Gallup: Americans cool on capitalism as Democrats warm to socialism

A new Gallup poll conducted in August finds U.S. adults are viewing capitalism less favorably than in recent years while Democrats have grown markedly warmer toward socialism. The survey of 1,094 adults, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, reports that 54 percent of Americans now have a positive view of capitalism, down from about 60 in 2021 and 61 in 2010, while 39 percent view socialism positively, a slight uptick from recent years.

The changes are driven largely by partisan and generational shifts. Among Democrats, just 42 percent now express a favorable opinion of capitalism, while 66 percent view socialism positively. Younger Democrats are particularly less favorable toward capitalism: only 31 percent of Democrats under 50 express a positive view of capitalism, down sharply from 54 percent in 2010. By contrast, Democrats 50 and older show little meaningful change in their views over the same period. Republican attitudes remain the mirror image: 74 percent of Republicans view capitalism positively and only 14 percent view socialism favorably.

The poll also finds growing skepticism about big business. Just 37 percent of U.S. adults reported a positive...