Every major economic idea deserves more than campaign speeches and cable news debates. It deserves to be tested.

Before anyone rushes to point to Scandinavia, Venezuela, Cuba, or any other country to argue whether socialism has succeeded or failed, I'd like to propose a different kind of test.

To the Democratic Socialists of America and those who believe this economic model is the future, I have a sincere proposal: Take your principle seriously enough to apply it consistently.

A central idea behind democratic socialism is that when a small number of people receive large economic rewards in the millions, they should be redirected to the people whose labor also made that success possible.

If that's true, let's test the principle where income inequality is among the greatest, where many of its strongest supporters already have significant cultural influence, and where the public can easily see the results.

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has put democratic socialism back in the national spotlight. But he's proposing the wrong test. Landlords, grocery store operators, manufacturers, and mom-and-pop retailers shouldn't be the first proving ground. Instead, why not begin with Hollywood, Broadway, television, and even the New York mayor's office?

Why start there? Because these industries already possess........

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