Socialism approval hits 43% in Gallup poll, highest ever recorded
First time since 2010 polling began that positive views of socialism exceed 39%, driven by independents shifting away from big business.
What to know
- Socialism approval among Americans reached 43%, the highest level since Gallup began polling in 2010, with the entire gain driven by independents jumping eight points to 45%.
- The shift reflects a 16-year trend: socialism up 7 points, capitalism down 6 points, big business down 14 points, and free enterprise down 9 points.
- Generational divide is sharp: adults 18-34 prefer socialism (57%) to capitalism (43%), while those 55+ prefer capitalism (65%) to socialism (34%).
- The poll coincides with DSA-backed candidates winning Democratic primaries nationally, including defeats of two incumbent Democrats in New York and a progressive victory in Michigan's Senate race.
The dispute Commenters disagree on whether the survey's finding is meaningful given that 'socialism' is left undefined and Americans across the political spectrum use the term to mean entirely different things—from social programs to Soviet-style communism. · positions read across 7 posts and comments
The survey result is ambiguous because 'socialism' is undefined and means vastly different things to different Americans.
-
“So these terms are left as self-explanatory. In the US, 'socialism' covers a huge amount of ground (from any government program at all, all the way to Soviet style communism.) So who knows what items people were picking.”
GlibMonkeyDeath · Hacker News ↗
There are workable modern models of social democracy and socialism that don't require violent upheaval.
-
“Plenty of democracy -> social democracy models to work from in last 60 years. This isn't feudal peasant -> babies first populous governance transition.”
maxglute · Hacker News ↗
“If you're Chuck Schumer, I'm pretty damn dangerous.”
Abdul el Sayed, Progressive Senate candidate · Washington Examiner ↗ · Sep 22
Gallup Polling organization
President Donald Trump U.S. President
Chuck Schumer Senate Minority Leader (D-NY)
Janeese Lewis George Democratic Socialist candidate
Abdul el Sayed Progressive candidate
How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlespostscomments
-
2
Senate Minority Leader Schumer defends Democratic coalition breadth
When asked about the rise of the Democratic Socialists of America, Chuck Schumer stated that Democrats' broad coalition is a strength. Schumer was responding to the growing influence of DSA-aligned candidates within the party.
“Look, we are a big tent party, and being a big tent party is a strength, not a weakness.”
— Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer -
The survey asked:"Just off the top of your head, would you say you have a positive or negative image of each of the following? (Small business, Free enterprise, Capitalism, Socialism, Big business)"So these terms are left as self-explanatory. In the US, "socialism" covers a huge amount of ground (from any government program at all, all the way to…
2 more of the top 3 · 7 posts in this stretch
-
J
📋️ GallupPoll: Socialism's Positive Rating Tops 40% for First Time - 43% of Americans view socialism positively - Positive views of big business down to 35%; capitalism steady at 55% - Small business, free enterprise remain most popular economic concepts https:// news.gallup.com/poll/714653/so cialism-positive-rating-tops-first-time.aspx # uspol
-
In my view, it's not that socialism with a lowercase s as defined by worker ownership of the means of production has gotten way more popular, it's that "Socialist" has shifted to mean New Deal Democrat as the Democratic party has shifted towards being the party of business interests.If you look at what Mamdani, arguably the face of American…
-
-
1
Political parties cite poll amid 2026 campaign messaging
The Washington Examiner notes the shift occurs as 'democratic socialism' has become prominent in the Democratic Party and a 2026 election flashpoint. Recent victories include three DSA-backed candidates in New York congressional primaries (two defeating incumbent Democrats), Janeese Lewis George winning DC's Democratic mayoral primary to become the city's first socialist mayor, and Abdul el Sayed defeating establishment-backed Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary. Republicans, citing the poll as evidence, have made attacks on socialism central to campaign messaging; at the GOP midterm convention, President Trump warned of a 'communist' takeover of the Democratic Party.
“In state after state, the Democrat establishment has been overthrown and replaced by crazed lunatics and radicals. They call themselves Democrat socialists, but actually, they're communists.”
— President Donald Trump -
first by Washington Examiner, 13h ago
-
-
background
Poll shows long-term shift against market concepts, generational divide on socialism — Since 2010, positive views of big business fell 14 points, free enterprise 9 points, and capitalism 6 points, while socialism rose 7 points. Young adults aged 18-34 favor socialism (57%) over capitalism (43%), while those 55+ favor capitalism (65%) over socialism (34%). Democrats' approval of capitalism dropped from 42% last year to 35% today, while independents' view of big business fell to a new low of 32%.
-
background
Gallup releases poll showing socialism hits 43% approval — The poll results show 43% of Americans view socialism positively, the first time the figure has exceeded 39% in Gallup's trend since 2010. Socialism now ranks ahead of big business (35%) but trails free enterprise (81%) and capitalism (55%). The entire gain came from independents, jumping from 37% to 45%, while Democrats stayed at 65% and Republicans remained below 15%.
-
background
Gallup conducts latest economics favorability survey — Gallup conducted its periodic survey of American attitudes toward five economic concepts—small business, free enterprise, capitalism, socialism, and big business—between August 3 and August 24, 2026.
Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet
-
first by Washington Times, 12h ago · also UPI
1 more headline
-
first by HN Frontpage, 15h ago · also Gallup
What people are saying 4 voices from 1 site · best of 7 · verbatim
- What exactly do respondents mean when they say they view socialism positively—social democracy, government programs, or something else?
- How does American definitional ambiguity around 'socialism' compare to how the term is understood in European democracies?
- Yesterday
-
As David Graeber once said: "The ultimate hidden truth of the world is that it is something that we make, and could just as easily make differently."I believe this, which I supposed makes me a Graeberite. Graeberian? Graeberista?
-
Plenty of democracy -> social democracy models to work from in last 60 years. This isn't feudal peasant -> babies first populous governance transition.Some of rich eating may happen, but blood of landlord refresh tree f socialism etc etc... sometimes you just slap the reset button when accumulation out of control
-
I live in Canada, where even our right-wing parties are in favour of public education and free health care. I guess that makes us all socialists.
-
In Sweden we often think of our selves as socialist. I suspect it means something very different across the pond. Anyone care to elaborate on the differences?