Libertarian Socialist Caucus (LSC) Bylaws

Adopted 5 September 2023, last amended 15 February 2026

The official and up-to-date version of these bylaws can be viewed here.

Article I. Purpose, or What is LSC?

The Libertarian Socialist Caucus (LSC) is a working body within which members of the Democratic Socialists of America can advocate and organize for libertarian socialist principles and a libertarian socialist vision of DSA’s structure and work, as outlined in the Points of Unity. Members in regions with sufficient interest in libertarian socialist organizing are encouraged to form Locals. Under no circumstances will LSC make any endorsement of any person for government office, or for any position outside of DSA.

Article II. Membership, or Who can be in LSC?

Section 1.

Subsection 1.

Membership in LSC shall be open to members of DSA in good standing who are sympathetic to the ideals of libertarian socialism and agree to uphold the Points of Unity and the purpose of the caucus outlined in Article I. LSC will maintain a public application collecting applicants’ name, DSA or YDSA chapter, email, and at least one other digital mode of contact, preferably one associated with the caucus’s primary mode of communication. The application shall also survey applicants about their agreements and disagreements with the Points of Unity and Code of Conduct. LSC will hold orientation meetings for new applicants at least once per month.

Subsection 2.

After attending an orientation meeting and agreeing to the membership requirements, applicants shall be interviewed about their application, and their perspectives on the Points of Unity and the Code of Conduct, by a pair of Orientation Leaders. If it is impossible to arrange a timely interview between the applicant and a pair of Orientation Leaders, a single Orientation Leader may be permitted to interview an applicant. Orientation Leaders are required to record either notes on the interview or the interview session itself to enable further review by the rest of the Orientation Leaders and the general membership.

After collective review of the prospective member’s application and interview by the Orientation Leaders, the applicant shall be recommended for membership upon a three-fifths (⅗) vote of the Orientation Leaders. The vote may be conducted synchronously or asynchronously but must be recorded and published in a manner accessible to general membership alongside record of the applicant survey and any notes from their interview.

The Orientation Leaders shall report all recommendations either for or against membership to the next general meeting to be ratified by the general membership. These recommendations are to be presented to the general membership as a slate. Members shall retain the right to amend the slate to consider any number of applications separately, or to overturn the recommendation of the Orientation Leaders regarding any number of applicants. An applicant shall be finally approved for admission to LSC upon receiving a three-fifths (⅗) vote in favor of admission at a general meeting.

The Membership Committee shall maintain a standardized onboarding rubric to assess applicants’ alignment with the Points of Unity, understanding of the Code of Conduct, and readiness to participate in the caucus. For each applicant recommended for or against membership, the Orientation Leaders shall prepare a written recommendation report to be presented to the general membership. This report shall include the completed rubric assessment and all qualitative comments recorded by the Orientation Leaders during the onboarding process, including any dissenting or minority viewpoints. No qualitative feedback or rubric evaluations may be withheld from the general membership. These materials shall be reported to the next general meeting at which the applicant’s membership is to be deliberated and voted upon. This reporting requirement exists to ensure transparency, collective deliberation, and democratic accountability in membership decisions.

Subsection 3.

All Orientation Leaders are national Orientation Leaders. Members of LSC Locals who are responsible for conducting onboarding for their Local must be Orientation Leaders, with all the responsibilities and expectations that entails, principally of reviewing applicants with the other Orientation Leaders and being available to conduct onboarding for members outside of their Local.

Section 2.

To uphold the Points of Unity, members shall not undertake actions or make public statements that would be harmful to the purposes and directions described therein.

LSC’s membership is tasked with determining, as necessary, the extent to which these standards have or have not been followed by caucus members.

Section 3.

Dual-carding with organizations or formations within DSA other than LSC is prohibited by default, but exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis by the Orientation Leaders. Denials may be appealed to the general membership.

Section 4.

LSC will keep a membership list including current members, inactive members, and applicants.

Section 5.

A group of LSC members organizing together in a DSA chapter or a group of contiguous DSA chapters may apply to form an LSC Local covering those chapters. The motion to form a Local must include at least three cosigners from the proposed Local, as well as draft bylaws. LSC Locals will be required to provide an up-to-date version of their bylaws to the caucus, and must notify an Administrative Officer of LSC within one week of any change to their bylaws.

Section 6.

Subsection 1.

Members of LSC may cease to be members by inactivity, resignation, ineligibility, or expulsion.

Subsection 2.

A member of LSC shall be declared inactive if either of the following occur:

the member does not attend a general meeting, a special meeting, a committee meeting, or a meeting of their Local for more than three months;
the member does not vote on a motion considered by LSC, a committee, or a Local for more than three months.

A member who expresses that they cannot or do not wish to remain active in LSC shall immediately cease to be a member.

A member who becomes inactive shall be contacted by the Executive Council and given a period of 1 month to resume activity. After 1 month of continued inactivity, an inactive member shall cease to be a member of LSC.

A member who notifies the Executive Council that they intend to pause their activity within LSC for a period of 3 months or longer, for exigent reasons or otherwise, shall only become inactive if and when they do not return on the date of their expected return.

Decisions on cessation of membership due to inactivity must be announced to the caucus by the Executive Council, and may be overturned by a majority vote of the caucus. The Executive Council may waive the activity requirements of a member at their discretion. Such decisions must be announced to the caucus, and may also be overturned by a 2/3 vote of the caucus.

Subsection 3.

Members who cease to be eligible for LSC membership due to losing membership in good standing of DSA will immediately cease to be members of LSC.

Subsection 4.

Members may be suspended or expelled from LSC if their actions or clearly expressed beliefs are in substantial disagreement with the purpose of the caucus as outlined in Article I or with LSC’s Points of Unity, or if they are recommended for suspension or expulsion by the LSC Mediators following violation of the LSC Code of Conduct. LSC will make use of the mediation process where appropriate, and efforts should be made to remedy a member’s conduct prior to pursuing expulsion.

Article III. Meetings and Platforms, or How do we talk to each other?

Section 1.

LSC will maintain a single digital discussion space open to all members. Instructions on how to access this space will be included in orientation meetings.

Section 2.

LSC will hold general membership meetings not less often than once every three months, and not more often than once per week. The purpose of general membership meetings is to discuss political questions facing LSC, to plan for future caucus activities, and to report on ongoing caucus activities. Notes from general meetings should be published in the primary discussion space after at most a week.

Section 3.

Working meetings may be scheduled at any time and with any frequency by members. Working meetings should be held on a platform open to the membership and reports on their work should be presented at the next general meeting. If notes are taken in a working meeting, they should be published in the primary discussion space no later than the next general meeting. If a regular working meeting is scheduled by motion, notes must be taken and published to the general membership.

Section 4.

10% of the active membership of LSC may approve a call for a special meeting. Only business contained in the call for such a meeting may be considered there. Notes from special meetings should be published in the primary discussion space after at most a week.

Article IV. Committees, or How do we work together?

Section 1. Definition

The general membership of LSC is empowered to create committees to organize its work. A committee is either a standing or temporary body that administers a specific activity of LSC. Committees shall be active, transparent, and accountable to the members of LSC.

Section 2. Creation

To found a committee, a member needs to write a proposed charter, which must indicate:

the purpose and mandate for the committee;
whether the committee is open to all members of LSC or limited;
- if the committee has limited membership, what the restrictions are, and how the members will be selected;
five prospective members of the committee;
whether the committee is to be standing or temporary;
- if the committee is temporary, for how long or until what event the committee shall exist.

This charter must be presented before the caucus for a vote.

Section 3. Secretary

Committees shall each have one secretary, who acts as point person for delegating tasks and coordinating between LSC and other committees. Secretaries shall be elected by the second regular meeting of the committee, and shall have terms of no longer than one year.

Section 4. Secretary Responsibilities

Committee secretaries are responsible for:

Organizing official channels of communication for all members of the committee;
Organizing regular meetings between members of the committee;
Ensuring minutes are recorded for all meetings, any major decisions made are summarized, and any other updates are made available to all members of LSC on a regular basis;
Presenting any motions endorsed by the committee to the general membership.

Section 5. Excused Absences and Leave of Absence

An excused absence shall be defined as any absence where the secretary notifies the committee within 24 hours of notice, barring an emergency. Secretaries may take a leave of absence for up to three months for emergencies or other personal difficulties. They may appoint a replacement who will exercise the secretary’s duties while on leave. The committee must confirm the appointment of the replacement.

Section 6. Definition of Nonfeasance and Malfeasance

Nonfeasance for a committee secretary is defined to include unexcused absences for three or more committee meetings. Malfeasance is defined as any abuse of position that may compromise LSC’s integrity.

Section 7. Recall

A committee secretary may be recalled for nonfeasance or malfeasance by a two-thirds (⅔) vote at a committee meeting or a simple majority of a general meeting.

Section 8. Committee Scope

If a decision is reached by a committee that affects LSC as a whole, or requires action outside of the members of the committee, the committee may endorse a motion on such matters to be presented before the general membership for a vote. Any motions endorsed by a committee are considered to already be appropriately seconded for the purposes of agendizing and consideration. The general membership may elect to delegate responsibilities beyond these to a committee only by clearly delineating these responsibilities either in the bylaws or in the committee mandate. All committees are subordinate to the general membership and may have their decisions overturned by a simple majority vote at a membership meeting. The general membership may modify the charter of a committee at any time by a simple majority vote.

Section 9. Dissolution

Committees may be dissolved by a two-thirds (⅔) vote at a general meeting. If a committee fails to meet for three months, or misses three meetings, whichever comes sooner, the committee is automatically dissolved.

Article V. Officers, or Who’s responsible for all this?

Section 1.

LSC shall have the following officers:

Two (2) Facilitators, who will be responsible for facilitating general meetings, facilitating Executive Council meetings, and soliciting agenda items from the membership.
Two (2) Membership Coordinators, who shall be responsible for the overall health and growth of the membership by coordinating the outreach, recruitment, and engagement activities of the caucus.
One (1) Communications Coordinator, who will operate LSC’s social media accounts and public presence.
One (1) Secretary, who shall be responsible for the operation of Discord channels, internal tools and processes such as votes and polls, in addition to other miscellaneous administrative work necessary for the functioning of the caucus.
One (1) Treasurer, who will oversee LSC's financial resources, maintain LSC's financial records, take in and expend funds as approved by the general membership, and report on LSC's financial status to the general membership.

LSC must also elect no fewer than two Mediators, who will mediate and attempt to amicably resolve disputes between caucus members, and conduct further investigations and recommend appropriate action if they cannot be mutually resolved.

Section 2.

The Executive Council of LSC shall be composed of nine people elected from the membership. It shall consist of the officers of the caucus, with the exception of the Mediators, in addition to two At-Large members. Mediators may not serve on the Executive Council. Executive Council members may not serve as Mediators. The members of the Executive Council shall be elected at-large via Single Transferable Vote (STV). The Executive Council (EC) shall:

Act as the highest body of LSC subordinate to the general membership;
Ensure the execution of all decisions made by the general membership;
Organize official channels of communication for LSC;
Organize and facilitate LSC general meetings and call extraordinary meetings as needed;
Ensure minutes are recorded for all Executive Council meetings and all general meetings and any other updates on the business of the Executive Council or general membership are made available to all members as needed or directed by the general membership;
Maintain an accurate list of members of LSC;
Organize Subcommittees as needed to fulfill its mandate;
Maintain channels of communication with other caucuses and formations within DSA.

The Executive Council shall meet at least monthly. EC meetings shall be open for any member of the caucus to observe. LSC members not on the EC shall not have speaking rights during EC meetings except during the public comment section of the meeting. All EC meetings shall have time reserved for public comment.

Section 3.

No member of the Executive Council may hold their position for more than a year without reelection, and if one holds a position for two years, they are not permitted to hold it again for a year.

Section 4.

Recall of any individual member of the Executive Council, or of the Executive Council as a whole, may be accomplished with a simple majority vote.

Article VI. Standing Committees, or Who Keeps Things Running?

Section 2.

A motion is made by submitting the text of the motion in the primary discussion space of LSC. Business motions must be appropriately seconded within 24 hours of being moved, and must be announced to the general membership at least 7 days in advance of a general meeting. No other main motions may be considered unless the meeting suspends the rules of order as provided in the parliamentary authority.

Section 3.

Members who are unable to attend a general or special meeting may designate a proxy to vote on their behalf. Members may only vote by proxy on behalf of one other member. A member who designates another member as their proxy delegates their decision on all motions in the meeting to the designated member.

Section 4.

Asynchronous motions must be submitted to the primary discussion space of LSC. These motions must also specify a voting period. The voting period for a main motion, extended or unextended, may not be more than two weeks in total and must conclude before the next general meeting. Asynchronous motions must be signed by at least one fifth (⅕) of the active membership to be considered. Signatories should be listed at the bottom of the resolution as proof that the signature requirement has been met.

Section 5.

Once an asynchronous motion is submitted and seconded, the motion will be announced to the membership by email and in the primary discussion space and put up for an asynchronous vote. During this time, amendments and other subsidiary motions may be offered. Such motions must be seconded by four individuals, not including the author, before they may be considered for asynchronous voting. The voting period for a subsidiary motion is one week, or until the main motion would close without amendment or other modification, whichever is lesser. The voting period for the main motion will be extended by one week should the amendment pass, up to the limits specified in Section 4. Members may change their votes at any time.

Section 6.

A motion may be passed early or failed early if the proportion of the active membership voting for or against the motion is identical to the threshold of passage (e.g. a main motion requiring a ⅔ vote attains a ⅔ majority of the active membership voting in favor). A motion may not be closed early if a related subsidiary motion is under consideration. Early closure of a motion that meets these requirements is not automatic or mandatory, and may be postponed at the discretion of the author or seconder of the motion or ⅔ of the Executive Council.

Section 7.

Motions of different types require different levels of support to pass.

Motions related to the recall or discipline of a caucus officer or endorsee, amendments to main motions, and most procedural motions within a meeting require a simple majority to pass.
Motions to end debate within a meeting, and main motions, such as approval of a statement, election of an officer, endorsement of a proposal or a candidate for DSA leadership, chartering or expanding a local of LSC, or other general functions of the caucus, require a ⅔ majority to pass.
Motions to expel a member, or to amend the bylaws, points of unity, or other central documents of the caucus, require a ¾ majority.

Section 8.

Motions may be proposed strictly regarding matters related to individual LSC Locals. Only members of the LSC Local may propose or vote on such motions. Statements approved through Local motions will be prominently labeled as statements of the LSC Local rather than of the caucus itself, but may still be communicated using official LSC resources. Quorum for LSC Local motions shall be determined by the Local as a proportion of its members. Voting rules for each Local may be further determined by the bylaws of the Local, otherwise the same rules used by the general body shall apply.

Section 9.

Other provisions of the bylaws notwithstanding, the following types of motions cannot be considered asynchronously:

Bylaws amendments
Amendments to the Points of Unity
Endorsements of resolutions in national DSA or YDSA bodies
Adoption or amendments of a strategic program

Endorsements of LSC members running for national DSA or YDSA positions may be decided asynchronously, but require deliberation in a general meeting.

Section 10.

During the DSA Convention, special motions may be proposed strictly regarding matters related to convention. Only LSC delegates, alternates, and observers to the DSA Convention may propose or vote on such motions. The quorum for a convention motion is ¾ of all LSC delegates, alternates, and observers to the DSA Convention, and such motions require a ⅔ majority to pass. The voting period for convention motions may be as short as 20 minutes, and may end early if there are enough votes in favor that the motion would pass if every remaining eligible voter opposed the motion. If the convention motion does not meet quorum, the voting period is extended by 30 minutes. The results of all convention motions will be prominently labeled as statements of LSC’s convention delegation rather than of the caucus itself, but may still be communicated using official LSC resources.

Section 11.

Statements of dissent from official LSC statements or endorsements shall be published on LSC public-facing channels (e.g. an LSC website) upon petition by 1/5 of active membership. LSC shall prominently disclaim such statements as the opinions of the signatories, and such statements should not be construed as official statements of LSC.

The official and up-to-date version of these bylaws can be viewed here.