More than two-thirds of Democrats have a “positive” view of socialism, according to a new poll that also shows support for capitalism at a new low among Americans.
Approximately 39% of Americans overall say they have a “positive” view of socialism, according to Gallup polling. Though that number has held relatively steady, it’s increased slightly over the last 15 years; in 2010, support for socialism was at 36%. But when broken out by political party, 66% of Democrats view socialism positively, compared to 14% of Republicans and 38% of independents.
Historically, Democrats trend much more toward socialism than other groups. In 2010, half of those who identified themselves as Democrats said they were in favor, and that number increased over the years. Independents, however, have stayed relatively steady, in the 34%-41% range.
Republicans’ views towards socialism tend to be more volatile, though the proportion who view the system positively has never reached more than a quarter. The current 14% is right in the middle, with a low of 9% in 2019 to a high of 24% in 2012.
The proportion of Americans who support capitalism hit the lowest point in 15 years, 54%. About 60% of Americans have historically supported capitalism over the last 15 years, with the rate dipping to 56% in 2018. About three-quarters, 74%, of Republicans have a positive view of capitalism, which has held mostly steady over the last 15 years, with a peak of 78% in 2019 and a low of 67% in 2016.
But among Democrats and independent voters, support for capitalism is on the wane. In the latest polling, 42% of Democrats and 51% of independents have a positive view of capitalism, the lowest number for both groups in 15 years.
The poll was conducted between August 1-20, polling 1,094 American adults via telephone, with a margin of error of 4%.
While there have been a few socialist candidates to find success—in 1910, Wisconsin’s Victor Berger was the first Socialist elected to Congress—socialism generally has faced an uphill battle in the United States. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is credited with the recent mainstream acceptance of socialism by GovFacts.org.
Recently, however, Democratic socialists have seen victory. Zohran Mamdani, the New York City mayoral candidate, trounced both current mayor Eric Adams and former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the primary election. However, both Adams and Cuomo have refused to end their campaigns so he will again face them—along with Republican candidate and founder of the Guardian Angels Curtis Sliwa—in the general this November.
Image via Flickr under Creative Commons
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