By Lucretia Hughes Klucken
WASHINGTON — A shocking new CBS News/YouGov poll found that 58% of Democrats have a positive view of socialism, while only 32% view capitalism positively.
The findings reveal an extraordinary ideological shift inside a political party that once attempted to distance itself from the socialist label.
Half of Democrats surveyed — 50% — said they hold a negative view of capitalism. The term “democratic socialist” was viewed positively by approximately half of Democratic respondents, with its strongest support coming from younger and more liberal members of the party.
The numbers were even more striking among Democrats with college degrees. According to the poll, 71% of college-educated Democrats expressed a positive view of socialism.
This is no longer a handful of radical activists standing on the political sidelines. Socialism is becoming an accepted — and increasingly preferred — ideology among Democratic voters.
The distinction in the poll is important: Respondents were asked whether they viewed socialism positively or negatively. They were not asked to approve a specific socialist government or a detailed economic plan.
Still, the results indicate that the word “socialism,” once considered politically toxic in the United States, no longer carries the same stigma within the Democratic Party.
CBS News reported that Democrats commonly described socialism in terms of equality, fairness and public services. Republicans and independents were more likely to associate it with government control or government ownership.
That difference may help explain socialism’s growing appeal.
Many Americans who say they support socialism may be thinking about affordable health care, lower housing costs or assistance for struggling families. They may not be considering the government control, higher taxation, reduced individual choice and economic dependency that frequently accompany socialist policies.
That is how dangerous political ideas are sold. They are presented through promises of fairness without a complete discussion of their costs or consequences.
The poll also found that Democrats believe socialism would improve their personal finances, while capitalism would make them worse off. Those opinions are connected to widespread concerns about inflation, housing affordability, income inequality and the ability of younger Americans to build financially secure lives.
Americans have legitimate reasons to be angry. Families are paying more for housing, food, health care, insurance and education. Younger adults increasingly believe they will never enjoy the opportunities their parents had.
But the failures of politicians, corporations and an unfairly manipulated marketplace should not be confused with the failure of free enterprise itself.
Crony capitalism — a system in which politically connected corporations receive special treatment from government — is not the same as a genuinely competitive free market. Replacing corporate favoritism with government control would not eliminate corruption. It would concentrate even more economic power in the hands of politicians and bureaucrats.
The poll found that Americans overall have not embraced socialism. Thirty-five percent viewed socialism positively, while 42% viewed it negatively. Capitalism performed better nationally, receiving a positive rating from 46% of respondents and a negative rating from 35%.
Most Americans also said a free-market system is good for the economy.
The ideological divide, however, is becoming unmistakable.
Republicans remain strongly supportive of capitalism, while a majority of Democrats now view socialism positively. Nearly half of Democratic respondents also said their party is not progressive enough.
Those beliefs are already influencing elections.
Democratic socialist candidates have won Democratic primaries and local elections across the country. The Democratic Socialists of America is recruiting candidates, organizing volunteers and building political power from city councils to Congress.
The CBS poll helps explain why that strategy is succeeding. Socialist candidates are not dragging an unwilling Democratic base to the left. In many cases, they are giving Democratic voters exactly what they now say they want.
Democratic leaders may continue claiming that socialism does not represent their party, but their own voters are telling a different story.
America must pay attention.
Socialism rarely arrives by announcing that government will take control of people’s property, businesses and choices. It arrives promising free services, economic equality and protection from an unfair system.
The promise sounds compassionate. The price is usually discovered after government has accumulated the power necessary to enforce it.
The CBS News/YouGov survey questioned 2,287 adults nationwide from Aug. 12-14. The poll was weighted to represent the adult population based on gender, age, race, education and the 2024 presidential vote. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.
The Real News with Lucretia Hughes — bringing the receipts, defending families and telling the truth the establishment would rather ignore.
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