What Socialism Has Been: Learning from historical experiments.
Socialism's failures teach us as much as its successes about what works and what doesn't.
Book summary
Goodreads FavoriteCurrent BestsellerFoundational Text
The Socialist Manifesto
by Bhaskar Sunkara
The Case for Radical Politics in an Age of Extreme Inequality
A strategic overview of socialism for the 21st century with practical steps.
4.7(15k)Published 2019
Topics
StrategyPhilosophyPoliticsEconomicsSocial JusticePolitical Theory
Reading companion
How to read The Socialist Manifesto with Readever
Read the historical overview sections to anchor your arguments about what socialism has actually produced, then focus on the four-part roadmap at the end to map out the next ten policy wins for the city and the nation. Use Readever's AI to connect Sunkara's strategic insights to your local organizing context and track your progress toward building durable socialist institutions.
Things to know before reading
- The book combines historical analysis with strategic thinking—be prepared to think both about what socialism has been and what it could become
- Sunkara emphasizes the importance of building working-class institutions that can outlast electoral cycles
- The book takes seriously the challenges of transition from capitalism to socialism
- Focus on understanding the strategic framework rather than memorizing every historical detail
Brief summary
The Socialist Manifesto in a nutshell
Sunkara lays out historical lessons and pragmatic pathways so modern socialists can build public guarantees while managing power. The book combines a sweeping historical overview with a concrete roadmap for achieving socialism through democratic means, showing how to translate radical ideas into practical political strategy.
Key ideas overview
The Socialist Manifesto summary of 4 key ideas
*The Socialist Manifesto* provides both a historical overview of socialist experiments and a strategic roadmap for building socialism through democratic means in the 21st century.
What Socialism Could Be: A vision for democratic socialism in the 21st century.
Socialism means extending democracy from politics to the economy—giving people control over their workplaces and communities.
How to Get There: The strategic roadmap for building socialism.
Building socialism requires both electoral politics and mass movements working together.
The Role of the State: Transforming rather than capturing state power.
The goal isn't to capture the existing state but to transform it into a tool for working-class power.
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This summary gives you the complete strategic framework for advancing socialist politics in the 21st century. You'll learn how to bridge the gap between radical theory and practical politics, build durable working-class institutions, and navigate the transition from capitalism to socialism through democratic processes. The book provides both historical context and actionable strategies for organizers, activists, and anyone serious about building working-class power.
Deep dive
Key ideas in The Socialist Manifesto
Key idea 1
What Socialism Has Been: Learning from historical experiments.
Socialism's failures teach us as much as its successes about what works and what doesn't.
Sunkara provides a comprehensive overview of socialist experiments throughout history, from the Paris Commune to the Soviet Union, from Scandinavian social democracy to Latin American left movements. He analyzes both the successes and failures of these experiments, drawing lessons about what aspects of socialism have worked and what has failed.
Rather than defending every historical example, Sunkara argues that we should learn from both the achievements and mistakes of past socialist movements. He emphasizes that democratic socialism requires both political democracy and economic democracy working together, and that authoritarian shortcuts ultimately undermine socialist goals.
Remember
- Learn from both successful and unsuccessful socialist experiments
- Distinguish between democratic and authoritarian versions of socialism
- Understand that socialism must be built through democratic processes
- Recognize that building working-class institutions takes time and patience
Key idea 2
What Socialism Could Be: A vision for democratic socialism in the 21st century.
Socialism means extending democracy from politics to the economy—giving people control over their workplaces and communities.
Sunkara presents a compelling vision of what democratic socialism could look like in practice. He describes a society where workplaces are democratically controlled by workers, where essential services are publicly owned and democratically managed, and where economic planning serves human needs rather than profit.
The book uses concrete examples to show how democratic socialism could work, from worker cooperatives and public banks to community land trusts and social wealth funds. Sunkara emphasizes that socialism isn't a single blueprint but a set of principles that can be adapted to different contexts through democratic processes.
Remember
- Socialism means economic democracy, not just political democracy
- Worker control and social ownership are core socialist principles
- Democratic planning can replace market competition for essential goods
- Socialism must be built through democratic means, not imposed from above
Key idea 3
How to Get There: The strategic roadmap for building socialism.
Building socialism requires both electoral politics and mass movements working together.
Sunkara provides a detailed strategic roadmap for how to achieve socialism through democratic means. He argues that socialists need to work on multiple fronts simultaneously: building working-class organizations, running for office, winning policy reforms, and creating alternative institutions.
The book emphasizes the importance of building durable institutions that can outlast electoral cycles and withstand capitalist opposition. Sunkara argues that socialists need to think strategically about how to build power gradually while maintaining their radical vision, navigating the tension between immediate reforms and long-term transformation.
Remember
- Combine electoral politics with mass movements and institution-building
- Build durable working-class organizations that can withstand opposition
- Think strategically about sequencing and coalition-building
- Maintain radical vision while pursuing incremental reforms
Key idea 4
The Role of the State: Transforming rather than capturing state power.
The goal isn't to capture the existing state but to transform it into a tool for working-class power.
Sunkara addresses one of the most challenging questions for socialists: what to do with the state. He argues that socialists shouldn't simply try to capture the existing capitalist state but should work to transform it into a democratic instrument of working-class power.
The book explores how socialists can use state power to advance socialist goals while building alternative institutions that prefigure a socialist society. Sunkara emphasizes the importance of democratic accountability and popular participation in any socialist use of state power, warning against the dangers of bureaucracy and authoritarianism.
Remember
- Transform the state rather than simply capturing it
- Build democratic accountability into socialist institutions
- Use state power to build working-class capacity and organization
- Guard against bureaucracy and authoritarian tendencies
Context
What is The Socialist Manifesto about?
The Socialist Manifesto is both a historical overview of socialist experiments and a strategic roadmap for building socialism through democratic means in the 21st century. Bhaskar Sunkara, founder of Jacobin magazine, combines deep historical knowledge with practical political strategy to show how socialists can build power and achieve their goals in contemporary capitalist societies.
The book takes readers on a journey through the history of socialism, from its origins in the 19th century to its various manifestations in the 20th and 21st centuries. Sunkara analyzes both the successes and failures of socialist experiments, drawing lessons about what works and what doesn't in the struggle for a more democratic and egalitarian society.
More than just a history, The Socialist Manifesto provides a concrete strategic framework for how to build socialism today. Sunkara argues that socialists need to work on multiple fronts simultaneously: building working-class organizations, running for office, winning policy reforms, and creating alternative institutions that prefigure a socialist society.
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Review
The Socialist Manifesto review
Sunkara's writing is clear, accessible, and strategically sophisticated. He combines deep historical knowledge with practical political insight, making complex strategic questions understandable without oversimplifying them. The book stands out for its balanced approach—taking socialist ideas seriously while acknowledging the challenges and failures of past socialist experiments.
Critical Reception: The Socialist Manifesto has been widely praised for its strategic clarity and historical depth. Reviewers have noted that it fills an important gap in socialist literature by providing both a comprehensive historical overview and a practical strategic framework. The book has been particularly praised for its realistic assessment of the challenges facing socialists and its thoughtful approach to building power through democratic means.
- "The most strategically sophisticated socialist book in years" - The Nation
- "Combines historical depth with practical political wisdom" - Jacobin
- "Essential reading for anyone serious about building working-class power" - In These Times
- "A roadmap for democratic socialism that takes challenges seriously" - The Guardian
- "Bridges the gap between radical theory and practical politics" - Bookforum
Who should read The Socialist Manifesto?
Activists and organizers looking for strategic guidance
Political candidates and elected officials interested in socialist politics
Students and scholars of political theory and socialist history
Anyone curious about how socialism could be achieved through democratic means
People interested in the relationship between theory and practice in radical politics
About the author
Bhaskar Sunkara is the founding editor and publisher of Jacobin, one of the most influential socialist magazines in the United States. Born in 1989, he launched Jacobin as an undergraduate at George Washington University in 2010. Under his leadership, Jacobin has grown into an international media organization with editions in multiple countries and a growing book imprint.
Sunkara has become one of the most prominent voices of the contemporary democratic socialist movement. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, and many other publications. In addition to The Socialist Manifesto, he is the author of The ABCs of Socialism, a graphic introduction to socialist ideas.
Sunkara's work focuses on making socialist ideas accessible to new audiences and building the intellectual and organizational foundations for a renewed socialist movement. He emphasizes the importance of both theoretical clarity and practical organizing in building working-class power and achieving socialist transformation through democratic means.
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Final summary
The Socialist Manifesto succeeds in its ambitious goal of providing both a historical overview of socialist experiments and a strategic roadmap for building socialism through democratic means. Sunkara combines deep historical knowledge with practical political wisdom, offering a balanced assessment of what has worked and what hasn't in the struggle for socialism.
The book's lasting value lies in its strategic sophistication and its realistic approach to building working-class power. Rather than offering utopian visions or defensive justifications, Sunkara provides a clear-eyed assessment of the challenges facing socialists and a practical framework for overcoming them through democratic organizing and institution-building.
Inside the book
Strategic Framework for Building Socialism
Historical Lessons
- Successes and failures of past socialist experiments
- Democratic vs. authoritarian approaches to socialism
- Role of working-class organization and consciousness
- Importance of international solidarity and context
Building Working-Class Power
- Organizing strategies for different sectors and contexts
- Building durable institutions that can withstand opposition
- Coalition-building across different social movements
- Navigating the tension between reform and revolution
Electoral Strategy
- Running socialist candidates at different levels of government
- Building independent political organizations
- Navigating the two-party system and third-party challenges
- Using electoral politics to build movement capacity
Policy Reforms and Transition
- Immediate reforms that build working-class power
- Structural reforms that challenge capitalist logic
- Democratic planning and social ownership models
- Just transition frameworks for different sectors
Democratic Socialist Principles
Economic Democracy
- Worker control and workplace democracy
- Community control of resources and planning
- Democratic oversight of investment and production
- Social ownership models beyond state control
Political Democracy
- Expanding democratic participation and accountability
- Challenging corporate power and influence
- Building democratic institutions at multiple scales
- International cooperation and solidarity
Social Justice and Equality
- Racial justice and anti-racist socialism
- Gender equality and feminist socialism
- Environmental justice and ecological socialism
- Disability justice and accessibility
Contemporary Challenges and Opportunities
Digital Socialism
- Platform cooperativism and digital commons
- Democratic control of technology and data
- Automation and the future of work
- Information systems for economic coordination
Climate Crisis and Just Transition
- Green New Deal and socialist climate policy
- Worker-led transition to renewable energy
- Democratic planning for climate adaptation
- International climate justice and solidarity
Global Capitalism and Internationalism
- Challenging neoliberal globalization
- Building international working-class solidarity
- Democratic control of global finance and trade
- Socialist responses to migration and borders
Implementation Roadmap
Short-Term Strategy (0-5 years)
- Building organizational capacity and membership
- Winning immediate reforms and policy victories
- Developing socialist leadership and cadre
- Building coalitions and popular support
Medium-Term Strategy (5-15 years)
- Winning significant political power at multiple levels
- Implementing structural reforms that challenge capitalist logic
- Building alternative institutions and social ownership
- Developing democratic planning capacity
Long-Term Vision (15+ years)
- Achieving democratic socialism as the dominant system
- Full implementation of economic democracy
- International socialist cooperation and planning
- Continuous democratic renewal and innovation
Educational and Organizing Resources
Study Materials
- Core socialist texts and contemporary updates
- Strategic analysis of current political conditions
- Case studies of successful organizing campaigns
- Debates within the socialist movement
Training Programs
- Organizing skills and strategic thinking
- Political education and theory development
- Leadership development and cadre training
- Coalition-building and movement alignment
Communication Tools
- Messaging and framing for different audiences
- Media strategy and digital organizing
- Cultural work and artistic expression
- Building socialist media and communication infrastructure
This extended outline provides additional depth for readers who want to explore the strategic framework, historical context, and practical applications of Sunkara's socialist manifesto beyond the introductory level presented in the main text.
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