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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.

Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

FACT BRIEF

Has support for socialism grown in recent years?

Friday, January 15, 2021

By Christopher Hutton

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According to Gallup polling, the percentage of Americans claiming to hold positive views of socialism remained relatively constant between 2010 and 2019, fluctuating between 36% and 39%. Gallup says understanding of the term has changed over time. Just 17% of Americans asked in 2018—half the level in 1949—associated the term with its actual dictionary definition: a system placing much economic activity under collective or government control. More people, 23%, associated it with concepts of equality, while 23% had no view at all.

Gallup notes that support for what it terms “socialist-style” policies, such as higher taxes and more government intervention, has increased modestly over the decade.

Both Millennials and Gen Z members view socialism more favorably, with about 50% of the combined demographic consistently reporting a positive view throughout the same time period.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Gallup: US support for more government inches up, but not for socialism

Gallup: The meaning of socialism to Americans today

Gallup: Socialism as popular as capitalism among young adults in US

Merriam-Webster: Definition of socialism

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Gigafact

Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.