to U.S. political institutions:
- Extending full voting rights to all permanent U.S. residents and restoring voting rights for people with criminal convictions; establishing statehood for Washington, D.C.; and recognizing self-determination for U.S. territories.
- Ending the role of money in politics by eliminating lobbyists and dark money, overturning Citizens United, and publicly financing elections.
- Abolishing the Electoral College.
- Replacing the president and Supreme Court with an executive and judiciary chosen by and subordinate to Congress.
- Abolishing the Senate, expanding the House of Representatives, implementing proportional representation and ranked-choice voting, and moving to a multi-party system.
- Establishing public ownership of the largest corporations and essential industries, along with aggressive wealth taxes on the richest individuals and corporations.
- Strengthening workers’ rights to organize, join, and strike with unions across all industries.
Context and Reception in 2026
The program has drawn significant attention throughout July and into early August 2026. Coverage in outlets including USA Today, the Boston Globe, CNN, and others has highlighted both popular economic demands (such as higher wages, free college, and healthcare) and more far-reaching structural proposals. DSA co-chairs have publicly confirmed support for the platform’s core elements in interviews. The organization continues to grow and win local and state races while using the document as a shared political framework for members and candidates.
As of August 5, 2026, “Workers Deserve More” remains the current official DSA program guiding the organization’s work heading into the midterm elections and beyond.
What do you think about the proposals in the Democratic Socialists of America platform 2026? Share your thoughts in the comments and stay tuned for the latest updates on this evolving story.