The National Political Committee

DSA's primary political leadership is the National Political Committee (NPC), a sixteen-person body which functions as the board of directors of DSA and is elected every two years by the delegates to DSA's National Convention. Every DSA chapter is entitled to send a certain number of delegates to the National Convention, based upon the chapter's size. There are also "at-large" delegates to represent areas where there are no active chapters.

The DSA Constitution requires that eight slots of the NPC's be reserved for women, and that at least four of the NPC's slots be reserved for people of color.

The NPC guides and leads the implementation of DSA's major political and organizational goals, which are broadly defined every two years by the delegates to the National Convention. The NPC gives instructions to the national staff about how to carry forward DSA's day-to-day work. The NPC creates task forces and committees to guide particular areas of DSA's political work. The DSA Constitution gives the NPC the power to charter DSA locals and commissions, as well as DSA's Youth Section.

The NPC conducts long weekend meetings three or four times each year. The NPC also elects a five-person NPC Steering Committee, which meets more frequently, both in person and by conference call. The Honorary Chairs and Vice-Chairs are also elected at each bi-ennial National Convention, and may also participate in internal governance issues through the NPC meetings. They do so to a varying extent.

National Political Committee

Theresa Alt
Stuart Elliott
Virginia Franco
Paul Garver
David Green
Barbara Joye
Frank Llewellyn
Simone Morgen
Joseph Schwartz
Peg Strobel
Beth Cozzolino and Matt Porter, as co-chairs of the Young Democratic Socialists (the DSA youth section) share a vote on the NPC

Honorary Chairs

Bogdan Denitch
Barbara Ehrenreich
Dolores Huerta
Eliseo Medina
Eugene "Gus" Newport
Frances Fox Piven
Gloria Steinem
Cornel West

Vice-Chairs

Elaine Bernard
Edward Clark
Jose La Luz
Steve Max
Harold Meyerson
Maxine Phillips
Christine Riddiough
Rosemary Ruether
Joseph Schwartz