Socialism reaches highest public approval yet: Poll

Socialism has reached its highest level of public favorability in Gallup polling, with 43% of Americans now saying they have a positive view of the economic system.The figure, released Wednesday, is the first time socialism has surpassed 39% in Gallup’s trend dating back to 2010. Socialism still trails capitalism and free enterprise, which 55% and 81% of Americans view positively, respectively, but it has now overtaken big business, which has a 35% favorability rating. Small business remains the most popular of the five economic concepts tested, at 95%. The shift comes as “democratic socialism” has become a prominent force in the Democratic Party and a flashpoint in the 2026 election cycle, with progressive candidates marking wins from Florida to Colorado. Several socialist candidates in New York notched notable victories in Democratic primaries this year. Three candidates backed by socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani won congressional primaries in June, including two who defeated sitting Democratic incumbents. In Washington, D.C., Janeese Lewis George won the Democratic primary for mayor in June. Her victory positioned her to become the city’s first socialist mayor and followed a campaign focused heavily on affordability and workers’ rights. The debate also played out on a larger scale in the Michigan Senate Democratic primary, where Abdul el Sayed, a progressive, defeated establishment-backed Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI).El Sayed had sharply criticized Democratic leadership during the campaign, at one point saying, “If you’re Chuck Schumer, I’m pretty damn dangerous.” But after his primary victory, el Sayed accepted Schumer’s support and has sought to work with the Democratic establishment, illustrating the tension between the party’s influential left wing and its traditional leadership.The victories have raised questions about how Democratic leaders will respond to a growing faction that has pushed the party further to the left on economic issues.Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has embraced a broad-coalition approach when asked about the influence of the Democratic Socialists of America.“Look, we are a big tent party, and being a big tent party is a strength, not a weakness,” Schumer said in August when asked whether the DSA’s rise was good for Democrats. Republicans have seized on the Democratic Party’s shifting coalition, making attacks on socialism and communism a central part of their campaign messaging.At the GOP’s midterm convention in Dallas earlier this month, President Donald Trump warned Republicans that the Democratic Party was undergoing a “communist” takeover.“In state after state, the Democrat establishment has been overthrown and replaced by crazed lunatics and radicals,” Trump said. “They call themselves Democrat socialists, but actually, they’re communists.”Gallup’s polling, however, shows that the rise in socialism’s popularity has not translated into a wholesale rejection of market-oriented economic principles.The strongest divide is generational. Among adults ages 18 to 34, 57% view socialism positively, compared with 43% who view capitalism positively. Among adults 55 and older, the pattern is reversed: 65% view capitalism positively, compared with 34% for socialism. Americans ages 35 to 54 rate the two systems about equally. CONGRESS FACES AI TEST AS DEBATE EXPLODES OVER INDUSTRY REGULATIONThere are also significant partisan differences. Democrats give socialism a 65% positive rating, equal to their rating of free enterprise, while just 35% view capitalism positively. Republicans remain much more skeptical of socialism, with 14% viewing it positively, while large majorities continue to view capitalism, free enterprise, and small business positively. The latest Gallup survey was conducted Aug. 3-24 among U.S. adults.