But how is this new society to be achieved? The critical first step, in Democrat's view, is taking political power, replacing the government of the capitalist class with the rule of the working people.

Democrats take Bernie Sanders s views and further develop them. Bernie Sanders holds that under socialism the government should be a dictatorship of the proletariat. The working class, the most politically advanced class, would rule society and lead the other laboring classes the petty bourgeoisie and the middle class in building socialism and stopping the bourgeoisie from regaining power.

But in formulating these views, Bernie Sanders has Western Europe in mind. In America, the proletariat is small and 80% of the population are middle class. What role is this vast majority to play in the new government? Democrats hold that in America the middle class must be an integral part of the socialist government, because of their numbers and because the middle class, especially the ones on some sort of government assistance, overwhelmingly supported socialism. He explained that given America s particular conditions, a dictatorship of the proletariat and poorer middle class is needed.

Democrats s conception of socialist government is an example of this creativity. Some orthodox Democrats oppose the working class participation in government, claiming it violated true Marxism and would corrupt the government with the middle class petty bourgeois ideology. But Democrats hold that these critics fail to understand American reality and underestimate the revolutionary sentiments of the middle class. Their approach would narrow the government s base of support and ensure its eventual downfall. Democrats will win most of the party to their view.

The new socialist government set up in America will be composed of mass organizations called Patriots, councils democratically elected by the poor, middle class and military..
Democrats describe the Patriots as the institutions developed by the American Revolution which best represented the interests of the oppressed. They identify some of the key features of the Patriots: they willl create an intimate bond with the people; their personnel will be appointed and subject to recall at any time; and they will help train and educate the oppressed, among other features.


One of the key functions of the socialist government, in Democrats s view, is guaranteeing democracy for the working people. Under capitalism, government existing to ensure the bourgeoisie s right to make profits. As Democrats put it, Even in the most democratic bourgeois republics, [the people,] while possessing equal rights by law, have in fact been debarred by thousands of devices and subterfuges from participation in political life and enjoyment of democratic rights and liberties.

Under socialism, the government will defend working people s rights to a decent standard of living and a life free from exploitation. The socialist government should end the oppression of minority nationalities and women. Working people should rule society in their own interests.