NCC Proposal: Prepare for Bernie 2020

1. Objectives
a. To develop, in accordance with Resolution 5 passed at the 2018 YDSA Summer
Convention, “in consultation with the membership and nationwide chapter
leaders...a comprehensive plan for YDSA to actively support Sanders’s
campaign in the event that he runs.”
b. To do so “by the end of 2018,” as stated in the aforementioned resolution.
c. To cohere YDSA’s existing national priorities with Bernie’s political platform in
order to build a strong, independent student campaign for Bernie 2020.
d. To forge a stronger link between YDSA’s national infrastructure, its regional
representatives, and each chapter’s local rank-and-file.
e. To make YDSA’s campaign efforts around Bernie 2020 the leading student effort
in support of Bernie. By putting YDSA’s explicitly socialist analysis and able
campus organizers at the forefront of a national grassroots electoral campaign,
we hope to become the primary site of action for young people on the Left.
f. To grow YDSA’s base among students through our involvement with the Sanders
campaign and win working-class people over to the cause of socialism.
2. Existing Structures
a. The National Coordinating Committee (NCC)
b. National Subcommittees (College for All, Labor, Medicare For All)
c. Staff
d. Regional Organizing Committees (ROCs)
e. YDSA Chapters
3. National Organizing Proposal (Before Bernie Announcement)
a. Begin laying the groundwork for organizing around Bernie through existing YDSA
subcommittees (C4A, Labor, M4A)
i. These subcommittees will link work for Bernie’s campaign to their
ongoing issue-based campaigns
ii. Instead of creating a separate subcommittee for Bernie 2020, members of
the three subcommittees will act as national points of contact for YDSA’s
Bernie 2020 efforts.
iii. Before Bernie’s announcement, this coordinating committee will work with
DSA’s national design team to develop a “how-to” kit for chapters,
including a sample campaign plan, a guide for canvassing/phone
banking, flyers, and other materials which chapters will need. Ongoing
one-on-one conversations between these national organizers and local
chapters will further inform our strategy for the materials we provide to
chapters.
b. Engaging Chapters
i. The NCC will ask that each YDSA chapter appoint one Bernie 2020 point
person to serve as a point of contact for Bernie 2020 organizing.
ii. The NCC, in addition to its usual channels of communication, will ask
ROC co-chairs to relay information about Bernie 2020 preparation,
including the appointment of Bernie point persons.
 1. There will be no requirements for the point persons, and the NCC
can tell ROC representatives that they may serve as point persons
to increase the ease of engaging chapters.
iii. The coordinating committee will organize regular calls between members
of the three national subcommittees and Bernie 2020 point persons from
each of YDSA’s participating chapters1.
1. On the first of these calls, the national subcommittee members will
focus on asking chapters about their individual capacities, helping
them brainstorm a more specific local campaign strategy for their
campus-specific context.
2. After a few calls, subcommittee members will ask chapters what
materials they would find helpful in a Bernie 2020 kit and shape
the kit’s contents based on the chapter’s request
c. Other objectives
i. The Bernie 2020 coordinators will arrange a YDSA-wide interest call for
participation in the campaign
ii. The coordinators will also develop a more detailed strategy with specific
goals and a specific timeline within the first two weeks of January

1
Note: Chapters who are not interested in engaging in Bernie work will not be interfered with. As with any
of our national priorities, YDSA chapters can elect to focus their local campaign work on a variety of
specific demands. However, passing and carrying out this proposal will help us engage the maximal
possible buy-in from chapters. We hope that, as the campaign builds and strengthens, more and more
chapters will realize the potential of Bernie’s campaign and join in our organizing efforts.