Why can it be said that Democratic Socialism is a contradiction in its terms?

Answer 1

Democratic Socialism is a term used by socialists, usually to distinguish themselves from the authoritarian Marxist-Leninist/Stalinist governments that existed during the 20th century. It advocates a democratic political system alongside a socialist economy.

The term itself is not contradictory, and neither are democracy and socialism. Of course un-democratic 'socialist' regimes have existed, examples referred to usually being the Soviet Union or Cuba, but this does not mean that democracy and socialism are mutually exclusive. For a proper socialist society to operate, democracy is key, as the means of production are owned by the workers and not by a small group of capitalists (like a board of directors, CEO, or even a government). When society is run for the common good of the people, and not the personal gain of a select few, democracy and co-operation is necessary for this society to function.

While this may be more of an individual opinion than verifiable fact, I would make the conjecture that most socialists today would be 'democratic socialists', but don't use the term as many of the Marxist-Leninist/Stalinist movements have become the minority since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and loss of interest in the ideology. The real divide with socialists today is between revolutionary and reformist ideologies, but most of them would subscribe to a democratic form of socialism.