A post-election survey of 1,000 American adults showed the rate of citizens supporting socialism has declined following the 2020 presidential election.
Around the time of the 2020 U.S. presidential elections, the concept of "socialism" was often thrown into the discussion, partly due to Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders being identified as a democratic socialist. But what does socialism truly mean in the American political arena?
Socialism is defined by Britannica as the "social and economic doctrine that calls for public rather than private ownership or control of property and natural resources." It supports the idea of a community rather than an individual living in cooperation and producing a "social product" of which everyone who contributed to its production is entitled to a share. Interestingly, The Guardian reported that in 2015, "socialism" was the most looked-up word on Merriam-Webster's site, mostly thanks to Sanders, who was then vying to be the Democratic Party's nominee for president.
However, it seems that interest in supporting socialism constructs and concepts have waned since then. According to Christian Headlines, a post-election survey found that more and more Americans are not supporting socialism after the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The Cultural Research Center of Arizona Christian University (ACU) conducted an online survey of 1,000 American adults between Nov. 4 to 16, 2020 to find out if people were still supporting socialism.
Titled "America's Thirst for Socialism Has Plummeted," the Cultural Research Center's report revealed how the post-election survey found that about two-thirds or 68% of those surveyed said they prefer capitalism to socialism. The survey also found that the steepest decline in the interest in supporting socialism was in the 30 to 49 age group, with a decline of 49% to 34%. The age group of Americans 50 and older saw an 8-point decline from 30% to 23%, making them the age group most consistent in supporting socialism.
According to the post-election survey, respondents with a Biblical worldview were also least likely to be supporting socialism, at 12%. The group of self-identified Christians also saw a 9-point decline in supporting socialism since June 2018 at 30%. This survey is indicative that as much as 80 million Americans are possibly open to the idea of or wanting to see change in the country's economic and governance systems.
Aside from concluding that Americans are now less interested in supporting socialism, the post-election survey also found some interesting key insights.
The report revealed that there has been a substantial 9-point decline from 2018 among adults who have a preference for socialism. Additionally, Americans who identify as part of non-Christian faith were most likely to opt for supporting socialism. Notably, the rate that citizens are supporting socialism is at its lowest in years, after reaching heights of 41% in 2018.
ACU President Len Munsil said in a statement that one of the key takeaways of the post-election survey on supporting socialism is that "having a biblical worldview is the best defense against embracing socialism."
He concluded that "the findings also show support for socialism among younger Americans is declining-which means minds can be changed in the cultural debate of socialism versus capitalism."
