Contrary to frequently expressed hopes and expectations, there is a recurring argument by some theorists in the Marxian tradition that the typical structures and processes of capitalist democracy actively obstruct the political organization of workers as a class. This essay brings together various aspects of this argument, especially as developed in the works of Lukács, Pashukanis, Poulantzas, Przeworski, and Katznelson. The thesis ultimately calls into question the sense in which "classes" exist under conditions of capitalist democracy, the usefulness of focusing on "class formation" as a vehicle for socialist theory, and the electoral road to socialism in general.
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