Half of Democratic voters hold negative view of capitalism: Poll

A new poll released on Sunday shows Democratic voters split over the party’s preferred economic system less than three months away from the 2026 midterm elections.When asked if they hold a positive or negative view of socialism and capitalism, 50% of Democratic voters say they hold a negative view of capitalism while nearly six in ten hold a positive view of socialism, according to a new CBS News poll. The data reflect an ongoing intraparty debate among Democrats over the growing influence of socialism ahead of November’s midterm elections.Two-thirds of voters regardless of party “consider the free market system to be good for the U.S. economy” but only 32% of Democrats say they hold a positive view of capitalism. The percentage of Democrats who view socialism positively is highest among voters with a college degree, as 71% of survey respondents in that group answered affirmatively when asked about the increasingly influential ideology. The poll reflects an electorate concerned about the cost of living and future economic prospects — slightly over half of respondents under the age of 45 say their opportunities to succeed are worse than their parent’s generation.But the data also represent the ideological split currently present among Democrats: Many socialist candidates have defeated incumbents in Democratic primary elections nationwide, pitting centrist lawmakers in the party against younger, socialist figures. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), one such centrist lawmaker who has criticized Democrats for letting “crazy people” dominate the party, said on Sunday the poll results are “lunacy” and he is a “proud free market capitalist.”Though influential figures such as comedian Bill Maher and strategist James Carville have been calling for moderation throughout the summer, almost half of Democratic voters still believe the party isn’t far enough to the left on the political spectrum. Only 8% of Democrats say the party is “more progressive” than they want, while 44% said it is not as progressive as they wish.Debates about affordability have intensified during President Donald Trump’s second term in office, particularly since the conflict between the United States and Iran broke out in February. The battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz in the months since has led to a sharp rise in gas prices, as Iranian leaders have continued targeting ships transiting the international waterway with drone and missile attacks.VOTERS PREFER SOCIALIST OVER MAGA CANDIDATE IN 2028 MATCHUP: POLLRepublicans looking to counter the affordability messaging have rallied around socialist lawmakers such as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Michigan Senate candidate Abdul el Sayed, many of whom have supported policies such as defunding the police and abolishing the Senate. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) announced a new website over the weekend that teaches young voters about the perils of socialism and communism to draw a contrast between “common sense and crazy.”The survey was conducted in partnership with YouGov and featured a nationally representative sample of 2,287 U.S. adults. The margin of error is 2.5 percentage points and the survey was conducted between Aug. 12 and 14.