Entryism is a political strategy where activists or members of a movement join a larger, more mainstream party or organization to influence it from within, using its structure, visibility, and access to build power for their own goals. In the U.S., that often means socialists and progressives working within the Democratic Party, not because they believe it can be “saved,” but because it’s one of the only viable political avenues under our system.

Entryism often gets misunderstood as “trying to fix” or “save” the Democratic Party, when that’s never been the point. The reality is that, under America’s rigid two-party system, entryism is about using access to the ballot and power structures to organize, protect vulnerable communities, and build material wins where possible. You can’t feed people or defend their rights from outside the system if you have zero power inside it. That’s just reality.

But let’s be clear: the Democratic Party will never become truly left-wing. It is structurally tied to capital, corporate donors, and the preservation of markets over people. The party functions as a pressure valve for dissent, co-opting progressive movements just enough to keep them from challenging the system itself. That’s why entryism can only ever be a temporary tactic, a foothold for survival and movement-building within a hostile political environment, not the end goal.

Eventually, any serious left movement in America will have to build a separate party rooted in labor, community power, and democratic control, not one dependent on corporate money or electoral gatekeeping. But you can’t skip steps. We don’t have the infrastructure, the unity, or the mass organization to do that yet. So for now, entryism is about using the openings we have to build toward the future we actually want, a future where we don’t have to compromise with capital to care for each other.