Posted on 06/22/2026 6:34:29 AM PDT by MtnClimber
How do Americans respond to the economic and political system known as socialism? For a decade or two after the collapse of socialism in Eastern Europe countries and other nations, the idea became untenable. Now, however, socialism has regained popularity among many, in particular Democrats, as the June I&I/TIPP Poll demonstrates.
In the latest online national poll, taken from May 26 through May 28, 1,589 voting-age respondents were asked the following question: “In general, do you have a favorable or unfavorable view of socialism?”
Those answering the poll, which has a margin of error of +/-2.7 percentage points, were surprisingly sanguine in their views: 33% said they were either “very favorable” (12%) or “somewhat favorable” (21%) toward socialism, compared to just 44% who said they were “somewhat unfavorable” (19%) or “very unfavorable” (25%) toward socialism.
Another 23% said they were “unsure.”
So one out of three voters in America thinks socialism is a good system.
But who are they? Mostly, Democrats. Among members of the Democratic Party, a plurality of 46% find socialism favorable, versus 32% unfavorable. Independents are slightly less, at 27% favorable, 44% not favorable, a plurality but not a majority.
Only among Republicans does an actual majority not like socialism: 26% favorable versus 58% unfavorable. But note also that even among GOP members, the conservative party of our tripartite system, one in four find socialism favorable.
It goes beyond party affiliation, with sharp splits by age (18 to 24 years, 44% favorable, and 25 to 44 years, 42% favorable), dropping with advancing age (45 to 64 years, 27% favorable and 65 years-plus, down to 21% favorable).
Men and women also split: Men (38% favorable) lean more toward socialism than women (28% favorable), though a plurality of both still find socialism unfavorable. Similarly, white Americans (29% favorable) are somewhat less pro-socialism than African-Americans and Hispanics (39% favorable).
A bigger shock: 44% of investors feel favorably toward socialism, but just 28% of non-investors do.
This wasn’t the only question. I&I/TIPP also asked: “Which economic system do you believe offers Americans a better future?”
Once again the answer surprised: only a third (33%) responded “capitalism,” while 16% said “socialism” and 26% opined “both equally.” Nearly a quarter (24%) said “not sure.”
How could this be? Again, Democrats. That party’s members picked socialism (21%) over capitalism (20%), with 35% saying both equally. By comparison, independents chose capitalism (32%) over socialism (16%) and both equally (26%). Republicans selected capitalism (49%) by a wide margin over socialism (12%) and both equally (20%).
So the only group actually to prefer socialism is the Democratic Party.
But why? We asked Americans: “Which comes closer to your view?”, followed by three choices.
The first possible response, “More Americans support socialism because they believe the economic system is unfair to working people,” won 23% support; the second possible response, “More Americans support socialism because they want greater government benefits and programs,” also won 23% backing.
But the big winner was “Both equally,” at 29%, while “neither” picked up just 11% support.
What does all this say? Perhaps that capitalism needs a new ad agency.
Calling the rise of socialism among Democrats “stunning,” CNN’s poll analyst Harry Enten recently notes, “Capitalism has absolutely fallen through the floor.”
But it should be clear: Even while 46% of Dems in the I&I/TIPP Poll find socialism favorable, 26% of Republicans and 27% of independents do too. That means not just Democrats are cooling on capitalism, but GOP and indie voters are also.
This trend has been developing for a while. A poll by the left-leaning Data for Progress group and reported by Politico found that “more than half of likely Democratic voters prefer socialist-aligned figures like Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Zohran Mamdani to establishment politicians like Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries and Nancy Pelosi.”
While Americans seem unbothered by the prospect of socialism, do they know what it actually is?
Economist Daniel Mitchell, president of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, notes the traditional economic definition of socialism: 1. “Government ownership of the means of production.” 2. “Central planning to determine the allocation of labor and capital.” 3. “Price controls as a necessary consequence of items #1 and #2.”
Are those what voters mean when they say “socialism”? If so, it is a matter of economic history that none of those policies have ever worked in actual practice. Indeed, they’ve led mainly to poverty and economic decline, as multiple studies have shown.
In its poll, Data for Progress defines Democratic Socialists as those who believe “that the government should take a more active role to improve Americans’ lives. They generally support higher taxes on corporations and high-income earners, support regulations that protect workers and consumers, and want more public ownership of key industries like housing, healthcare and utilities.”
But they believe in a lot more than that.
As the City Journal reported, the Democratic Socialists of America recently passed a “Workers Deserve More!” policy statement platform that “commits DSA to scrapping the U.S. Senate, ‘abolishing the carceral forces of the capitalist state,’ defunding the Department of War, amnesty for all immigrants, and ‘replac[ing] the president and Supreme Court with an executive and judiciary chosen by and subordinate to Congress.’”
In other words, an end to America as we now know it.
That goes far beyond their economic proposals. Even so, as the latest I&I/TIPP Poll shows, Americans appear to have edged closer to thinking socialism is an acceptable alternative to capitalism — even though the latter has an unmatched record for creating wealth and freedom, unlike socialism.
Which raises a question: Thirty seven years after the collapse of communism and socialism in 1989, have we forgotten how awful socialism was?
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Unfortunately, more and more people now days fit that description. It seems to get more popular every day.
Maybe like welfare parasites do?.
Coincidentally, nearly ALL of democrats are morons.
Also, 26% of republican’ts, and 27% of conservatives hold a “favorable” view of socialism? Really? I think those people mislabel themselves.
Democrats have a ‘favorable’ view Of socialism and hate the USA. This comes as no surprise to any honest, intelligent person. What else would anyone expect from the party of slavery, the ku klux klan, the Trail of Tears, infanticide, election fraud, and every other evil ever devised by man or the devil?
Half of them look at it favorably.
.
.
The other half absolutely love it.
That’s the truth.
As long as rather free stuff comes in, why not?
Bingo!
I only want what was taken from my paycheck for SSI.
“Ask a Freeper to forgo Social Security payments”
______________
Medicare even moreso. The costs of hospitalization etc is astronomical. A friend of mine ran up a million dollars on back surgery which was paid by government medicare.
Check what you paid into these programs
compared to what you are getting out of them. This is socialism and its only good until the money runs out. It cost 2.5 trillion in 2025.
In most socialist countries, they don’t like freeloaders. You work for the state or else. You think you could smoke pot, dye your hair pink, or be a TV in the old Soviet Union?
What he wants is that all the money should be taken from those he considers ‘rich’ and given to those he considers more needy and deserving of it than they are.
I daresay he considers himself as one of those people.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/democratic%20socialism
democratic socialism
noun
: a political movement calling for the establishment of a decentralized socialist economic system within a democratically run political system
According to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), the goal of having democratic socialism is to achieve a more equal and just society; that the economy and society be run “democratically.”
—Timothy Kandow
Might it be better to chuck conservatism and liberalism altogether in favor of something like democratic socialism?
—Laurie Ouellette
… democratic socialism remains poorly understood and is frequently conflated, incorrectly, with communism—or, on the flip side, with European-style social democracy.
—Maggie Astor
see also socialism
democratic socialist adjective
Although state ownership is certainly an important mechanism in the democratic socialist tool kit, it’s definitely not the only one.
—Samuel Arnold
democratic socialist noun
pluraldemocratic socialists
a meeting of democratic socialists
Socialism vs. Social Democracy vs. Democratic Socialism: Usage Guide
Since the term socialism entered English around 1830, it has consistently referred to a system of social organization in which the ownership of property and the distribution of income are subject to social rather than private control. The conception of that control, however, has varied, and socialism has been interpreted in widely diverging ways, ranging from statist to libertarian, from Marxist to liberal. In the modern era, “pure” socialism has been seen only rarely and usually briefly in a few Communist regimes. Far more common are social democracies, such as Sweden and Denmark: democratically elected governments that employ some socialist practices but within a capitalist framework in the belief that extensive state regulation paired with limited state ownership produces a fair distribution of income without impairing economic growth. While in the past social democracy and democratic socialism both referred to movements seeking a fully socialist system, the two terms have diverged. Today’s social democracies retain a capitalist system overall, while democratic socialism rejects capitalism fully, and seeks to establish a decentralized socialist economic system within a democratically run government.
Usage of Social Democracy and Democratic Socialism
While in the past social democracy and democratic socialism both referred to movements seeking a fully socialist system, the two terms have diverged. Today’s social democracies retain a capitalist system overall, while democratic socialism rejects capitalism fully, and seeks to establish a decentralized socialist economic system within a democratically run government.
What does all this say? Perhaps that capitalism needs a new ad agency.
While Americans seem unbothered by the prospect of socialism, do they know what it actually is?
Tough times is the cure for many ills, but not always.
All Demonicrats Have a Favorable View Giving Aid and Comfort to the Domestic and Foreign Enemies of the United Stastes of America.
People need to learn history. The man that took an almost defeated nation, and raised it to victory over the NAZI’s, Winston Churchill. In July 1945, with VE already achieved and VJ closing in, he was voted out of office. In 1945 Britain had the second largest economy in the world, one of the largest fleets and most potent militaries on the planet.
Why? He was voted out because people wanted cradle to grave help, i.e. Socialism. The believed that Socialism was the way.
The voted in a guy by the name of Clement Attlee. The ‘Labour party’ (Please see same individuals who managed to bugle the recent Prime Minister and Quit today) took power on the promise of ‘Socialism’ and ‘gifts’ for everyone.
Now, Britain has the 5th largest economy, 10th if adjusted for purchasing power, with growth at 1% or less per year. Texas and California both have larger economies than Britain. They have an almost non-existent military, and military stores. Socialism has allowed for unfettered immigration, with rape gangs, welfare, unemployment, and essentially poor economic growth.
Socialism has taken at least one world power to it’s knees. Expect the same outcome, only faster, here in the US.
Not a big deal to them I guess.
Pacific Forum is a Honolulu-based foreign policy research institute focused on the Indo-Pacific. Founded in 1975, the Pacific forum collaborates with a network of research institutes from around the Pacific Rim, drawing on Asian perspectives and disseminating project findings and recommendations to global leaders, governments, and members of the public. The Pacific Forum states that its "studies are objective and nonpartisan, and it does not engage in classified or proprietary work".[1]Publications
Pacific Forum produces three regular publications from the organization’s own research as well as by external authors.
[8] These publications include:
Comparative Connections (http://cc.pacforum.org/)
Issues and Insights (https://pacforum.org/programs/issues-insights)
PacNet Commentaries (https://pacforum.org/programs/pacnet-commentary).Budget
The Pacific Forum states that its funding comes from grants, foundations, governments, corporations and individuals. In 2019, Pacific Forum reported a budget of $2.8 million.[1]
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