Is Socialism Making a Comeback?

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Original Air Date: 
August 04, 2018

The Democratic Party is facing a new challenge, from the Left. Because for the first time in decades, socialism is making sense to American voters — it's no longer a dirty word for politicians. But could socialism really be a force in American politics? 

This hour: how and why American Socialism is on the rise. And what does it look like — on the ground and in elected office?

Kshama Sawant, councilwoman in Seattle
Articles

Seattle councilwoman Kshama Sawant is the first socialist to win an election there in almost a century. Her platform included fighting for — and winning — a $15 minimum wage, and a tax on the wealthy.

Length: 
7:06
Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail.
Articles

Sean Wilentz is a leading American historian and a proud liberal. Steve Paulson asked for his take on the new pink tint in Democratic politics.

Length: 
9:24
An aerial shot of the Garden Homes neighborhood in Milwaukee.
Photo Gallery

Could socialism ever really take off in America? Half a century ago, socialists ruled a major American city — Milwaukee. Haleema Shah walks the streets of Wisconsin's biggest city to learn more about what socialist policy looked like on the ground.

Length: 
11:58
Demonstrators march for "Medicare for All" and other socialist-leaning policy goals.
Audio

University of Wisconsin sociologist Erik Olin Wright was one of the world's leading Marxist theorists. He died in early 2019. In 2018, he stopped by our studio to talk socialism with Steve Paulson.

Length: 
11:11
Brother Ali
Audio

You can find powerful critiques of capitalism and inequality on political platforms — and also on music stages. Take Brother Ali: he’s a Midwestern, Muslim rapper and one of the most popular socially-conscious hip hop artists out there.

Length: 
12:35
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Airdates
August 04, 2018
Last modified: 
August 03, 2018