Building the "Useful Party": An Instrument for Advancing Class Struggle
The Fourth International's strategic orientation in the contemporary political landscape.
Over several years, the Fourth International (FI) has extensively used and developed the concept of the "useful party". This term describes a political organisation that is capable of assembling forces and deciding on actions that have an effect and advance the class struggle. The foundation of such a party's operation is a class struggle approach, with its ultimate goal being the overthrow of the existing capitalist system and the building of a socialist/communist society. The building of useful parties is understood as a strategic orientation in the contemporary political landscape, seen as a transitional form at the current level of politicisation and radicalisation. This approach recognizes the limitations of traditional small vanguard parties and the need for broader formations to achieve meaningful political impact in the changing political landscape.
Beyond Being FI Sections
Crucially, the sources indicate that useful parties need not necessarily be formal sections of the Fourth International immediately upon formation or in every instance. While the FI's strategic objective is the construction of mass revolutionary parties and a mass revolutionary International, the concept of the "useful party" is broader than the established FI section itself. It involves a process that may encompass different stages and organisational forms depending on the specific national context. The FI's task is seen as building parties that are useful in the class struggle, and this strategy commits the FI's forces to being an integral and loyal part of building and leading these new parties. This is not merely about recruiting to the existing FI organisation, but about assembling forces more broadly than only those who might immediately subscribe to the full historic programme of the FI. The idea is to build broad organisations that include various revolutionary Marxists, not just those already within the specific tradition of the FI. The FI participates, to the extent of its strength, in broader anti-capitalist formations and struggles. Having the political will to build a section is necessary, but proclaiming one at all times is a tactical consideration. Experiences like the Workers' Party (PT) in Brazil or PSOL in Brazil illustrate the involvement in broader parties.
Programme and Political Coherence
Regarding the programme, while the FI is based on its historic programme, and building FI sections is based on adherence to this programme, the useful party concept is explicitly about bringing together forces more broadly than those who might subscribe to the historic programme of the FI. The aim is to build organisations capable of advancing the class struggle based on a class struggle approach and programme. This programme guides action. While the sources stress the importance of the transitional programme and transitional demands as a guide, suggesting key programmatic elements are necessary, the concept of assembling forces more broadly and building "broad revolutionary organisations" including "various revolutionary Marxists" implies that the useful party itself might operate on a programme that converges with, but is not necessarily identical to, the full historical FI programme. However, defending Marxism and engaging in political elaboration and education are seen as essential tasks for revolutionaries. The principle is to maintain political and organizational independence within broader formations and fight for the FI's programme and strategic line.
Agitating, Educating, and Organising for Socialism
The sources unequivocally support the requirement that these parties must be capable of agitating, educating, and organising for socialism. A useful party is defined as action-oriented, actively mobilising and organising the working class. It must be capable of assembling forces and deciding actions that have an effect and advance the class struggle. Effective organisation is necessary to coordinate these activities. The ultimate goal is the overthrow of capitalism and the building of socialist/communist society. Political elaboration and education are vital for developing cadres and maintaining political clarity. They must also work to build a political base for socialism in the working class through consistent campaigning and politicising their base. This involves intervening in social movements and struggles to advance demands and programmes that challenge capitalism. Agitation, such as anti-militarist agitation, is specifically mentioned as a means of educating people in Socialism and making state instruments unreliable against the proletariat.
Resisting Participation in Capitalist Governments
Finally, the sources strongly support the need for these parties to resist the pressure to participate in bourgeois governments. Maintaining class independence from the bourgeoisie and its state is a fundamental principle. The FI's general position is that governments managing the capitalist state are not governments of the exploited and oppressed, and therefore, the FI and the formations it works within generally do not participate in them. The debate around "progressive" governments explicitly highlights the necessity of an independent anti-capitalist party advocating a radical rupture with neoliberal policies and resisting subordination or alignment with state parties. Experiences within parties like PSOL in Brazil and debates regarding participation in Lula's government illustrate this crucial strategic line, with sections expressing opposition to disregarding party resolutions on non-participation. While engaging in tactics like united fronts in mass action or electoral actions, maintaining political and organizational independence from the bourgeois state and class collaboration is paramount. Broad left parties can face pressure to drift right or cross lines of principle by entering governments, which is seen as a pitfall to be resisted and combatted.
In summary, the International portrays the "useful party" as a flexible organisational concept aimed at bringing together a broader range of revolutionary Marxists and anti-capitalist forces than just the existing FI membership. While working towards the ultimate strategic objective of a mass revolutionary International based on the FI's programme, these useful parties are defined by their capacity to effectively agitate, educate, and organise for socialism in their specific national contexts, operating with a class struggle approach and crucially, maintaining independence from the bourgeois state and resisting participation in capitalist governments. They are envisioned as open to other anti-capitalist organisations and new activists from social movements, fostering a democratic and transparent internal life while actively engaging in the class struggle and seeking to build a political base for socialism in the working class.
Further reading
New Parties of the Left – Experiences from Europe, a 2011 book from the IIRE, is an excellent guide to the FI’s early experience with European broad parties.
Here are some specific sections, articles, and contributions that offer Fourth Internationalists further reading on how the themes discussed, particularly concerning the strategic orientation of building revolutionary parties and the analysis underpinning this task, emerged in the 1985-1990 period:
"Building revolutionary parties in Europe" - 13th World Congress International Discussion Bulletin no3 1990 - This section is explicitly dedicated to constructing revolutionary parties in Europe, including a report debated at the Congress. It directly addresses the task of building the types of organisations discussed in the concept of the "useful party".
"The stage of building the Fourth International" - Resolutions of 12th Congress - This broader section discusses the historical trajectory and current tasks in building the Fourth International, which provides the overarching strategic context for the useful party concept. It touches upon the necessary political and organisational forms at the current level of politicisation.
"The strategic challenge for the revolutionary left" - Thirteenth World Congress resolution on Latin America - This article outlines a contemporary political landscape and the strategic challenges faced by revolutionary forces, which directly informs the necessity and nature of the parties they aim to build.
"The national question" - International Marxist Review v5 no1 Summer 1990 - Numerous sections are dedicated to the national question in various contexts (Notably including Ireland and the Spanish state). These discussions are relevant as revolutionary parties must develop a programme and practice that addresses national oppression and integrates it with the class struggle, often operating within or across national boundaries.
"Learning from each other" and "A school of democracy" - For a revival of Internationalism in International Marxist Review 11/12 - These sections highlight the importance of international exchange of experiences and fostering a democratic internal life within revolutionary organisations.
Demands and Alternatives in response to ecological problems - World Congress resolution, also in 13th World Congress IDB no7a December 1990 - These sections, related to the ecological movement, illustrate the programmatic demands and alternative proposals that revolutionary parties can raise, demonstrating their active engagement with contemporary social issues and their capacity to link these to the fight for socialism.
These specific references should offer deeper insights into the theoretical underpinnings, strategic considerations, and practical challenges related to building the "useful party" and advancing class struggle.