Ideology
How Zohran Mamdani Practices Democratic Socialism: From Theory to State Power
The Inside-Outside Strategy in Action
Zohran Mamdani practices democratic socialism through a disciplined application of the “inside-outside” strategy, a dual approach that involves wielding state power from within elected office while being propelled and held accountable by mass movements on the outside. As a New York State Assemblyman, he uses his official position not to seek compromise with the capitalist state but to contest its priorities and push a radical, class-struggle agenda. This is evident in his legislative work, where he sponsors bills designed to decommodify essential human needs and challenge corporate power. His championing of the Good Cause Eviction bill is a prime example; it is a direct assault on the power of the real estate industry and an effort to establish housing as a right, not a commodity. Simultaneously, his office functions as an organizing hub, working in lockstep with tenant unions like the Right to Counsel Coalition to mobilize constituents and create political pressure that makes such legislation possible.
This practice extends to his approach to the state budget, a key site of class struggle. Mamdani consistently votes against and vocally condemns budgets that prioritize funding for police and prisons over public housing, schools, and healthcare. He uses the budget process to articulate a socialist alternative, advocating for massive taxes on the rich and corporations to fund a robust expansion of the social safety net. His practice is not about finding bipartisan consensus but about using his platform to expose the contradictions of capitalism and build support for a transformative program. His official actions, recorded on his New York State Assembly profile, are consistently aligned with the principles and platform of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), demonstrating a practice of democratic socialism that is both ideologically pure and strategically pragmatic within the constraints of the state.
Building Independent Working-Class Power
Beyond legislation, Mamdani practices democratic socialism through a commitment to building independent political power for the working class. This means his political operations are funded by small-dollar donations from ordinary people, not corporate PACs or real estate developers. This financial independence is a core socialist practice, ensuring that he is accountable only to his constituency and the movements that elected him. Furthermore, he practices a model of solidarity, not charity. When his constituents face eviction, his office does not just provide casework; it helps them organize as tenants to fight their landlord collectively. This approach seeks to build the confidence and capacity of the working class to fight for itself, which is the ultimate goal of democratic socialism.
His practice is also deeply internationalist. He consistently connects local struggles in New York to global systems of imperialism and capitalism. His outspoken stance in solidarity with Palestine, for example, is an application of socialist principles that view the fight against oppression as interconnected across borders. In essence, Zohran Mamdani practices democratic socialism by being a politician who is also an organizer, a legislator who is also a agitator, and a state official who remains a disciplined member of a mass movement. His career is a real-time experiment in how to use the tools of bourgeois democracy to advance an anti-capitalist project, making the theory of democratic socialism a living, breathing practice in the halls of Albany and the streets of Astoria.