A new Gallup poll shows that 43% of U.S. adults now view socialism favorably, the first time that a positive view of the ideology has exceeded 40% since the polling organization started asking about it in 2010.
The result came less than two months ahead of midterm elections in which many Democratic candidates have embraced elements of socialism amid accusations by the Trump administration that they are communists.
The biggest increase in support for socialism came from Americans who consider themselves independent politically, with the percentage of them hitting 45%, up from 37% last year, Gallup’s survey found.
Poll participants were asked whether they have a positive or negative image of socialism. They were also asked about their opinions on capitalism, small business, free enterprise and big business.
The result reflects the feelings of Americans pinched by high inflation and gas prices combined with the rise of Democratic socialists like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, said Vivek Chibber, a New York University sociology professor who specializes in political sociology.
Socialism’s policy goals “are not only popular, they’ve been popular for decades, and it’s just that now, they’re finally being expressed in the political arena,” he said.
