The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground. —THOMAS JEFFERSON, 1788
Home / Politics / Poll: Dems now have as favorable a view of socialism as they do capitalism

Poll: Dems now have as favorable a view of socialism as they do capitalism

By on May 12, 2015 at 10:51 am
Credit: Greg Nash

Credit: Greg Nash

If Vermont senator and presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders were actually to win the 2016 general election, he would be 74 at the time of his inauguration, making him the oldest president in U.S. history. (Ronald Reagan was 73 at the time of his second inauguration.)

Though Sanders’s age might be a deterrent to some Democratic voters, his self-identification as a socialist would be less of one, according to a new YouGov poll.

The poll probes Americans’ view of socialism in isolation and contrasted with capitalism. As the graph below indicates, 43% of Democrats have equally favorable views socialism and capitalism.

socialism vs capitalsim

Somewhat surprisingly, 9% of Republicans also have a favorable view of socialism.

When it comes to age, the data are less surprising, with millennials exhibiting nearly as much enthusiasm for socialism (36%) as for capitalism (39%). As respondents’ age rises, their predilection toward socialism and capitalism decline and increase respectively, seeming to lend credence to the old adage that with age comes wisdom.

age socialism

In general, the findings seem to reflect a growing polarization between liberals and conservatives that is more a reflection of liberals gravitating further left than conservatives further right. The popularity of Elizabeth Warren and the fact that Hillary Clinton has tacked increasingly — if cynically — left in her policy prescriptions bear this out.

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Howard Portnoy

Howard Portnoy has written for HotAir, NewsBusters, Weasel Zippers, Conservative Firing Line, RedCounty, and New York’s Daily News. He has one published novel, Hot Rain, (G. P. Putnam’s Sons), and has been a guest on Radio Vice Online with Jim Vicevich, The Alana Burke Show, Smart Life with Dr. Gina, and The George Espenlaub Show.

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  • rambler

    That’s because they don’t know what socialism really is. It looks good on paper and fails miserably in practice because it goes against human nature. It depends upon the productive to support the lazy and does away with the incapable and incapacitated. It is as seductive as a drug which wipes all their cares away until they are trap in it and controlled by it.

    • sgthwjack

      If it is immoral to steal from someone, how is it moral to authorize the government to steal from others for you?

      • SeeThroughYou

        They will even fight to get driver’s licenses for Illegals so that they can register to vote and turn democracy itself on it’s head.

        Theft via subversion of our very civilization!