Summer Night School: Power

Socialists all agree that there is an imbalance in power in our current world. A small contingent of wealthy people seem to enjoy a vast degree of influence over our economy, while a significant population of people in the US don't even feel like they have a say in our affairs–despite supposedly living under a government "by the people, for the people."

The situation gets more complicated when we start to ask why the US doesn't seem to have a real democracy. Is the problem simply a function of corruption,  bad actors, and the influence of money in politics? Or, is there a more direct relationship between capitalist interests and the state? Is capitalism its own independent entity, or do capitalists directly lord over our world as part of some "deep state"?

This session of the Summer School explores the nature of power under capitalism. We will discuss the role of the state in the global economy and the ways that capitalism undermines democracy, as well as the question of whether or not socialists can work for change within our current social formation.

Readings:

Vivek Chibber, "Our Road to Power"

Chris Maisano & Jessie Maniesto, "Should Democratic Socialists Be Democrats?"