Socialist Party in 2020 Conventions
On Corporations:
Wall Street criminals must be jailed
The vast wealth of the giant banks and corporations is created by workers labor and the exploitation of the world's diminishing natural resources. The billionaires looted and destroyed the economy.
It is time to seize their assets and use those resources in the interests of the vast majority. Power must be taken out of the hands of the super rich, and Wall Street criminals must be jailed.
Source: PSL's 2020 Ten Point Program (2020 Socialist Convention)
Aug 15, 2020
On Crime:
End racism, police brutality, mass incarceration
Mass incarceration and racist policing are symptomatic of the 400 years of brutal repression meted out to African-descended peoples in the U.S. and the genocide committed against the Native nations. Reparations must be paid to the African
American and Native communities! More than 2.2 million people are behind bars in the largest prison complex in the world. End mass incarceration of oppressed and all working class people. Fully prosecute all acts of police brutality and violence.
Source: PSL's 2020 Ten Point Program (2020 Socialist Convention)
Aug 15, 2020
On Energy & Oil:
Use sustainable energy, stop fossil fuel pollution
Global warming, pollution, acidified and depleted oceans, fracking, critical drought, plastics choking the seas, nuclear weapons and waste--it is clear that capitalism and production for profit are destroying the planet and threatening all life.
The crisis is already here, with the most vulnerable and oppressed areas bearing the brunt. Using truly sustainable energy and seizing the oil and coal companies to stop fossil fuel pollution, are urgent steps needed to reverse climate change.
Source: PSL's 2020 Ten Point Program (2020 Socialist Convention)
Aug 15, 2020
On Energy & Oil:
Stop destruction of Native lands by mining interests
Both major parties have continued to allow the destruction of Native lands by mining and corporate agricultural interests in blatant disregard of indigenous sovereign rights. 33% of Native children live in poverty and many of America's poorest
counties are reservations. The crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and the over-incarceration of Native peoples shows the bankruptcy of capitalism from its earliest inception in the Americas until today.
Source: PSL's 2020 Ten Point Program (2020 Socialist Convention)
Aug 15, 2020
On Immigration:
Abolish all anti-immigrant laws, shut down ICE
Abolish all anti-immigrant laws. Stop the raids and deportations and demonization of immigrants. Shut down ICE and the concentration camps and reunite families.
The government's war on immigrants must end. The border wall must be dismantled. Amnesty and citizenship for those without documents. Full rights for all!
Source: PSL's 2020 Ten Point Program (2020 Socialist Convention)
Aug 15, 2020
On Jobs:
Close wage gap; end gender division of labor
Stop the attack on women's reproductive rights and defend Roe v. Wade. Women must have the fundamental right to choose & control their own bodies.
Women still earn 22 percent less than men, and the gap is even more severe for Black and Latina women. Close the wage gap and end the gender division of labor.
Source: PSL's 2020 Ten Point Program (2020 Socialist Convention)
Aug 15, 2020
On Principles & Values:
Make the essentials of life into constitutional rights
The U.S. has more than enough so that all the essentials of life--food, housing, water, education, health care and a job or basic income can be guaranteed rights--rather than distributed only for profit. Create a completely free and public healthcare
system. Make education free--cancel all student debt. Fully fund rebuilding of the infrastructure in transport, water and utility systems. Stop all foreclosures and evictions. End all discrimination based on ability/disability.
Source: PSL's 2020 Ten Point Program (2020 Socialist Convention)
Aug 15, 2020
On Abortion:
Repeal the Hyde Amendment
We call for the repeal of the Hyde Amendment and all other legislation that limits access to abortion services, thus denying "the right to choose" to millions of women, particularly low-income women, women of color, and young women.
We demand full reproductive freedom for all women by removing all discriminating barriers to reproductive rights and reproductive health care.
Source: Socialist Party Platform at 2020-2021 PSL Convention
Aug 3, 2020
On Civil Rights:
Oppose making English an official language
We oppose all efforts to declare English an official language and call for an end to all language discrimination.
We demand that all public and private institutions provide services and materials in the languages of their communities.
Source: Socialist Party Platform at 2020-2021 PSL Convention
Aug 3, 2020
On Civil Rights:
Lower voting age to 15
We call for the lowering of the voting age to 15.
We oppose age-based curfew laws.
Source: Socialist Party Platform at 2020-2021 PSL Convention
Aug 3, 2020
On Corporations:
Reregulation of the banking and insurance industries
We call for all financial and insurance institutions to be socially owned and operated by a democratically-controlled national banking authority, which should include credit unions, mutual insurance cooperatives, and cooperative state banks.
In the meantime, we call for reregulation of the banking and insurance industries.
Source: Socialist Party Platform at 2020-2021 PSL Convention
Aug 3, 2020
On Corporations:
Breakup large media companies, re-regulate industry
We support the breakup of large media companies so that no one owns more than one newspaper, radio or television station, or television channel. We call for the re-regulation of the communications industry. We call for government ownership of
satellite and cable companies.We support public funding of newspapers and magazines. We oppose all efforts to trim "fair use" rights. We call for the repeal of all existing copyright extension laws.
Source: Socialist Party Platform at 2020-2021 PSL Convention
Aug 3, 2020
On Crime:
Allow prisoners to unionize to negotiate living conditions
We call for support services for prisoners and prisoners' families to reduce ostracism, maintain family ties, and provide for non-degrading visitation policies. We call for the abolition
of prison labor for profit, forced labor ("chain gangs") and the use of prison labor to perform state services. We call for the right of prisoners to organize unions and cooperative groups to negotiate for better living conditions
Source: Socialist Party Platform at 2020-2021 PSL Convention
Aug 3, 2020
On Education:
End unpaid internships; allow student workers to unionize
We call for the abolition of unpaid internships throughout all industries, including nonprofit organizations. We call for an end to any academic requirements that force students to work without pay.
We call for students &college &university workers, including but not limited to athletes, interns, and graduate students, to unionize within and across their respective departments, and for student athletes to unionize within all athletic divisions.
Source: Socialist Party Platform at 2020-2021 PSL Convention
Aug 3, 2020
On Education:
Forgiveness of all outstanding federal student loans
We demand equal access to higher education for all people and support publicly funded higher education.
We call for the forgiveness of all outstanding federal student loans and believe that students should not be saddled with decades of debt simply because they pursue higher education.
Source: Socialist Party Platform at 2020-2021 PSL Convention
Aug 3, 2020
On Education:
Schools should reflect community; students on school boards
We call for affirmative action programs so that the faculty and student-body of all schools reflect the community at large in terms of race/ethnicity, gender, and economic background. We support student, parent, and teacher control of curriculum
formation, and in the hiring and dismissal procedures of school personnel. We call for student representation on school boards, and for those boards to be fully accountable to students, parents, teachers, and school workers.
Source: Socialist Party Platform at 2020-2021 PSL Convention
Aug 3, 2020
On Environment:
Support family farms that treat livestock humanely
The Socialist Party supports a system of ecologically based, sustainable, organic agriculture based on family farms and farming cooperatives that guarantee full workers' rights, uphold all environmental and safety standards, and treat their live-stock
in a humane manner. We support the creation of socially owned enterprises in the areas of transportation, storage, and processing of agricultural goods, controlled by boards comprised of farmers, farm workers, and community members.
The Socialist Party recognizes the rights of animals to live free from unnecessary pain and suffering. We support the spaying and neutering of pets to prevent the massive extermination resulting from overpopulation. We oppose entertainment
that causes pain to animals. We call for the banning of the fur trade. We call for a ban on animal experimentation for product development, and for an oversight board to examine and limit the use of animals in scientific and medical research.
Source: Socialist Party Platform at 2020-2021 PSL Convention
Aug 3, 2020
On Environment:
Support use of recycled materials in public projects
We support the recycling of glass, metals, plastic, paper, and chemicals and the use of recycled materials for public works projects such as roadways, parks, and playgrounds.
We call for shutting down waste incinerators and phasing out landfills and especially oppose targeting minority communities for hazardous waste disposal sites. We support large-scale environmental restoration efforts.
Source: Socialist Party Platform at 2020-2021 PSL Convention
Aug 3, 2020
On Free Trade:
Support global transformation from capitalism to socialism
The Socialist Party stands for a fundamental transformation of the economy, focusing on production for need not profit. So-called fair trade is meaningless as long as the world economy is dominated by a few massive corporations.
Only a global transformation from capitalism to socialism will provide the conditions for international peace, justice, and economic cooperation based on the large-scale transfer of resources and technology from the developed to the developing countries.
Source: Socialist Party Platform at 2020-2021 PSL Convention
Aug 3, 2020
On Government Reform:
Uniform ballot access; eliminate Electoral College
We support the introduction of proportional representation at every level of government. We call for uniform ballot access laws for all states that give all political parties a chance to have their candidates on the ballot.
We call for the elimination of the Electoral College and support instant run-off voting of all elected officials. We call for the restoration of the right to vote for all citizens incarcerated in jails and prisons.
Source: Socialist Party Platform at 2020-2021 PSL Convention
Aug 3, 2020
On Gun Control:
Support right of working class to own and bear arms
We recognize and support the right of the working class to own and bear arms.
We support community--based public training for gun owners."
Source: Socialist Party Platform at 2020-2021 PSL Convention
Aug 3, 2020
On Health Care:
Support right to die/assisted suicide
We support the right to choose or refuse medical treatment,
the right to die, and the right to assisted suicide.
Source: Socialist Party Platform at 2020-2021 PSL Convention
Aug 3, 2020
On Homeland Security:
Abolish CIA, NSA, FBI; disband NATO
We call for the abolition of the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and all other institutions of covert warfare. We stand for unconditional disarmament by the United States. We call for the disbanding of
NATO and all other aggressive military alliances, and the closing of all overseas bases. We call for the abolition of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Source: Socialist Party Platform at 2020-2021 PSL Convention
Aug 3, 2020
On Immigration:
Full citizenship rights upon six months residency
We defend the rights of all immigrants to education, health care, and full civil and legal rights and call for an unconditional amnesty program for all undocumented people.
We oppose the imposition of any fees on those receiving amnesty. We call for full citizenship rights upon demonstrating residency for six months.
Source: Socialist Party Platform at 2020-2021 PSL Convention
Aug 3, 2020
On Jobs:
Restrict employers' asking about criminal records
We call for the immediate amnesty for all non-violent offenders currently incarcerated.
We call for disallowing employers from inquiring about an applicant's past criminal record not directly related to the occupational task to be performed, including eliminating the check off box for felons.
Source: Socialist Party Platform at 2020-2021 PSL Convention
Aug 3, 2020
On Principles & Values:
Art is an integral part of daily life, not a commodity
The Socialist Party believes that art is an integral part of daily life and should not be treated as a commodity produced by the activity of an elite group. We support guaranteed incomes and grants for artists and performers.
We call for full funding of community and school arts programs for people of all ages. We call for full funding to keep libraries, museums, cultural centers, and historic sites open and accessible to all.
Source: Socialist Party Platform at 2020-2021 PSL Convention
Aug 3, 2020
On Social Security:
Cap benefits to three times those receiving minimum
We demand that the Social Security system remain entirely within the public sector, with funding derived from a steeply graduated income tax on all income, earned and unearned.
We call for the inclusion of all state and local government workers within the Social Security System. We call for a cap on Social Security benefits so that no beneficiary receives more than three times the income of those receiving the minimum.
Source: Socialist Party Platform at 2020-2021 PSL Convention
Aug 3, 2020
On Technology:
Fund public transportation, high-speed rail
The Socialist Party calls for extensive public transportation in both urban and rural areas.We call for the creation of a fully funded high-speed national rail system with fares set low enough to be a viable alternative to the use of the automobile.
We call for an end to the expansion of the interstate highway system and the reduction of combustion engine/auto based transport.
Source: Socialist Party Platform at 2020-2021 PSL Convention
Aug 3, 2020
On Welfare & Poverty:
Increase housing subsides; allow rent control
We call for a vast increase in Section 8 housing subsidies as one element of major public investment in the construction of low cost, scattered site, community-based, high quality housing.
We call for rent control for all rental units, and the right of tenants to organize. We call for an end to home foreclosures.
Source: Socialist Party Platform at 2020-2021 PSL Convention
Aug 3, 2020
Page last updated: Sep 07, 2020