Poll Finds Rising Support for Socialism as Confidence in Capitalism Slips

A new survey suggests that support for socialism is growing among American voters, with a rising share saying the country should move away from capitalism.

According to the Fox News poll, 38% of voters now say it would be a good thing for the United States to move away from capitalism and toward socialism, the highest level recorded in the survey.

That figure is up from 32% in 2022, the last time the question was asked, and significantly higher than 18% in 2010.

At the same time, a majority of voters, 61%, say shifting toward socialism would be a bad thing.

Sharp Political Divide on Socialism

Support for socialism varies sharply by political affiliation and age group.

The poll found the strongest support among:

• Very liberal voters — 66%
• Democrats under age 45 — 66%
• Democrats overall — 55%
• Black voters — 55%
• Voters under age 30 — 53%

Opposition to socialism remains strongest among:

• Republicans — 78%
• Conservatives — 75%
• Men over age 45 — 75%
• Voters age 65 and older — 75%

Voters Split on Whether Capitalism Is Working

The survey suggests that attitudes toward socialism may be influenced by dissatisfaction with the current economic system.

Voters were nearly evenly divided on whether capitalism is working well in the United States.

51% said capitalism is working very or somewhat well.

49% said it is working not very well or not at all.

Interestingly, identical shares, 18% each, said capitalism is working “very well” and “not at all well.”

Who Supports Capitalism Most

The strongest support for capitalism came from Republican voters.

The groups most likely to say capitalism is working well included:

• Republican men — 87%
• MAGA supporters — 85%
• Republicans age 45 and older — 81%

By contrast, the groups most likely to say capitalism is failing included:

• Very liberal voters — 79% saying it is working poorly
• Democrat women — 79%
• Democrats under age 45 — 72%

Views on Government Role Also Divided

The survey also asked voters whether they prefer government to “lend me a hand” or “leave me alone.”

Voters were again closely split.

48% said the government should lend a hand.

51% said the government should leave them alone.

That represents a shift from recent years.

The last three times the question was asked, voters favored government assistance:

• 2025 — helping hand by 7 points
• 2024 — helping hand by 3 points
• 2022 — helping hand by 9 points

Before 2020, voters typically favored the “leave me alone” position by wide margins.

Demographic Differences on Government Assistance

Support for government assistance was strongest among:

• Women
• Black voters
• Hispanic voters
• Voters under age 30
• Households earning less than $50,000
• Democrats

Groups most likely to prefer less government involvement included:

• Men
• White voters
• Voters age 65 and older
• Households earning $50,000 or more
• Republicans

Democrats Increasingly Favor Less Government Intervention

One notable shift in the poll involves Democrats’ views on government intervention.

A record 48% of Democrats now say government should “leave me alone,” marking a shift away from traditional left-wing politics.

That figure has risen sharply from:

• 39% in July 2025
• 18% in August 2021

Economic Sentiment Slightly Improving

The survey also found a modest improvement in how Americans view their personal financial situation.

Currently, 43% of voters say they feel positive about their financial circumstances, up slightly from 40% in November.

About the Poll

The Fox News survey was conducted February 28 through March 2, 2026, by Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R).

The poll included 1,004 registered voters selected from a national voter file.

Participants completed the survey through:

• Landline interviews — 104 respondents
• Cellphone interviews — 642 respondents
• Online responses after receiving a text invitation — 258 respondents

The poll has a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points.

Researchers weighted responses based on demographic factors, including age, race, education, and geographic region, to reflect the national voter population.

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