Socialists and the Ballot Box: An Historical Analysis [Hardcover]

Eric Thomas Chester (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1985

This book offers an analysis of the apparent contradiction in the socialist movement between refusal to participate in electoral politics and the neccessity, particularly in advanced industrial countries, of participating in the electoral process. The author brings clarity to this discussion with a historical analysis of the practices of the U.S. Socialist, Communist, and Trotskyist parties, examining the success and failure of their approaches toward electoral politics. The conclusion draws together and synthesizes historical experience in a way which points toward a more logical way for revolutionary parties to make use of the electoral process.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“New histories of the American left, especially of the Communist party, are garnering attention and controversy partly because of their implications for current politics and strategies. The focal point of Socialists and the Ballot Box is the left's debate over participation in the Democratic party versus formation of an independent working-class party. The author sides squarely with the latter camp, against socialists like Michael Harrington who seek to realign the Democrats. Chester, a political activist with solid academic credentials, defends his stance historically, tracing the positions of Marx and Engels and the experiences of the British Liberal, the American Socialist, Communist, and Trotskyist parties....”–Choice --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Praeger Publishers Inc (August 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0030041422
• ISBN-13: 978-0030041426

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.