SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Sen. Bernie Sanders is one of the leading socialist voices in the U.S. The ideology is becoming more popular among Americans. (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Four in 10 Americans Believe Socialism a 'Good Thing': Gallup
It's likely not a coincidence that rise in popularity across all Americans came as Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became two of the most prominent politicians in the U.S.
May 22, 2019
Four in 10 Americans think socialism is a good thing for the United States, a shift in attitude that reflects the modern 21st century political landscape and changing social mores.
Results from a Gallup poll released Monday show that 43 percent of U.S. adults polled from April 17-30 think socialism is a "good thing." It's likely not a coincidence that rise in popularity across all Americans came as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), both of whom identify as democratic socialists, became two of the most prominent politicians in the U.S.
The 43 percent number is a jump in approval of socialism by 18 percent since a poll by Roper 1942, the historical date used by Gallupfor reference to show the country's evolving views.
Gallup explained why they chose the 1942 date:
The Roper/Fortune survey is one of the oldest trend questions measuring attitudes on socialism in the U.S. Gallup's update of the question in an April 17-30 survey finds Americans more likely to have an opinion on the matter now, as well as a smaller gap in the percentage calling socialism a bad thing vs. a good thing.
The April poll also found that the number of Americans that believe socialism is a bad thing for the country increased, from 40 percent in 1942 to 51 percent today.
The survey also found that 47 percent of Americans would vote for a socialist candidate for president--a significant statistic that was one example of a few that show the changing social norms in the U.S.:
The April survey found that 47 percent of Americans say they would vote for a socialist candidate for president. While that figure represents nearly half of the U.S. adult population, even higher percentages say they would vote for an atheist (58 percent) or Muslim (60 percent) presidential candidate.
Polling from Gallup in the last decade has consistently found that a majority of Democrats have a positive view of socialism. That view has been paired with declining popularity of capitalism from the party faithful over the last few years.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Four in 10 Americans think socialism is a good thing for the United States, a shift in attitude that reflects the modern 21st century political landscape and changing social mores.
Results from a Gallup poll released Monday show that 43 percent of U.S. adults polled from April 17-30 think socialism is a "good thing." It's likely not a coincidence that rise in popularity across all Americans came as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), both of whom identify as democratic socialists, became two of the most prominent politicians in the U.S.
The 43 percent number is a jump in approval of socialism by 18 percent since a poll by Roper 1942, the historical date used by Gallupfor reference to show the country's evolving views.
Gallup explained why they chose the 1942 date:
The Roper/Fortune survey is one of the oldest trend questions measuring attitudes on socialism in the U.S. Gallup's update of the question in an April 17-30 survey finds Americans more likely to have an opinion on the matter now, as well as a smaller gap in the percentage calling socialism a bad thing vs. a good thing.
The April poll also found that the number of Americans that believe socialism is a bad thing for the country increased, from 40 percent in 1942 to 51 percent today.
The survey also found that 47 percent of Americans would vote for a socialist candidate for president--a significant statistic that was one example of a few that show the changing social norms in the U.S.:
The April survey found that 47 percent of Americans say they would vote for a socialist candidate for president. While that figure represents nearly half of the U.S. adult population, even higher percentages say they would vote for an atheist (58 percent) or Muslim (60 percent) presidential candidate.
Polling from Gallup in the last decade has consistently found that a majority of Democrats have a positive view of socialism. That view has been paired with declining popularity of capitalism from the party faithful over the last few years.
Four in 10 Americans think socialism is a good thing for the United States, a shift in attitude that reflects the modern 21st century political landscape and changing social mores.
Results from a Gallup poll released Monday show that 43 percent of U.S. adults polled from April 17-30 think socialism is a "good thing." It's likely not a coincidence that rise in popularity across all Americans came as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), both of whom identify as democratic socialists, became two of the most prominent politicians in the U.S.
The 43 percent number is a jump in approval of socialism by 18 percent since a poll by Roper 1942, the historical date used by Gallupfor reference to show the country's evolving views.
Gallup explained why they chose the 1942 date:
The Roper/Fortune survey is one of the oldest trend questions measuring attitudes on socialism in the U.S. Gallup's update of the question in an April 17-30 survey finds Americans more likely to have an opinion on the matter now, as well as a smaller gap in the percentage calling socialism a bad thing vs. a good thing.
The April poll also found that the number of Americans that believe socialism is a bad thing for the country increased, from 40 percent in 1942 to 51 percent today.
The survey also found that 47 percent of Americans would vote for a socialist candidate for president--a significant statistic that was one example of a few that show the changing social norms in the U.S.:
The April survey found that 47 percent of Americans say they would vote for a socialist candidate for president. While that figure represents nearly half of the U.S. adult population, even higher percentages say they would vote for an atheist (58 percent) or Muslim (60 percent) presidential candidate.
Polling from Gallup in the last decade has consistently found that a majority of Democrats have a positive view of socialism. That view has been paired with declining popularity of capitalism from the party faithful over the last few years.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.