Bylaws

Article I. Name

The name of our caucus is
Reform & Revolution – a Marxist Caucus in Democratic Socialists of America
(hereinafter referred to as “R&R” or “Reform & Revolution”).

Article II. Purpose

  1. Reform & Revolution is a caucus of members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). R&R stands in the Marxist tradition of the struggle for the self-liberation of the multi-racial, international working class through a rupture with capitalism, a socialist revolution. We support mass struggles to improve the living conditions of working class and oppressed people and aim to link those struggles to a socialist transformation of society. We stand for democracy and accountability in the socialist and workers movement; we strive for Marxist clarity while engaging in mass struggles of the working class and oppressed people with a united front method. 
  2. We contribute to building DSA as a broad, democratic socialist organization. We aim to develop DSA toward a democratic, socialist, mass, workers party, independent of the Democratic Party and independent of the capitalist state. We welcome DSA’s status as a multi-tendency mass socialist organization and wish to create a space within DSA to discuss and organize for the development of Marxist ideas in DSA and the broader socialist and workers’ movement in the US and internationally.
  3. Our What We Stand For on our website, ReformAndRevolution.org, outlines our general positions.

Article III. Membership

  1. Members
  1. A member of R&R with full rights within our caucus meets all of the following requirements:
    1. The comrade has completed a recruitment discussion process facilitated by the national Recruitment Committee or the appropriate official R&R branch.
    2. The discussion group leader(s), national Recruitment Co-Chair(s), or branch organizer(s) determine that the comrade is prepared for membership and submit their name to the SC for consideration.
      1. In cases of disagreement with the Recruitment Committee, any R&R member is empowered to bring forward a motion to the SC to invite a comrade to join R&R or raise an objection to a candidate’s application.
    3. By a majority vote of the Steering Committee (SC) or by a majority vote of a branch that can be vetoed by a majority of the SC, invites the comrade to join the caucus based on principled agreement with the ideas and work of the caucus.
    4. The comrade agrees to join.
    5. The comrade is a member of DSA or lives abroad but functions as an active member of R&R and DSA.
    6. The comrade was not removed from membership in R&R under the following conditions:
      1. Has not paid dues for 6 months, has been contacted twice in that time (or a reasonable effort has been made to contact them) and the branch leadership or the SC proposes to remove them from the membership list because they are not active
      2. OR: Has resigned
      3. OR: Has not attended any meetings of the caucus in the last year, and the branch leadership or the SC proposes to remove them from membership, and was contacted about the impending loss of membership twice
      4. OR: was suspended or expelled (see below)
  2. The Treasurer or a member delegated by the SC is tasked with onboarding new members (adding to dues list, member registry, etc.) as soon as they are confirmed by the SC or a National Membership Meeting.
  3. The SC and branch must inform any member who is losing membership, unless it is no longer possible to contact them.
  4. Any decision about one’s membership status can be appealed up to and including at the R&R National Convention.
  5. All R&R members in good standing shall have voting rights at the National Convention and Branch Conventions. The SC can decide to make exceptions for members not in good standing in cases of hardship. 
  6. In case of doubt or any appeals, the convention decides on voting rights applying the rules outlined above.
  1. Suspension and Expulsion: 
    1. Membership can be suspended up to one year, or members may be expelled by either the branch or the national organization. For a member to be expelled nationally, at least a two-thirds vote of the Steering Committee shall be necessary. 
    2. Decisions on suspensions or expulsions by a branch can be appealed to the national Steering Committee. Decisions on suspension or expulsion by the Steering Committee may be appealed to a majority vote of an R&R National Membership Meeting or the R&R National Convention. The Steering Committee will decide the time and place of an appeal within the next three months after the decision of the SC.
    3. Members can be suspended or expelled if they are found to be in substantial disagreement with the principles or policies of R&R, if their actions or conduct are damaging to the political goals of the caucus, or if they consistently engage in undemocratic or disruptive behavior. Members facing expulsion must receive written notice (for example via email) and must be given the opportunity to be heard before the branch or Steering Committee or a subcommittee thereof, appointed for the purpose of considering suspension or expulsion. 
  2. Minority Rights, Right to form Tendencies or Factions
    1. When in the course of debate major differences arise, groups of members with a common viewpoint have the right to form a Tendency or Faction to present their views within the organization in an organized way. Guidelines for the conduct of Tendencies or Factions and for the circulation of their material shall be agreed by the Steering Committee, subject to approval by a R&R National Membership Meeting or R&R National Convention.
    2. Minority positions can be raised freely in DSA (outside the caucus) or publicly (with or without forming a tendency of faction). All comrades are asked to work in solidarity and collaboration in our caucus on a voluntary basis toward our joint project to maximize the impact of Marxist ideas within DSA and the wider socialist and workers movement. The impact of Marxist ideas depends on both fruitful collaboration among us and an open, honest and democratic debate inside and outside of our caucus.
    3. The Steering Committee is asked to make sure that minority positions – with or without the formation of factions or tendencies – are represented adequately in R&R’s publications.  

Article IV. Structure, Finances, Leadership, and Officers

  1. R&R National Convention
    1. Ideally every year but no later than two years after the last national convention, the Steering Committee has to organize a R&R National Convention, the highest decision-making body of R&R.
    2. The R&R National Convention will choose how to elect members of the Steering Committee (via slates or individual votes or any other voting mechanism) and how many comrades should be on the SC. 
    3. The SC must include a treasurer. 
    4. The treasurer will report about the finances of R&R to the R&R National Convention, to the SC as often as the SC requests (within reason) and ideally quarterly but at least every 6 months to the whole caucus membership. 
    5. The R&R National Convention decides its agenda, chairs, and procedures. The Steering Committee is tasked with providing proposals on the agenda, chairs, and procedure to allow the R&R National Convention to run as well as possible.
    6. A simple majority of an R&R National Membership Meeting can set the date and time of an R&R National Convention as long as there are at least 25 days between that R&R National Membership Meeting and the R&R National Convention.
  2. R&R National Membership Meetings
    1. R&R National Membership Meetings are the highest decision making body of the caucus between conventions. 
    2. R&R National Membership meetings are the primary site of deliberation and decision-making for the caucus between conventions. 
    3. R&R National Membership meetings should occur at least every two months. 
    4. R&R National Membership meetings decide their agenda, chair and procedures. The Steering Committee is tasked with preparing and organizing National Membership  Meetings.
    5. If one third of members in good standing request an R&R National Membership Meeting on a specific topic, the SC is required to organize one. 
    6. R&R National Membership Meetings are tasked with providing oversight of the Steering Committee. Specifically, National Membership Meetings are assigned the following responsibilities:
      1. In the event of disagreements on the Steering Committee, National Membership Meetings should be used to advise and resolve further actions. 
      2. At National Membership Meetings, the Steering Committee should provide reports on their work, specifically how they have fulfilled tasks assigned to them by previous National Membership Meetings.
      3. National Membership Meetings may review, overturn, and provide criticism of Steering Committee actions.  
      4. National Membership Meetings may call for a new election of the SC, or a vote on the recall of specific members of the SC, to take place at the next National Membership Meeting.
        1. In the event of such a decision, the SC must organize and advertise the vote as soon as can be reasonably achieved, typically within 2-5 weeks. 
  3. Steering Committee
    1. The Steering Committee of Reform & Revolution is elected at the National Caucus Convention.
    2. The Steering Committee is tasked with facilitating the democratic decision making of members, implementing the decisions of national membership meetings, delegating key responsibilities, and carrying out urgent political tasks.
    3. The SC can overrule the decisions of the treasurer or any R&R committee or ad-hoc/standing body, though significant disputes should preferably be handled at National Membership Meetings. 
    4. The SC and Treasurer are collectively responsible for managing and delegating responsibility for the following:
      1. R&R’s financial resources
      2. R&R’s publications, including the Reform & Revolution magazine, the caucus website, and caucus social media. 
      3. Oversight of committees or other bodies.
    5. The R&R SC will conduct these responsibilities with oversight by National Membership Meetings.
    6. R&R National Membership Meetings can overrule all decisions of the SC or Treasurer. 
    7. The R&R National Convention can overrule all decisions by the SC and R&R National Membership Meeting.
    8. The Steering Committee will make its meetings open for all members to participate, unless a majority of the Steering Committee votes to hold a closed meeting, or make part of the meeting an Executive Session.
      1. A request for a closed meeting can be made by any SC member and requires a simple majority to pass. 
    9. The SC is responsible for organizing in a transparent accountable way while respecting privacy on personal issues. 
    10. The SC minutes – except for closed meetings – are available to all R&R members.
    11. Key decisions and changes to the composition of the SC will be reported to the membership in a timely manner. 
  4. Branches
    1. At least 5 members in one DSA chapter or region composed of multiple DSA chapters and at-large members can request from the SC or National Convention to be recognized as an R&R branch. 
    2. The SC is tasked with keeping an up-to-date list of active branches. This list should be reviewed at the National Caucus Convention or upon the request of a National Membership Meeting. In the event that a branch falls below the minimum threshold for members in good standing, the SC will reach out to the branch to alert them. In the event of a conflict between the branch and SC over a branch’s status, the dispute should be resolved at a National Membership Meeting.
    3. A Reform & Revolution branch has the following rights and duties:
      1. Vote on accepting members (the SC retains the right to veto the acceptance of members).
      2. Request funds from the national organization.
      3. Sign their own statements in the name of the R&R branch in print, online, on social media.
      4. Organize meetings of the branch membership.
    4. In the case of disagreements between the branch and the SC, a National Membership Meeting or the R&R National Convention has the right to resolve conflicts
    5. The SC can revoke a branch’s status with a vote of at least two thirds of SC members. Such a decision needs to be approved with a simple majority by a R&R National Membership Meeting or a R&R National Convention.
    6. Branches are expected to organize their own local conventions generally annually, or when a majority of the branch requests it, or as-needed.
    7. In addition to regional branches, R&R will hold regular meetings for members who are not part of an R&R branch. This “at-large” branch will not have the rights and responsibilities of regional branches, and is under the oversight of the Steering Committee.
  5. Editorial Board and Other Working Groups
    1. The SC can set up sub-committees and appoint their organizers and/or chairs, personnel, resources, and mission. The SC can decide and has to oversee the structure of the working groups and how they function. The SC is accountable for the working groups it sets up.
  6. Membership Dues
    1. Members of R&R pay monthly membership dues agreed upon with the body that invites the comrade to join the caucus (branch or Steering Committee) and/or with the national treasurer. 
  7. R&R Staff
    1. Full-time and part-time R&R workers will be appointed by the Steering Committee subject to approval by national membership meetings. In the case of local R&R workers, nominations shall be made and considered by the appropriate local body, subject to approval by the Steering Committee.
  8. Public Office
    1. In the case of any member of the caucus standing for public office, they shall act in accordance with the program, policies, and decisions of DSA and be held accountable by the socialist movement, DSA, and R&R. 
    2. R&R members elected to paid public offices or paid leadership positions in working-class or social movements are expected to live on no more than the average wage of a skilled worker plus expenses necessary to carry out the appropriate duties, with any excess of earnings being paid to DSA, R&R, or other social justice organizations or campaigns.

Article V. Amendments to the Bylaws

  1. Any member of R&R may propose an amendment to the bylaws.
  2. If sent to the SC at least three weeks before an R&R National Convention, the amendment will be discussed and voted on at that R&R National Convention and will need a majority of more than 50% of the voting members present. (Abstentions count against the bylaw amendment.)
  3. If sent to the SC four weeks before an R&R national Membership Meeting and if the R&R National Convention has either not yet been announced or is more than 3 months away, the amendment will be discussed and voted on at the R&R national Membership Meeting and will need a majority of more than 65% of the voting members present. (Abstentions count against the bylaws amendment.)

Article VI. Code of Conduct and Grievance Procedure

  1. Code of Conduct: What we expect of each other
    1. We must all work collectively to make our group as much as possible one where every member can engage in the work and feel valued and respected. 
    2. The national DSA Harassment Policy (Resolution 33) lays out the national harassment policy and grievance procedure applicable to all DSA members. 
    3. In addition, we seek to be even more explicit about what is expected of members of our caucus:
      1. Members should speak and behave in a way that creates an atmosphere of inclusion and respect.
      2. Every member should treat others with respect and dignity. This means not acting or speaking in a way that degrades the humanity of others inside or outside the group. This means not demeaning anyone based on their background or inherent characteristics, and it also means not being disrespectful to any comrade whatsoever. Aggressive behaviors, shouting or getting in someone’s face, threatening, harassing, and bullying are wrong, no matter who they are directed against.
    4. During our time as organizers, we will all come under intense pressure. Being stressed, tired, worried, however, cannot be seen as a valid excuse for acting disrespectfully to another member. 
    5. While we will have conflicts and disagreements among ourselves, and we encourage political debate, we should conduct those discussions in ways that give comrades the opportunity to be heard on the merits of their arguments. No one should be marginalized or unfairly treated for their views. Comrades have the right to disagree with the majority, at both one point in time and on an ongoing basis. So long as members agree with our political program and work in good faith with other members of the group, every member has the same right to participate, be elected, or put forward their views as any other.
  2. Grievance Procedure
    1. We are a caucus of DSA. For formal grievance procedures we encourage comrades to engage in the grievance process of DSA. This will help to enforce a more neutral process than if we would aim to handle formal grievance procedures by ourselves within the caucus. 
    2. The SC will help comrades to connect to DSA’s grievance officers whenever this is requested. DSA’s national harassment policy can be found here: Harassment Policy (Resolution 33) – Democratic Socialists of America. It includes the reference to the DSA National Grievance and Harassment Officer: “If you have questions or concerns about grievance matters, please contact our National Grievance and Harassment Officer … at nationalgrievanceofficer@dsausa.org. ”
    3. The Steering Committee or a branch can set up subcommittees to mediate, investigate, and/or clarify any issues that need to be worked out regarding political questions, grievances, or the conduct of members. Such subcommittees do not replace DSA’s grievance process and are expected to work with and help DSA’s grievance officers if cases overlap.