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

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I. THE COMMUNIST ATTITUDE TO PARLIAMENTARY REFORMISM

Theses Adopted at the 2nd Congress of the Communist International, 1920

II. CAMPAIGN FOR A LABOR PARTY! by James P. Cannon

III. CAPITALIST PEACE POLITICS: 1948 and 1968

Election Policy in 1948, by James P. Cannon

Summary Speech on Election Policy, by James P. Cannon

What McReynolds reveals about Peace and Freedom, by Tom Kerry

Letter from Dave McReynolds

Peace and Freedom: the trouble with a ‘minimum program’ by Tom Kerry

Letter to The Militant, from Leonard Brenner Glaser

Who benefits from Black Panther, P & F alliance ? by Tom Kerry

P & F since the elections, by Mary-Alice Waters

IV. UNITED SOCIALIST TICKET IN 1958

Regroupment and United Socialist Political Action by Murry Weiss

V. BLACK DEMOCRATS

Conditional Support of Black Candidates

Comments on the Trotsky-Johnson Discussion by George Breitman

Fundamental Aspects of the Atkinson Question by Farrell Dobbs

Cleveland Negro Almost Upset Machine, by Eric Reinthaler

Why Pres. Johnson Favors Stokes for Cleveland Mayor by Eric Reinthaler

Stokes’ Cleveland Victory, by Elizabeth Barnes

Stokes-Hatcher Victory: A Real Gain for Blacks ? by Elizabeth Barnes

VI. THE TACTIC OF CRITICAL SUPPORT

“Independent” Campaigns and the Tactic of Critical Support

The Aptheker Campaign, by Barry Sheppard

The Silberman, Levin, Weinstein and Nakashima Campaigns, by Jack Barnes

Encyclopedia of Trotskyism On-Line

—Socialist Workers Party [US] Education for Socialist Bulletins—

Aspects Of Socialist Election Policy

Introductory Note

CONTENTS