Poll: More than 40% have positive view of socialism

Thursday, September 24, 2026

More than 40% of Americans have a positive image of socialism, a new Gallup poll released Wednesday said. The concept now ranks ahead of big business in opinions of the five economic concepts measured by Gallup.

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... This marks the first time a positive view of socialism has exceeded 39% in Gallup's trend since 2010. Gallup has measured trends about public views of the economic concepts periodically since 2010.

In general, U.S. residents have become less positive about most of the concepts, Gallup said.

Views of small business have remained nearly unchanged since 2010 at 95% positive.

However, positive views of capitalism have fallen by six percentage points to 55%, views of free enterprise have fallen by nine percentage points to 77% and views of big business have fallen by 14 percentage points to 35%.

"Most of the increase in socialism's positive rating through 2025 reflected increasingly positive views among Democrats, rising from 50% in 2010 to 66% last year," Gallup said.

"The latest uptick, however, comes entirely from political independents, whose positive rating jumped from 37% last year to 45% today.

Democrats' rating is essentially unchanged, at 65%, while Republicans' remains below 15%." ...

#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-09-24 01:50 PM | Reply

And 90% of the remainder can't understand the concept, so, they equate it with communism, which they also don't understand.

#2 | Posted by Angrydad at 2026-09-24 02:20 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 3

@#2

Sounds about right.

#3 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-09-24 02:23 PM | Reply

Capitalism is so great America is $40 trillion in debt.

The average American is about $63,500 in debt.

People have to choose between eating, paying bills and getting medical care.

We have 989 billionaires who do nothing but steal from their employees, hoard their wealth in off shore bank accounts and give nothing back to the country that made their lives possible.

The average wait time to see a doctor is 31 days.

Its average debt students leave college with is between $50,000 to $180,000.

Capitalism is fantastic for the very few and slavery for the rest.

#4 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-09-24 02:34 PM | Reply

www.experian.com

where do you get $63K in debt?

#5 | Posted by eberly at 2026-09-24 02:45 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

How much debt does the average person in the US owe?
usafacts.org

... Americans owe $63,500 in debt on average, as of the second quarter of 2026. Compared to the previous quarter (January through March 2026), the average adult owed $1,400 less after adjusting for inflation, reflecting slight shifts in household borrowing patterns. This debt, often referred to as "household debt," represents the total amount owed by individuals for obligations such as mortgages, student loans, credit cards, and auto loans.

These figures represent the average debt owed by US residents with a credit score, which includes roughly 80% of adults. While this gives a general sense of Americans' debt burdens, remember that actual individual debt varies " some carry much more or less debt than this average. ...

How much do households owe in mortgage debt?

While household debt takes many forms -- student loans, auto loans, credit card balances -- mortgage debt accounted for around 70.1% of all household debt in 2025. ...

What other types of debt are most common?

Non-mortgage household debt is dominated by vehicle and educational debt. On average, auto loans and student loans currently make up 29.9% and 28.9% of non-mortgage debt, respectively. Educational debt more than tripled between 2003 and 2020, and it decreased 21.3% between 2020 and 2025. ...

#6 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-09-24 03:04 PM | Reply

where do you get $63K in debt?
#5 | Posted by eberly

Mortgages, but that doesn't include the equity in those homes with mortgages.

#7 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-09-24 03:08 PM | Reply

Capitalism is so great America is $40 trillion in debt.

The reason it can raise money for all its debt is due to Capitalism.

The reason its in debt is Congress, since FDR has been shoveling money out the door for votes.

The structure of Medicare and SS has been a disaster for the US. It had the golden ticket, but decisions before the ticket arrived killed it faster than it could take advantage of it.

#8 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-09-24 03:10 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

Positive view of socialism, what about Democracy?

You can't have true Socialism and have a Democracy; what are you going to vote on?

#9 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-09-24 03:12 PM | Reply

Remember this is a poll.

On Election Day ... ..these same respondents will run from socialism.

#10 | Posted by eberly at 2026-09-24 03:30 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

#5 | POSTED BY EBERLY

The average American household carries $104,755 in total consumer debt. www.experian.com

When looked at individually per adult, the average debt is about $63,500. usafacts.org

Debt by Category:

Mortgages: The average balance is around $268,060. Mortgages make up about 70% of all household debt in the U.S. www.accrediteddebtrelief.com

Credit Cards: The average balance is about $6,500 to $6,700 per borrower. www.forbes.com

Auto Loans: The average balance is $24,602, with typical new car payments near $748 a month. www.accrediteddebtrelief.com

Student Loans: The average borrower owes between $37,400 and $43,300. www.accrediteddebtrelief.com

#11 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-09-24 03:36 PM | Reply

these same respondents will run from socialism.
#10 | POSTED BY EBERLY

The majority of people who fear socialism are boomers and elderly Gen Xers.

As you die off this country will become a better nation.

#12 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-09-24 03:38 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

POSTED BY ONETRUMPER

You should have stuck with being an open boarders liberal.

It was more believable than the rest of the lies you post.

#13 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-09-24 03:39 PM | Reply

@#12 ... The majority of people who fear socialism are boomers and elderly Gen Xers. ...

Young men are swinging away hard from Republicans, pessimistic about economy, new poll finds
www.politico.com

... Republicans' 2024 gains among young men have evaporated -- and that could have instant ramifications this November, according to a new Cygnal poll.

President Donald Trump narrowly carried young men in 2024, according to exit polls, a big swing toward the GOP from past elections. But Democrats' generic ballot lead among men ages 18-30 who say they are the most determined to vote now sits at 57%-40%, according to the poll.

Trump's favorability is underwater at just 38%-55%, and Republicans' net favorability among the demographic now sits at -9 points, with 40% viewing the party favorably and 49% unfavorably.

One silver lining for the GOP: Among all registered voters sampled, including those least likely to turn out in November, the Democratic generic ballot lead is much smaller, 44% to 41%.

"It is not a very good electorate, if you're the Republican Party, among the people who are the most determined to vote," said Alex Tarascio, pollster and principal at Cygnal, in an interview with POLITICO ahead of the poll's release during Thursday's Symposium on Young American Men. ...

#14 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-09-24 03:42 PM | Reply

LOL

People been predicting that for my whole life

The first generation people got that wrong with the boomers.

They were gonna be a left leaning progressive group because at one time they really were

And then ... ... ... ... .

Generations leak some of their progressives to the right as they age.

But all that means is that history is on my side. Doesn't mean the future is.

#15 | Posted by eberly at 2026-09-24 03:46 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

-As you die off this country will become a better nation.

Damn ... ..missed that one.

#16 | Posted by eberly at 2026-09-24 03:52 PM | Reply

This is the Socialism the typical democrat points to:

Police, fire department,hospitals, schools, city services.

Great social projects.

But, democrats will vote for this and will say "dont look here":

THE PLATFORM

Democratic Socialists

Demilitarize police departments as steps towards fully abolishing the police and prison system

- Abolish ICE, end deportations, and grant amnesty for all immigrants regardless of status, and end visa caps and quotas

- Abolish the Electoral College

- Replace the President and Supreme Court with an executive and judiciary subordinate to Congress

- Replace the two-party system and abolish the Senate

- Defund the military, end all foreign wars, and close overseas military bases

- Seize ownership of the largest corporations and essential industries
Use tax money to enact reparations

- Free Palestine, including the right to resist military occupation. End all military and economic aid to
Israel

Positions from the DSA 2025-2026 program at program.dsausa.org

#17 | Posted by Petrous at 2026-09-24 03:53 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

Democratic socialist capitalist countries year after year vote themselves the Happiest Peoples in the World; the Corporations make good profits while paying a Living Wage, the Govs are less corrupt, and the People have great working conditions, benefits, education, and healthcare, all of which more than make of for the taxes they pay.

So, not attractive at all to authoritarian Oligarchs and Crony Capitalists around the world in Russia, China, NK, and now in Trump's America.

#18 | Posted by Corky at 2026-09-24 03:57 PM | Reply

make up (lateish editing)

#19 | Posted by Corky at 2026-09-24 03:58 PM | Reply

Socialism is the fire department putting out your house fire.

Capitalism is the insurance company denying your claim.

#20 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-09-24 04:09 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

This is where democrats screw themselves by believing these poll results mean something they don't.

#21 | Posted by eberly at 2026-09-24 04:17 PM | Reply | Funny: 2

Gee, Brain, what do these poll results REALLY mean?

#22 | Posted by Corky at 2026-09-24 04:34 PM | Reply

This honestly shouldn't surprise anyone.

The current iteration of "capitalism" screws over the vast, vast majority of people while telling them they just aren't working hard enough.

#23 | Posted by jpw at 2026-09-24 04:35 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

"This is the Socialism the typical democrat points to:"

Sorry to bust yer bubble pal. That was such a nice rant. The DSA does not represent "typical" democrats.

Spread all the agitprop you like. You have 40 days. Get it all out of your system and try to prevent and delay as much Accountability as you can!

#24 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-09-24 04:38 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

-This honestly shouldn't surprise anyone.

Especially since this percentage hasn't climbed very much.

Just consider the fact that socialism has polled in the mid to high 30s and compare the election results turned out during that time.

#25 | Posted by eberly at 2026-09-24 04:43 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

-The DSA does not represent "typical" democrats.

Correct.

#26 | Posted by eberly at 2026-09-24 04:46 PM | Reply

The DSA does not represent ~~"typical" democrats.~~ me.
#24 | POSTED BY DONNERBOY

~~Correct.~~ The DSA does not represent ~~"typical" democrats.~~ me either.
#26 | POSTED BY EBERLY

Millennials and Gen Z want much more of a return on their taxes.

#27 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-09-24 05:09 PM | Reply

what you're saying is that people in their 20s and 30s think differently than their elders.

If the boomers can be pulled to the right.......anybody can.

the boomers stood up for civil rights, protested vietnam, and fought for many things.......and now they are loathed as MAGA. LOL

#28 | Posted by eberly at 2026-09-24 05:13 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

Sorry to bust yer bubble pal. That was such a nice rant. The DSA does not represent "typical" democrats.

Spread all the agitprop you like. You have 40 days. Get it all out of your system and try to prevent and delay as much Accountability as you can!

Posted by donnerboy

FDR proved how well government can work for the people. His presidency changed America for the better. We're still benefiting.

Democratic Socialists in a lengthy list of European countries results in their topping lists of the happiest populations on earth.

#29 | Posted by AMERICANUNITY at 2026-09-24 05:26 PM | Reply

The DSA is winning primaries.

Democrats are blindly voting for DSA in November, or do you think they won't vote for either party.

Blind ass fools are going to vote for the DSA candidate because they just hate the opposition so much, they'll cut their own throat.

#30 | Posted by Petrous at 2026-09-24 05:35 PM | Reply

what you're saying is that people in their 20s and 30s think differently than their elders

And 40s and some even in their 50s!

#31 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-09-24 05:46 PM | Reply

Blind ass fools are going to vote for the DSA candidate because they just hate the opposition so much, they'll cut their own throat.

After ten years of MAGA you'd think DSA would be a welcome change.

No?

Keep shoveling our taxes into the MIC and handing them over subsidized the wealthy?

You're idiots.

#32 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-09-24 05:49 PM | Reply

Boomers make up less than half of MAGA, around 40 percent, and Gen X is right up there, too... just for a little factual postage.

#33 | Posted by Corky at 2026-09-24 05:57 PM | Reply

How did the poll define socialism? There seem to be some very, very different flavors of it.

#34 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-09-24 06:41 PM | Reply

@#34 ... How did the poll define socialism? There seem to be some very, very different flavors of it. ...

Exactly.

The poll merely asks about the view of socialism.

A question that particular poll (kudos to Gallup) has been asking for 15 years.

So now, when the GOP tries to tag a Democrat as a socialist, that tag seems to have less of an effect than 15 years ago when this poll was first started.

So, maybe the more appropriate question you should be asking is along the lines of ... when Republicans try to tag Democrats as socialists, how do those Republicans define Socialism?

Maybe, giving away government money to citizens?

Oh wait ...

Trump Wants to Give Out $5,000 Checks.
www.nytimes.com

#35 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-09-24 07:22 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

The MIC? Have you forgotten what Eisenhower said?

The wealthy have always been there.
The poor have always been there.

You can hate MAGA and Trump and all the followers.
You can hate Obama and Democrats and all their followers.

Neither the real Democrats or Republicans or Libertarians or Independents or whatever would support the DSA platform.

Any voting for the DSA is seeking the destruction of the United States.

The US Constitution can be amended. The laws can be re-written. All legal.

Do you want the DSA platform to be real?

Just read the platform. Look at their leadership statements. Look at the candidates.

It is their intention to tear down the Republic.

If you don't realize the damage the platform will do, you're blind. The platform isn't the Socialism that FDR stood for.

The two party system has set this all in motion. Trump is here because of the system. DSA is here because of the system.

Never thought either party would ever vote for the DSA platform. The country is screwed.

Ballots don't have blank lines to vote for neither. We're screwed.

#36 | Posted by Petrous at 2026-09-24 07:22 PM | Reply | Funny: 2

#5 | Posted by eberly

Beverley's concept of "research" is pathetic.

And funny.

#37 | Posted by Angrydad at 2026-09-24 07:55 PM | Reply

Trump Wants to Give Out $5,000 Checks

This is election interference and it's illegal.

The fact our media is discussing the pros and cons and realities of Trump's statement is insane.

This ------- country is broken.

The billionaires broke it in order to benefit.

Too bad they're killing what America was in the process.

#38 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-09-24 09:00 PM | Reply

when Republicans try to tag Democrats as socialists, how do those Republicans

#35 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-09-24 07:22 PM | Reply |

Well, i am not one, but I read the DSA agenda and its halfway to magaville. So i dont think Dems agree on what socialism is. In most conversations it's always a pivot to welfare in a nordic state, which are capitalist free market economies.

As for republicans, any kind of entitlement is socialism to them, as they are not rational. I have sat with trump voting farmers that in the same conversation complained about communists and losing federally directed subsidies.

#39 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-09-24 09:16 PM | Reply

Also, the nordic states are terrible. ------ freezing weather and horrible food. It produces people happy about being miserable.

#40 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-09-24 09:20 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

It's alaska with better healthcare.

#41 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-09-24 09:20 PM | Reply

@#39 ... Well, i am not one, but I read the DSA agenda and its halfway to magaville. ...

But that does not explain the extensive use of the word "socialism" by the GOP in a denigrating manner.

Such use seems to be similar to the prior and current use of the word "woke."

Woke: Another ambiguously defined word that the GOP appears to want to use to castigate others, and apparently without actually knowing the meaning of the word.

#42 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-09-24 09:20 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

@#40 ... It produces people happy about being miserable. ...

They seem to be quite happy. And say so. Frequently, when asked.

Maybe you are letting your envy get in the way of your opinion?

#43 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-09-24 09:23 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

I read the DSA agenda and its halfway to magaville

I'd love to read that too.

Care to share?

#44 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-09-24 09:24 PM | Reply

Maybe you are letting your envy get in the way of your opinion?

Sounds more like a tumor pressing on his cerebral cortex.

#45 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-09-24 09:26 PM | Reply

@#41 ... It's alaska with better healthcare. ...

Not just better healthcare, but also better education, and (not limited to) a better distribution of the wealth of the Countries.

#46 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-09-24 09:32 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

If you're born in Norway, grow up in Norway, live in Norway, hey. That's you. If you're a fat Texan that's raised on crap "bbq" and breakfast tacos, maybe Norway isn't for you

#47 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2026-09-25 12:01 AM | Reply

But that does not explain the extensive use of the word "socialism" by the GOP in a denigrating manner.

#42 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-09-24 09:20 PM | Reply | Flag:

You need that explained? For real? It's a perjorative that's interchangeable with communism, leftover from the Cold War, based on Socialism being the Road to Communism.

Then people like Bernie started wearing it as a badge of honor.

Like the N word.

#48 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-09-25 07:49 AM | Reply

They seem to be quite happy. And say so. Frequently, when asked.
Maybe you are letting your envy get in the way of your opinion?
#43 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-09-24 09:23 PM | Reply | Flag:

You're confusing envy with personal experience.

#49 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-09-25 07:50 AM | Reply

Democratic Socialists of America. Our Program.

"A Day without Capitalism". No debt, government controlled food, energy, medicine, transportation, housing.

It's over the top silly and against the free market principals that make "ice country socialism" work.

#50 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-09-25 08:00 AM | Reply

"But that does not explain the extensive use of the word "socialism" by the GOP in a denigrating manner."

Socialism is an economic system where the workers own the means of production. I don't know of anyone calling themselves a "socialist" would support this.

I think there is a backroom agreement between progressives and conservatives to keep using this term. For conservatives, it is a pejorative. For progressives, it is a badge of honor.

And Europeans think that both sides are ------- crazy when they say Europe is socialist. It's not. Not even close.

"If you're a fat Texan that's raised on crap "bbq" and breakfast tacos, maybe Norway isn't for you."

I don't think any of you would be ready for Norway. Sitz didn't even get it. The weather in Norway is the worst weather I've ever experienced, and I lived eight years in North Dakota. I was working with my NOR counterparts today, who fly home later this evening. Let's just say they spent a lot of time outside, enjoying the bright German sunshine. Because it's going to be a while before they see it again. Until they come to Germany next month.

#51 | Posted by madbomber at 2026-09-25 08:03 AM | Reply

And definitely not lost in the irony, when you compare DSA immigration ideas to 2026 Swedish immigration policy, the Swiss are the #MAGA crowd. If you are showing up you better bring something better than a liberal arts degree.

#52 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-09-25 08:04 AM | Reply

#50

Eerily enough, I was just about to post that. Although the DSA platform looks more similar to communism than socialism.

It's basically the Communist Manifesto in different packaging.

#53 | Posted by madbomber at 2026-09-25 08:04 AM | Reply

#52

Norway is importing workers from East Africa to do unskilled labor. It's a big country with lots of resources, a lot of land, and a small population. They can't afford to not allow immigration.

#54 | Posted by madbomber at 2026-09-25 08:07 AM | Reply

Sitz didn't even get it.

#51 | Posted by madbomber at 2026-09-25 08:03 AM | Reply | Flag:

I think of Stockholm. 45F there. 40F is the coldest San Francisco gets and it's a paradise like 75F high, and that might as well be the frozen tundra compared to Houston's 105F summers.

I've seen a thin layer of snow once since Covid. Even when the Republicans tried to freeze us all to death through incompetence, there still wasn't snow here.

#55 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-09-25 08:08 AM | Reply

Norway is importing workers from East Africa

#54 | Posted by madbomber at 2026-09-25 08:07 AM | Reply | Flag:

and MAGA imports South Africans.

#56 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-09-25 08:09 AM | Reply

Immigration in Sweden: how the country went from one of Europe's most welcoming, to one of its most restrictive

#57 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-09-25 08:11 AM | Reply

"Most of the broader reforms, however, were adopted only in 2025 and 2026. Access to social benefits such as parental leave and child support will become conditional on residence and employment requirements. Obtaining Swedish citizenship will be subject to stricter requirements relating to length of residence, conduct, language and civic knowledge, as well as self-sufficiency. The government has also substantially lowered the threshold for deporting non-citizens convicted of crimes.

This concentration of reforms towards the end of the parliamentary term reflects the Swedish legislative process rather than a late political shift. Major legislation is normally preceded by government inquiries, public consultations and parliamentary scrutiny, meaning that comprehensive reforms often take years to move from proposal to implementation."

It's not socialism, or welfare capitalism, if you don't pull the ladder up behind you the moment immigrants are perceived as straining the system.

#58 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-09-25 08:12 AM | Reply

-But that does not explain the extensive use of the word "socialism" by the GOP in a denigrating manner.

it works. much like "California liberal" used everywhere outside of California by the GOP. Moderates are scared of those terms.

This is my point. Socialism might poll well if you creatively ask the right questions so you can generate results that imply folks embrace socialism.

But on election day.........no friggin way.

#59 | Posted by eberly at 2026-09-25 09:10 AM | Reply

The point is that to many Americans a system more oriented to the People than to the Corporations is more and more appealing considering the corrupt, and violent, authoritarian grift monkeys they see running the country today.

#60 | Posted by Corky at 2026-09-25 09:41 AM | Reply

The majority of people who fear socialism

Are on social security and medicare and cannot define socialism.

Fun fact...went to the doctors yesterday and he started going off on a rant about this new "communism" that the democrats want. I asked him to define communism. He couldn't. He said "free stuff from the government". I asked him if he accepts Medicare and Medicaid patients. He suddenly didn't want to talk politics anymore.

#61 | Posted by Nixon at 2026-09-25 09:50 AM | Reply

"to many Americans a system more oriented to the People than to the Corporations is more and more appealing"

Whatever.....they aren't going to vote for it.

So either the MD is an idiot who can't figure it out or he's a total hypocrite hoping YOU can't figure it out.

But that's a good example of why it's impossible to get even democrats to openly call for things easily referred to as "communism" or "socialism".

#62 | Posted by eberly at 2026-09-25 09:55 AM | Reply

#61 | Posted by Nixon at 2026-09-25 09:50 AM | Reply | Flag:

He said free stuff from the government, so you went with an example of something you get directly, progressively taxed for your entire working life and isn't free at all.

#63 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-09-25 10:28 AM | Reply

Soo...ask the question if the US would be willing to accept up to a 25% VAT to match European funding mechanisms. When it comes to what most would refer to as "Socialism," that's where it starts.

I'd be in favor. I don't think many USans would be.

#64 | Posted by madbomber at 2026-09-25 10:52 AM | Reply

#60

I would ask you if USans are willing to put their money where their mouth is and accept higher taxes for expanded government services. I don't know the answer.

#65 | Posted by madbomber at 2026-09-25 10:54 AM | Reply

ask the question if the US would be willing to accept up to a 25% VAT

Would that even be possible? Wouldn't every state have to agree with it?

#66 | Posted by REDIAL at 2026-09-25 11:08 AM | Reply