Thirty-one percent (31%) of voters have a favorable opinion of socialism today. A Napolitan News survey found that 49% have an unfavorable opinion and 20% are not sure.
Those totals include 12% with a Very Favorable opinion and 28% with a Very Unfavorable view. Scott Rasmussen, president of RMG Research, notes that these figures are little changed from five or ten years ago.
In contrast, free markets are viewed favorably by a margin of 59% to 18%.
The perception conveyed by many in political and media circles that support for Socialism is growing is likely fueled by two factors. First, a number of Democratic Socialist candidates have won primary elections recently and last year Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York. Second, among the politically obsessed - those who talk politics daily - 50% have a favorable opinion of socialism. Among the vast majority of voters who talk politics no more than once a week, that number shrinks to just 23%.
This suggests that socialism is growing more popular among political activists on the left, but not among the American people. More than anything else, it's a reflection of our 10-10-80 nation. Ten percent on the left are engaged in a bitter political war with 10% on the right. The 80% are trying to keep their heads down, live their lives, and avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
Among Democratic voters, there is a stark divide on the socialism question: voters who prefer a candidate with policies like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) voice a positive opinion of socialism by a 3-to-1 margin (60% to 22%). Those who prefer a more traditional Democrat are evenly divided (38% favorable, 38% unfavorable).
The primary battles within the Democratic party reflect this divide. The more that Democratic Socialists win those primaries, the further they will drag the Democratic party away from the political mainstream.
For context, 19% of voters say they prefer a candidate with
policies like AOC, and 23% prefer a candidate with policies like a Traditional Democrat.
This data is from a Napolitan News Service survey of 1,000 Registered Voters conducted online by Scott Rasmussen, July 13-14, 2026. RMG Research, Inc., conducted the field work for the survey. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.1.
