Among voters with a favorable view of socialism, 74% have a favorable view of free markets. A Napolitan News survey found that just 15% of those who like Socialism have a negative opinion about free markets.
While there is a huge partisan divide on the question of socialism, the gap is much smaller on the topic of free markets. Sixty-nine percent (69%) of Republicans have a negative view of socialism while 47% of Democrats offer a positive assessment.
However, majorities of both Republicans (67%) and Democrats (56%) have a favorable opinion of free markets.
To those who adhere to the textbook definition of socialism, it is inconceivable that someone could support socialism and also be a fan of free markets. To paraphrase George Bernard Shaw, this tells us that the Political Class and the rest of America are two nations separated by a common language. Socialism means one thing in the world of Bernie Sanders and AOC; it means something quite different among the nation's voters.
In fact, by a 49% to 34% margin, those who say they like socialism think it is better to have less government control and regulation of the economy.
Among all voters, 52% think less government involvement is better for the economy. Just 27% hold the opposite view.
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.
