Gallup poll: Over 40% of Americans view socialism positively

A Gallup poll released this week found that 43% of Americans surveyed said they had a positive view of socialism, the highest figure recorded since the research organization began tracking it in 2010. Last year, about 39% reported a favorable view of socialism. Meanwhile, 55% said they viewed capitalism positively.

This year’s uptick in support for socialism  came almost entirely from political independents, according to Gallup. About 45% of independents surveyed reported a positive view, up from 37% last year. Democrats’ 65% approval rating for socialism remained almost unchanged, as did Republicans’ at 14%.

The Gallup poll also found that people under 34, lower-income people, and women were more likely to say they viewed socialism positively.

How was the survey conducted? Gallup asked a random sample of 1,200 American adults from all 50 states and the District of Columbia to state whether they had a positive or negative view of five economic concepts: capitalism, socialism, free enterprise, small business, and big business. Small business remained the most popular, with 95% of respondents viewing it positively. Big business was least popular, with a 35% approval rating.

Dig deeper: Read my report on midterm election ads slamming Democrats over gender ideology and socialism.