The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), described as “the largest socialist organization in the United States,” fielded more than 200 candidates in local, statewide, and federal races during the 2026 midterm elections. That was a sharp increase from the 51 candidates it ran in the 2024 general election and the 132 candidates it ran in the 2022 midterms.
Across the country, DSA candidates generally focused on the economy and the rising cost of living, offering what they presented as quick solutions to the affordability crisis through government-provided benefits.
Unlike in previous election cycles, the DSA introduced a formal policy platform this year: the Workers Deserve More Program.
The platform’s preamble envisions a “future without capitalism.”
“You have no debt. You don’t need health insurance. You don’t pay a mortgage or have a landlord, because comfortable housing is a human right. Your retirement is publicly funded. Food, education, energy, medicine, and transportation aren’t for-profit businesses; they are common goods and utilities.”
That vision may appeal to Americans struggling with credit card debt, living paycheck to paycheck, or lacking sufficient retirement savings.
Critics, however, argue that these promises are socialist slogans that sound too good to be true because their costs and practical consequences make them unrealistic.
Here are the central economic proposals featured in the DSA’s midterm message.
“Establish paid family leave for all workers, a 32-hour work week with full pay and benefits, and a living minimum wage.”
“Provide free, quality public education from pre-K to college and cancel all student debt.”
“Guarantee universal healthcare at no cost to individuals.”
“Build new, publicly-owned social housing” and “establish universal rent control.”
“Enact reparations.”
“Pass a federal jobs guarantee.”
“Phase out the use of fossil fuels.”
“Implement massive investment in sustainable, publicly owned energy.”
“Establish public ownership of the largest corporations.”
“Enact aggressive wealth taxes on the richest individuals and corporations.”
The DSA does not provide a cost estimate for its Workers Deserve More Program. However, experts at the Cato Institute conducted an extensive analysis and estimated that the plan could require as much as “$212 trillion in new spending over the next decade.”
For context, the entire global economy is projected to total $128 trillion this year.
The United States, by far the world’s largest economy, has a GDP of $32 trillion this year. At the same time, the nation carries $40.2 trillion in national debt, while the federal government has not balanced its budget in decades.
The annual budget deficit alone is expected to exceed $1.9 trillion this year, including more than $1 trillion in debt-service payments.
Total federal spending has surpassed $7 trillion this year, with Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid accounting for approximately 40% to 45% of the total.
Those mandatory programs are growing substantially faster than GDP, meaning they will consume an increasing share of the federal budget over time. Moreover, all three programs face looming insolvency concerns.
Against that backdrop, critics say the DSA agenda would dramatically expand the deficit, adding roughly $20 trillion in debt-financed spending each year.
The DSA argues that aggressive wealth taxes on the rich could finance the proposals. The numbers, however, suggest otherwise. As Cato notes, “Confiscating every dollar of high-end wealth and corporate profits would cover only a fraction” of the estimated $200 trillion price tag.
Critics therefore contend that much of the burden would ultimately fall on working-class Americans—a consequence they say DSA messaging leaves out. They argue that this pattern has accompanied socialist regimes throughout history, until governments eventually exhaust the resources of others.
Chris Talgo ([email protected]) is editorial director at The Heartland Institute.
Editor’s Note: President Trump is leading America into the “Golden Age” as Democrats desperately try to stop it.
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