A growing share of Democrats now view socialism more positively than capitalism, according to a new Gallup poll.
The survey found that just 42% of Democrats hold a favorable opinion of capitalism, while 66% said they view socialism positively. The results suggest the party’s base is becoming more receptive to socialist policy ideas as Democrats work to redefine their direction following their 2024 election defeat.
Republicans, by contrast, remain overwhelmingly pro-capitalist. Seventy-four percent said they view capitalism favorably, compared to only 14% who expressed a positive opinion of socialism. The poll, conducted Aug. 1–20, surveyed 1,094 U.S. adults.
Overall, 54% of Americans now report a favorable view of capitalism, down from 60% in 2021 and the lowest level since Gallup began tracking the issue in 2010. Positive views of socialism ticked up slightly during the same period, rising from 36% to 39%.
Gallup notes that Democrats have consistently viewed socialism more favorably than capitalism since 2016. That trend is playing out in New York City, where Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani secured the Democratic mayoral nomination.
If elected in November, Mamdani has pledged to raise the minimum wage to $30, create an array of taxpayer-funded programs — including government-operated grocery stores — and increase taxes on what he characterizes as “richer and whiter” neighborhoods.
His campaign has won backing from progressive figures such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. But other party leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Gov. Kathy Hochul, have been more cautious in their support.
Republicans, meanwhile, see Mamdani’s candidacy as an opportunity. House Speaker Mike Johnson has pointed to his rise as a potential boon for the GOP heading into the 2026 midterms.
“Democrats, who have learned nothing from their historic defeat in 2024, are rallying around a radical, Antisemitic, abolish-ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement], defund-the-police, big-government Marxist,” Johnson told the Daily Caller News Foundation in July following Mamdani’s mayoral primary victory.
“Comrade Mamdani’s extreme views are bad news for New York City, but great news for House Republicans.”
