Work is best remembered as a founding member of the Socialist Party of America and as the author of one of its best-selling propaganda tracts of the first decade of the 20th century.

[6] Upon graduation, Work took a job at a weekly newspaper published in Monmouth, gathering local news and soliciting advertising.

* * * I proceeded to read books and otherwise investigate the single tax, the initiative and referendum, bi-metallism, proportional representation, free trade, postal savings banks, public ownership of public service corporations, extension of the civil service ... , election of judges and United States Senators by the people ... , the limitation of the powers of the judiciary, the limitation of the powers of the executives.

That fall he also addressed his first "street meeting" as a soapboxer on behalf of the Social Democratic Party, speaking for half an hour.

In December 1900, Work went to Minnesota to await a forthcoming national convention of the Social Democratic Party, called for January 15, 1901, in Chicago, but fell ill and had to return to Iowa, missing the gathering.

In October 1901, he was elected by referendum vote of the membership as the Socialist Party of Iowa's delegate to the governing National Committee of the SPA.

[18] Work was joined in this position by Barney Berlyn of Illinois, Stephen M. Reynolds of Indiana, Charles Dobbs of Kentucky, and Victor L. Berger of Wisconsin.

This was the last NEC elected by the National Committee, since the passage of Work's constitutional amendment had come too close to the January deadline to take immediate effect.

Joining Work on this first membership-elected committee were Morris Hillquit and Ben Hanford of New York, Ernest Untermann of Florida, A.M. Simons and Joseph Medill Patterson of Illinois, and Victor L. Berger of Wisconsin.

[27] Work also attended the 1910 National Congress of the Socialist Party as a delegate, delivering the report on organization on behalf of the NEC.

In August 1911, Mahlon Barnes was forced to resign as Executive Secretary, revealed by a NEC investigation to have placed the mother of his illegitimate child on the party payroll.

[30] As Executive Secretary of the Socialist Party, Work found himself in the spotlight, the recipient of criticism and the object of political machinations.

The rurally-raised Christian Socialist, Work often found himself at loggerheads with de facto party leader Morris Hillquit, an eloquent urban Marxist.

For his part Work was unhappy that Hillquit had reintegrated his personal friend and close political associate Mahlon Barnes into the National Office as the 1912 Socialist campaign manager, a newly created post serving at the pleasure of the NEC rather than the Executive Secretary.

[31] Not surprisingly, the return of Executive Secretary selection to the inner circle of the National Committee spelled the end of Work's tenure in the position.

[34] Work ran two political campaigns in 1914, making a try for Chicago city alderman in the spring and appearing on the ballot as a Socialist for U.S. Congress in the 10th District of Illinois in the fall.

In a vote closing in May 1916 he joined Victor Berger, Morris Hillquit, Anna A. Maley, and John Spargo on the 5 person NEC.

That fall, Work stood as the Socialist Party's candidate for Superior Judge in Chicago, having retained his citizenship in Illinois despite taking a job as an editorial writer in Milwaukee.

Thereafter, Work largely contained his Socialist Party activity to journalism, making an exception to run for delegate to the 1936 National Convention.

A known opponent of the 1934 Declaration of Principles, Work was defeated in his bid for full delegate status and was elected instead as an alternate.

He chose not to attend but neither did he follow the so-called "Old Guard" out of the party into a new rival organization called the Social Democratic Federation.

The Leader, as an anti-war publication, drew the ire of the Wilson administration and its Postmaster General, Albert S. Burleson and in October 1917 had its Second Class mailing privileges revoked.

Through it all, Work wrote extensively on anti-militarist themes including, according to his own testimony, four of the five editorials for which Victor Berger was indicted by a grand jury in Chicago in December 1918.

[38] After the termination of the Milwaukee Leader in 1942, Work wrote a series of texts on legal themes which were published through LaSalle Extension University.