Socialism is More Popular Than Ever in the U.S., According to Polls

Forty-three percent of Americans have a positive view of socialism, the highest share since Gallup began tracking the measure since 2010. The latest survey, conducted Aug. 3-24, found that socialism has gained ground over time as several market-oriented economic concepts have lost favor. It now ranks ahead of big business, which has fallen to a positive rating of 35% from a peak of 58% in 2012.Capitalism and free enterprise are still more popular than socialism. Capitalism’s positive rating, however, has fallen to 55% from a peak of 61% in 2010 and 2012. Free enterprise is now favored at 77%, compared to its peak of 89% in 2012. Small business remains the most favored economic system at 95%, relatively unchanged in 2010.Those figures, however, mask sharp partisan differences. Democrats view socialism much more favorably than Republicans do, and their views have become more positive over time.Progressives also won high-profile primaries elsewhere, including Senate candidates Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota, both of whom have not adopted the socialist label, as well as DSA members and House candidates Melat Kiros in Colorado and Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania. ...