Why is there no Labor party in the United States?

Robin Archer, Princeton University Press, hardback, 348 pages, £19.95

This book approaches the old question of why there is no labour party in the United States in a novel way. Myths surrounding the labour party debate are explored, as are topical discussions about the role of unions in politics.

The author, Robin Archer, compares American labour with Australian, rather than with European workers, and notes that both countries had similar conditions around 1900, yet a Labour Party was formed in Australia (and in Britain) but not in the US.

The book puts much of the blame on the trade union leaders. In particular, Archer pinpoints the 1894 convention of the American Federation of Labour, where union leader Samuel Gompers, the advocate of “pure and simple unionism”, defeated a motion to create a party.

Archer also considers the “new unionism” of unskilled and semi-skilled workers in both Australia and Britain. This helped transform these countries’ labour movements, and its absence in the US may account for the failure to form an American labour party.

Another possible factor is the unprecedented speed and scale of industrialisation and urbanisation in the US during the period 1870-1914. This made for a highly fluid labour market, which made trade unions difficult to sustain. No doubt this debate will rumble on beyond this US election year.