What Is Democratic Socialism?
Democratic socialism is a political ideology that supports a democratically run and decentralized socialist economy. Part of the Socialist family.
Definition
Democratic socialism is a political ideology that supports a democratically run and decentralized socialist economy.
Core ideas
- A socialist economy run democratically.
- Decentralized rather than state-directed control.
Definition based on Britannica: Democratic socialism (checked October 20, 2026).
Where Democratic Socialism sits on the Atlas maps
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 18 | toward collective / planned | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 21 | toward progressive | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 22 | toward libertarian | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 25 | toward cosmopolitan | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 28 | toward non-intervention |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 12 | strongly toward collective ownership |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 35 | near the center |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 25 | toward cosmopolitan |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 22 | toward progressive |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 9 | strongly toward democratic |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 14 | strongly toward egalitarian |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 72 | toward state planning |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 28 | toward non-intervention |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 18 | toward secular state |
These positions are estimates on the Atlas’s nine-dimension scale, produced by running the tradition’s core principles through the same questions and scoring used for test-takers. They are interpretations for comparison, not objective measurements. How scores are made.
Estimated positions on key questions
| Statement | Position | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Opposition parties should be free to compete in elections. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Religious doctrine should take precedence over civil law when they conflict. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| People should be free to criticize the government without fear of legal punishment. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Preserving a historic national majority is a legitimate immigration objective. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Society works best when established social hierarchies are respected. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Same-sex couples should have the same right to marry as opposite-sex couples. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Major industries should be publicly owned rather than privately controlled. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Military power should be used proactively when serious external threats are emerging. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Regulations on business should be minimized whenever possible. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Peaceful protests should be permitted even when they seriously disrupt daily life. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
Related ideologies
Utopian Socialism95% similar position · SocialistEurocommunism94% similar position · SocialistSyndicalism94% similar position · SocialistRevolutionary Syndicalism93% similar position · SocialistLuxemburgism92% similar position · SocialistLibertarian Socialism92% similar position · Socialist
Main differences from the closest ideologies
- Compared with Utopian Socialism, Democratic Socialism sits 10 points further toward intervention on the foreign policy dimension.
- Compared with Eurocommunism, Democratic Socialism sits 7 points further toward non-intervention on the foreign policy dimension.
- Compared with Syndicalism, Democratic Socialism sits 6 points further toward intervention on the foreign policy dimension.
Comparisons
Democratic Socialism vs Social Democracy · Socialism vs Communism
Figures with the closest estimated positions
Closeness of estimated positions only; this does not mean these people identify with Democratic Socialism.
Olof Palme94% similar positionAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez93% similar positionBernie Sanders92% similar positionSam Seder92% similar positionIlhan Omar92% similar positionKyle Kulinski92% similar position
Sources
- Britannica: Democratic socialism
- Wikipedia: Democratic Socialism (Wikipedia search)
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Socialism
Position last reviewed: not yet reviewed individually.