WASHINGTON — Democrats are now far more likely to view socialism favorably than capitalism, according to a new CBS News/YouGov poll that underscores a widening ideological divide within the party.
The survey found that nearly 60% of Democrats hold a positive view of socialism, while 18% view it negatively. By contrast, only 32% of party members said they view capitalism favorably, compared with 50% who said they see it in a negative light.
Skepticism toward capitalism is even more pronounced among Democrats with college degrees. In that group, 71% said they favor socialism, while just 16% expressed an unfavorable opinion of it, the poll showed.
The findings arrive as Democrats continue to grapple with an internal debate over the party’s direction, often described as a fight over its political identity and future agenda.
Candidates backed by or aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America have scored a series of notable wins in Democratic primaries across the country during the 2026 election cycle.
Many of those victories have come in heavily Democratic areas, but leading DSA voices have been open about their ambitions to reshape the Democratic Party and push it further to the left.
Even so, the broader electorate remains less persuaded that socialism is preferable to capitalism, according to the same survey.
Among the public overall, capitalism is viewed favorably by 46% and unfavorably by 35%. Socialism, meanwhile, is viewed positively by 35% of Americans and negatively by 42%.
When asked to describe the free market, an overwhelming 66% of respondents said it was good for the US economy, compared to 34% who called it bad.
Yet on a policy level, there are signs that even Republicans are supportive of certain policies historically associated with socialism, such as price controls.
Economists generally oppose price controls, arguing they can disrupt supply and demand, which can lead to consequences such as shortages of certain goods or services.
But in the poll, the notion won the approval of 75% of Democrats, 62% of Independents and 54% of Republicans.
Given the rise of the far-left in the country’s recent primary races, President Trump has worked to paint lefties as full-blown communists and urged Republicans to spotlight their hardcore progressive policies heading into the midterm elections.
“Our American identity under a renewed attack,” Trump warned on the eve of Independence Day last month.
“A generation after we fought and won the Cold War against the menace of communism, there is now a resurgence of the communist menace in our land, including from newcomers to our country who embrace ideas totally opposed to our way of life and our great success,” the president said.
Historically, the party in control of the White House has lost seats in the midterm elections in all but two cycles since 1938.
The recent midterms have been widely seen as a key test of whether far-left candidates are electable in a general election.
