Gallup Finds 43% View Socialism Positively as Maryland Festival-Goers Split on Giving Up Property
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 10
Gallup Finds 43% View Socialism Positively as Maryland Festival-Goers Split on Giving Up Property
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 10
Summary
43% of Americans now view socialism positively in Gallup’s September poll, but Fox News Digital interviews at Takoma Park’s street festival showed no shared definition of the term.
Festival-goers often described socialism as public services or broad access to benefits, yet many balked when asked whether they would surrender private property to government or collective control.
Several interviewees drew a line between socialism and democratic socialism, arguing the U.S. debate centers more on expanded programs than on full government control of assets.
That gap mirrors older survey data: in a 2018 poll, only 17% defined socialism as government ownership, while many tied it to equality, benefits or had no answer.
The definitional confusion matters as socialist-aligned candidates gain traction inside the Democratic Party, raising whether rising favorability extends to wealth redistribution and public ownership.