Young Americans Warm to Socialism. Are We Teaching Them the Whole Story?

WASHINGTON — A new Gallup poll found that 57% of Americans ages 18 to 34 view socialism positively, compared with 43% who view capitalism positively. Among all adults, socialism received a 43% positive rating, its highest in Gallup’s polling since 2010. Those numbers raise a question for parents and educators: What do young Americans understand about the systems they are being asked to embrace?

It is tempting to call the shift brainwashing. The poll, however, measures opinions; it cannot tell us who shaped them or whether a classroom, a politician or an online video changed anyone’s mind. It also does not show that young adults favor communism. Gallup found that young adults value equality and access to basic services, while many Americans across age groups express concerns about government control and the loss of individual freedom under socialism.

Those concerns deserve a serious hearing. So does history. Cambodia’s communist Khmer Rouge promised a classless society and instead imposed forced labor, thought control and mass executions. Nearly 2 million people died during its rule from 1975 to 1979, according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. That history does not mean every proposal for a government program is equivalent to the Khmer Rouge. It does mean young people should learn what happened when rulers claimed sweeping power in the name of equality.

The need for stronger civics education is measurable. On the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress, 22% of eighth graders reached or exceeded the assessment’s Proficient level in civics. That figure should not be mistaken for the percentage performing at grade level, but it is a warning that many students need a firmer grounding in how American government works.

Young Americans should be free to question capitalism, criticize corporate power and argue for policies they believe will help their neighbors. They should also be taught to question promises made in the name of socialism and communism. An honest education gives them the history, the definitions and the evidence to judge for themselves. Anything less leaves their future open to whoever makes the most appealing promise.