If you’d like to begin reading now, here’s what’s inside: PAUL HEIDEMAN The rise of the Democratic Socialists of America over the last decade is one of the most striking developments in American politics. This essay surveys the group’s ascent, arguing both that it has successfully responded to the unique obstacles posed by the US electoral system and that the organization faces daunting challenges in light of its still limited ability to draw in the broadest layers of the working class. BHASKAR SUNKARA In this essay built on remarks given at the Victorian Trades Hall in Melbourne, Australia, in June 2026, Catalyst publisher Bhaskar Sunkara argues that the era of class compromise will not return and that any serious democratic socialist politics must pursue a politics of rupture with capitalism. NICK FRENCH How might a socialist society realistically fulfill its labor needs? This essay advances a moral framework for answering this question. It argues that, in contrast to alternative, utopian proposals, duly constrained labor markets offer a morally desirable and practically feasible mechanism for solving the labor problem under socialism. JENNIFER C. PAN Though the reelection of Donald Trump appeared to signal the end of “wokeness,” it remains unclear whether progressives have abandoned the counterproductive assumptions on race and racism that shaped the last decade of left-wing politics and reached an apogee in 2020. MATTHEW EVANGELISTA David Holloway’s Nuclear Weapons: An International History expertly examines the Cold War’s nuclear technologies, strategies, crises, and treaties. This critical assessment highlights the dangerous legacy of nuclear arms and the urgency of activist efforts to confront the renewed threat of nuclear war to the environment and human survival. This issue is essential reading to understand the current moment. Subscribe today for just $20, and get the new issue plus full access to our entire back catalog. If you prefer to subscribe by check, you can do so by mailing it to us at Jacobin Foundation, 388 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11217. Just include “Catalyst” in the memo, along with your email and mailing address. And if you want to share the new issue with a friend, just click here to send a gift subscription. | 
