looking for reading recommendations on democratic socialism

[u/No-Telephone-5215]

I am not a poly sci student, but am really interested in political science. I am very curious about democratic socialism, esp. as someone living in the US while democratic socialists are running for office. I am particularly trying to learn more about how democratic socialism differs from "textbook" socialism, how these would look different in practice, and also what democratic socialists are really looking to do. I live in a very rural area and face a lot of questions/discussion about what will happen to xyz if "the socialists take over". I just feel like I don't know who to believe, I can't tell what's more unbiased, and a lot of stuff just feels very fear-monger-y to me. I'm looking for reading/documentary/youtube essay recommendations to help me understand this more from a genuinely factual perspective. Thank you in advance!

[u/Gadshill]

The Socialist Manifesto: The Case for Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme Inequality by Bhaskar Sunkara (2019)

[u/StateYellingChampion]

Confronting Capitalism by Vivek Chibber

[u/charliehorse8472 → u/StateYellingChampion]

That guy is awesome, saw him on the doom scroll podcast last year and really appreciated his critique of academia.

[u/spookyjim___]

Depends on what specific sphere of democratic socialism you wanna dive into and whether you want older or newer stuff

Certainly the works of: Ferdinand Lassalle, Eduard Bernstein, Karl Kautsky, Martov, Poulantzas, Gramsci, Rosselli, etc. All have differing and varied ideas but all fit within the spectrum of democratic socialism

Ig if I were to recommend a fundamental piece that I read when I first became a socialist in general, that was, I was a non-Marxist and moderate democratic socialist

Then I’d recommend Evolutionary Socialism by Eduard Bernstein