Americans Are Warming to Socialist Ideas
New polling finds Americans divided on socialism, but increasingly supportive of government intervention in key services
New polling from YouGov for the Economist takes a look at a variety of opinions on socialism, including whether Americans support more traditionally socialist policies such as eliminating private health insurance.
To start, 32% of Americans say they have a favorable view of socialism, while 39% have an unfavorable view. Another 29% say they are unsure where they stand on the issue.
Young people are significantly more supportive of socialism, with those under 29 holding a net favorability of +20. Those between 30 and 44 are only one point underwater.
Democrats are overwhelmingly supportive of socialism, with a net favorability of +47. Independents sit at -4, while Republicans are at -60. Even so, 11% of Republicans have a favorable view of socialism, which is consistent with previous polling on the issue.
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When asked which economic system they would rather live under, capitalism continues to hold a comfortable lead over its socialist counterpart.
Overall, 44% of Americans say they would rather live under a capitalist system, including 74% of Republicans, 35% of Independents, and even 22% of Democrats. The older Americans are, the more likely they are to prefer capitalism over socialism.
However, among Democrats, socialism is viewed as the better economic system by a 12 point margin over capitalism, although 44% of Democrats remain unsure. Likewise, 46% of Independents are unsure which system is better, though among those with an opinion, capitalism leads socialism by 35% to 19%.
Overall, 39% of Americans say they would prefer a bigger government with more services, while 35% would rather have a smaller government with fewer services. Another 25% remain unsure. Even so, Americans tend to support several policies that are commonly associated with socialism.
When it comes to the government building public housing, 57% support the idea while 24% oppose it. Support is strongest among those under 44, reaching 67%. Similarly, 55% of Americans support the government covering college tuition, compared to 34% who oppose it. Once again, support is highest among those under 44 at 64%.
The biggest example is eliminating private health insurance, with 52% of Americans supporting the proposal while only 30% oppose it. Support is highest among Democrats at 77%, though even a majority of Independents at 57% and nearly one third of Republicans at 31% also support the idea.
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The survey also asked whether the Democratic Party is a socialist party, and the results are a little amusing.
Overall, 31% say the Democratic Party is socialist, including 61% of Republicans, 17% of Independents, and 41% of those over 65. Arguably, Fox News has convinced many conservatives that the Democratic Party is far more socialist than it actually is, despite the party remaining well within the political mainstream.
On the other hand, 33% say the Democratic Party is not socialist, including 56% of Democrats and 36% of Independents. It is also notable that 39% of those under 44 reject the idea that the Democratic Party is socialist, which gives some perspective on how far the party would have to move before it could reasonably be described that way.
Lastly, when asked whether they would ever vote for a Democratic Socialist, Americans lean against the label. Overall, 29% say they would vote for a Democratic Socialist, while 45% say they would not. However, 62% of Democrats say they would support a Democratic Socialist, which could provide plenty of room for the continued growth of candidates affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America who have already won office or are seeking election to Congress.
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