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3h ago

Democrats Prefer Socialism Over Capitalism, New CBS Poll Shows

It could reshape Democratic primaries by boosting candidates who promise bold economic change despite broad public distrust of the economy.

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Sen. Bernie Sanders, Zohran Mamdani, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hold hands up at a "Not For Sale" rally, Image 2 shows Darializa Avila Chevalier and State Representative Claire Valdez holding copies of The Indypendent newspaper during a rally
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New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks during a 'New York is Not For Sale' rally at Forest Hills Stadium on October 26, 2025 in the Queens borough of New York City. New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani joined forces with two of his prominent backers, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders during a rally in Queens on Sunday with less than 10 days remain until the Nov. 4 election. (Photo by Stephani Spindel/VIEWpress)

Overview

  • The CBS News/YouGov poll, conducted Aug. 12–14 with 2,287 adults, found 58 percent of Democrats view socialism positively while just 32 percent view capitalism positively.
  • Across all respondents 46 percent of Americans view capitalism positively and 35 percent view socialism positively, showing the broader public still favors capitalism.
  • Roughly 65 percent of respondents rated the current U.S. economy as fairly bad or very bad, a level of economic pessimism that fuels interest in systemic alternatives.
  • Support for socialism is strongest among college‑educated and younger Democrats, with 71 percent of college graduates in the party viewing socialism favorably and about half of Democrats saying the label 'democratic socialist' is positive.
  • The intra‑party tilt helps explain recent wins by DSA‑aligned challengers, but translation to general elections may be limited because many voters prefer capitalism and people define 'socialism' very differently.