America's Socialist Experiment looks at 40 years of socialism in the conservative American city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Over four decades, socialist leaders ended corruption, fought for better conditions for working people, and cleaned up the environment. With the battle lines drawn for the 2020 general election – and Milwaukee as the site of the 2020 Democratic National Convention – there is renewed debate about what it means to be a socialist. What can these 20th-century socialists tell us about how socialism works in practice?

America's Socialist Experiment looks at 40 years of socialism in the conservative American city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Over four decades, socialist leaders ended corruption, fought for better conditions for working people, and cleaned up the environment. With the battle lines drawn for the 2020 general election – and Milwaukee as the site of the 2020 Democratic National Convention – there is renewed debate about what it means to be a socialist. What can these 20th-century socialists tell us about how socialism works in practice?