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De Leonism, also known asMarxism-De Leonism,[1] is a Marxist tendency developed by Curaçaoan-Americantrade union organizer andMarxisttheoreticianDaniel De Leon. De Leon was an early leader of the first Americansocialistpolitical party, theSocialist Labor Party of America (SLP). De Leon introduced the concept of socialist industrial unionism.
According to De Leonist theory, militantindustrial unions are the vehicle ofclass struggle. Industrial unions serving the interests of theproletariat (working class) will be the neededfederalrepublican structure used to establish asocialist system.
While sharing some characteristics ofanarcho-syndicalism (the management of workplaces through unions) and with the Socialist Labor Party of America being a member of the predominantly anarcho-syndicalistIndustrial Workers of the World (IWW), De Leonism differs from it in that De Leonism, and its leading proponent, the modern SLP, still believe in the necessity of a political party, advocating a constitutional amendment making the union the government of industry. Ageneral union would coordinate production andresource allocation between industries. The party would cease to exist, as would the state, as its goal. No vanguardist elites are provided with a base in Marxist-DeLeonism to scuttle thefederal republic.[2]
According to the De Leonist theory, workers would simultaneously form socialistindustrial unions in theworkplaces and asocialistpolitical party that would organize in the political realm. Upon achieving sufficient support for a victory at the polls, the political party would be voted into office, giving the De Leonist program amandate from the people. It is assumed that at that point, the socialist industrial unions will have attained sufficient strength in theworkplaces for workers to take control of themeans of production.[3][4]
The De Leonist victory at the polls would be accompanied by a transfer of control of the factories, mines, farms, and othermeans of production toworkers councils organized within the industrial unions. De Leonists distinguish this event from thegeneral strike to take control of the workplaces advocated by anarcho-syndicalists and refer to it instead as a "general lockout of the ruling class".[5][6]
The existing government would then be replaced with a government elected from within the socialist industrial unions, and the newly elected socialist government would quickly enact whatever constitutional amendments or other changes in the structure of government needed to bring this about,adjourningsine die. Workers on the shop floor would elect local shop floorcommittees needed to continue production and representatives to local and national councils representing their particular industry.[4][6]
Workers would also elect representatives to acongress, called an All-Industrial Congress, which would effectively function as thegovernment. These representatives would be subject to arecall vote at any time. De Leonism would thus reorganize the national government along industrial lines with representatives elected by industry.
De Leonism lies outside theLeninist tradition ofcommunism. It predates Leninism as De Leonism's principles developed in the early 1890s, with De Leon assuming SLP leadership. Leninism and its idea of avanguard party took shape after the 1902 publication of Lenin'sWhat Is to Be Done? De Leonism is generally opposed to the policies of the formerSoviet Union, China, and othersocialist states and does not consider them socialist but ratherstate capitalist or following "bureaucratic state despotism". Thedecentralized nature of the proposed De Leonist government contrasts thedemocratic centralism ofMarxism–Leninism and what they see as thedictatorial nature of the Soviet Union.[7]
The success of the De Leonist plan depends on achieving majority support among the people both in the workplace and at the polls, in contrast to the Leninist notion that a small vanguard party should lead the working class to carry out the revolution. De Leonism's stance againstreformism[8] means that it is referred to by the label "impossibilist", along with theSocialist Party of Great Britain.[citation needed]
De Leonist political parties have also been criticized for being allegedly overlydogmatic andsectarian. Despite their rejection of Leninism and vanguardism, De Leonism also lies outside the "democratic socialist" and "social democratic" traditions. De Leon and other De Leonist writers have issued frequentpolemics against democratic socialist movements, especially theSocialist Party of America, and consider them reformist or "bourgeois socialist". De Leonists have traditionally refrained from any activity or alliances viewed by them as trying to reformcapitalism, such associal justice movements, preferring instead to concentrate solely on the twin tasks of building support for a De Leonist political party and organizing socialist industrial unions. However, the Socialist Labor Party in De Leon's time was active during strikes and such.[citation needed]
Daniel De Leon proved hugely influential to other socialists outside the US. De Leon's approach has been described as a strategy that seeks to achieve a relatively "peaceful" or bloodless revolution.[9]
