Following the February and April municipal elections, six members of Chicago’s city council are self-identified democratic socialists. This July Fourth weekend, as the country celebrates independence, Chicago plays host to the Socialism 2019 conference at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. The city’s leftist aldermen will join other American left figures such as author Naomi Klein, Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman and editor of Jacobin Magazine Bhaskar Sunkara for a series of discussions on American and global social issues. 

Given the movement’s increased visibility in American politics, 35th ward alderman Carlos Rosa and Chicago-based managing editor of Jacobin Micah Uetricht joined today’s show to take listener calls about what democratic socialism is and about what democratic socialists’ immediate political goals are.