The Heritage Foundation, Jul 13, 2021
Young Americans like socialism. Their opinions more likely reflect concerns about inequality, a desire to see America become a pseudo-European social democracy...
Young Americans like socialism. That’s one finding of a new
Axios/Momentive
poll surveying American attitudes toward topics such as economic inequality, capitalism and socialism, and government’s role in the economy.
Among Americans aged 18-24, the poll reports that only 42 percent of those surveyed regardless of political affiliation have a positive view of capitalism, while 54 percent have a negative view. Only two years ago, the same polling survey had 58 percent of the same demographic favoring capitalism, while 38 percent had a negative view.
These changes aren’t just confined to shifts among younger progressive-leaning Americans. In 2019, 81 percent of those who leaned Republican, aged 18-34, had a positive opinion of capitalism. Now, however, only 66 percent of this demographic maintain this view...
Their opinions more likely reflect concerns about inequality, a desire to see America become something like a European social democracy, or a sense that there’s something wrong with 21st-century American capitalism...
In my experience, young Americans will often say that they think the economy is rigged in favor of the privileged and well-connected. Indeed, they are right to believe so.
Young Americans like socialism. That’s one finding of a new Axios/Momentive poll surveying American attitudes toward topics such as economic inequality, capitalism and socialism, and government’s role in the economy.
www.heritage.org
-------------
Young people who like socialism do so because they do not like what capitalism is doing to them. They are angry about the growing number of billionaires, while they are unable to get secure, well paying jobs with generous health and retirement benefits, and raises every year that beat inflation. They have little to show for their college degrees but unpayable student loans.
Giving these people lectures about the benefits of the free market will not change their minds. The lectures will anger them, because they will not conform to what they see every day.