Democratic Workers Party
Democratic Workers Party   | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1974 | 
| Dissolved | August 1987 | 
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Far-left | 
The Democratic Workers Party was a United States Marxist–Leninist party based in California headed by former professor Marlene Dixon, lasting from 1974–1987. One member, Janja Lalich, later became a widely cited researcher on cults. Lalich characterized the DWP as a political cult with Dixon serving as its charismatic leader. She estimated that the Democratic Workers Party at one point had 125-150 full-time members and 300-1,000 members with various degrees of affiliation.