Poll: More than 40% of Americans Embrace Socialism

An April 2019 Gallup public opinion survey shows that 43% of American adults embrace some form of socialism compared to 51% of American adults believe that socialism is bad for the United States. The survey, which 1,024 adults age 18 years old or older participated, also showed that only 6% of American adults had no opinion about socialism.

A similar poll was conducted by Gallup more than 70 years in 1942 with 25% of American adults embracing some form of socialism, 40% believing that socialism was bad, and 34% having no opinion. Negative public opinion towards socialism was heightened during the rise of the Soviet Union as well as the Cold War.

Various public opinion polls between 2016 and 2019 have shown that socialism is gradually on the rise in the United States, especially amongst young people between the ages of 18 years old and 35 years old. Polling experts and political analysists believe that the rise of socialism could be contributed to notable political officials such as Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and New York City Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as well as continuing socioeconomic inequalities such as higher costs of living and higher loan debts.