As a student at Emory University in Atlanta and managing editor of the student newspaper there, I have been interested in a question that many young Americans are asking and many older Americans are revisiting: Why does socialism seem to be attracting renewed interest?
For those who grew up during the Cold War, socialism often carried associations with the Soviet Union, authoritarian governments and ideological rivalry.
Younger generations came of age in a different world. Rising housing costs, student debt, concerns over healthcare and widening wealth inequality have shaped their experiences.
For some, socialism represents an alternative vision centered on community, economic fairness and what supporters describe as putting “people over profit.”
That renewed interest has become increasingly visible nationwide and in Minnesota.
The Rise of the DSA
The Democratic Socialists of America, or DSA, is the largest socialist organization in the United States. Political activist Michael Harrington founded the organization in 1982 through the merger of the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee and the New American Movement.
Membership remained relatively steady at roughly 6,500 members through 2014. By election day in 2016, that number had climbed to 8,500.
In the months following the election, another 13,000 people joined, many of them between the ages of 18 and 35, according to the organization. Today, DSA claims roughly 100,000 members and chapters in all 50 states. The Twin Cities chapter became officially registered in 2017.
The growth of socialist organizing has been reflected in Minnesota politics. State Sen. Omar Fateh, a member of the Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America, mounted a strong mayoral campaign against incumbent Jacob Frey. Minneapolis City Council Members Robin Wonsley and Aisha Chughtai have received support from the Democratic Socialists of America, reflecting the growing influence of the organization in local politics.
At the council’s organizational meeting earlier this year, members elected Wonsley as minority leader and Chughtai as majority leader. Wonsley said she intends to serve as a voice for the four council members who identify as democratic socialists — herself, Jason Chavez, Chughtai and newly elected member Soren Stevenson.
During the meeting, however, the city attorney noted that the positions of majority and minority leader are officially nonpartisan and are intended to serve the entire council rather than any ideological caucus.
While DSA endorses candidates, it is not officially a political party but describes itself as a political and activist organization.
On its website, the Twin Cities chapter outlines seven broad demands, ranging from universal healthcare and publicly funded elections to prison abolition, the elimination of armed police and returning land to Indigenous nations. The central theme is reducing economic inequality and increasing democratic control over institutions.
“We are Socialists because we reject an economic order based on private profit, alienated labor, gross inequalities of wealth and power, discrimination based on race, sex or any other factor, and brutality and violence in defense of the status quo,” the national DSA states on its website.
Not everyone who embraces socialist ideas belongs to DSA.
Emiliana Cofell, who lives in South Minneapolis, is not affiliated with the organization but often follows its endorsements. She has participated in Democratic-Farmer-Labor caucuses and conventions and says she is motivated by what she calls “people over profit” values.
Although she grew up in Minnesota as a Democrat, it was during her undergraduate studies at Scripps College in California and graduate work at the University of Illinois that her political views evolved. Over time, she became disillusioned with both major parties and found herself drawn toward socialism.
After returning to Minnesota, she became more involved in community organizations and local activism.
“It was exciting for me to realize and feel empowered that I could look out for local community activism to get involved in,” Cofell said. “My ideology made me really motivated to want to help my community, because I see socialism as people over profit.”
Thomas Regnier, a member of Generation Z (1997-2012) who describes himself as progressive, believes some of socialism’s appeal stems from frustrations that transcend traditional partisan divides.
He points to widening wealth disparities and growing dissatisfaction with institutions.
“The extreme upper echelons of wealth are basically acting in a way that is very conspicuous,” Regnier said. “It just shows the distance from everyday working people, and that’s contributing to a lot of discontent in our society that does need to be meaningfully addressed, regardless of what one’s politics really are.”
David Tinjum, publisher of the Minneapolis Times and a self-described moderate liberal who has studied the DSA and its ideology, agrees that younger Americans face real economic pressures. But he cautions against viewing those challenges as unique.
Generational Hardship
“Every generation tends to think it has it harder than the generations that came before it,” Tinjum said. “The reality is that every generation faces its own challenges, and ours was no exception.”
Tinjum said Baby Boomers came of age amid the Vietnam War, political assassinations and social upheaval. Generation X entered adulthood during the Gulf War and economic uncertainty, while millennials faced the housing collapse and Great Recession.
“One reason older generations appear wealthier is not because they had an easy path, but because they have simply had more time to build careers, accumulate assets and establish themselves in the middle class,” he said.
An article in The Economist recently distinguished “Gen Z socialism” from the millennial version that preceded it, suggesting younger socialists are often motivated by affordability and economic security.
“What is clear is that a generation with no memory of the Cold War is asking questions about economics, inequality and the role of government that previous generations thought had largely been settled.”
Cofell agrees that the divide seems to run through generations.
In her view, it separates those who lived through the Cold War from those who did not.
“There is a really big generational gap,” she said.
To Cofell, socialism became associated with authoritarian governments during the Cold War in ways that she believes have led many Americans to misunderstand what Democratic Socialists advocate.
“Sometimes people are like, ‘We’ll take away all the money,’ or ‘take away all our houses and everything,’” she said. “People just have this view that isn’t necessarily what is actually promoted.”
A Moderate Vantage Point
Tinjum sees the issue differently.
“I view Democratic Socialism more as a belief system or set of values, like a religion, than as an economic model grounded in historical experience,” he said.
“In my view, every country that has attempted socialism has either failed outright or moved away from it over time.”
He argues that countries often cited by Democratic Socialists are fundamentally capitalist economies with robust social welfare systems.
“People often point to Scandinavia as socialist, but I would argue those countries are fundamentally market economies that have retained some social welfare programs while relying heavily on capitalism,” Tinjum said.
“The simple truth, in my opinion, is that well-regulated capitalism works. It is the engine that generates the wealth that ultimately pays for roads, police, Social Security and other public services.”
He added that he does not consider public infrastructure or social insurance programs themselves to be socialism.
“My concern is that socialist policies, when taken too far, can produce economic stagnation, poverty and social dysfunction,” he said. “History provides many examples that should serve as warnings.”
The Future
Whether socialism’s renewed popularity represents a lasting political shift or simply another chapter in America’s recurring debates over capitalism and inequality remains uncertain.
For supporters such as Cofell, Democratic Socialism offers answers to questions of affordability, opportunity and economic fairness. Critics such as Tinjum argue that history demonstrates the resilience of market economies and the dangers of pushing socialist ideas too far.
What is clear is that a generation with no memory of the Cold War is asking questions about economics, inequality and the role of government that previous generations thought had largely been settled.
Amelia Bush is the managing editor of The Emory Wheel at Emory University in Atlanta and is interning at the Hill & Lake Press. She grew up in Kenwood.
