The Rise of Socialism in Democratic Politics: A Paradigm Shift?
Recent polling indicates that the socialist brand is gaining traction, prompting advocates on the left side of the Democratic Party to assert that their ideology is inching closer to the mainstream.
Hot on the heels of a Gallup poll revealing that Democrats and independents are becoming less fond of capitalism, a progressive organization has unveiled another survey. This poll reveals that over half of likely Democratic voters express a preference for socialist-aligned figures—such as Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Zohran Mamdani—over more establishment figures like Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, and Nancy Pelosi.
The survey, commissioned by Data for Progress and shared with POLITICO, finds that Democratic voters view self-identified democratic socialists just as favorably as traditional Democrats. When presented with definitions of democratic socialism and capitalism, voters showed a preference for the former. “What the mainstream of the party wants is both democratic socialism as a value system and democratic socialist politicians,” stated Gabe Tobias, executive director of the Democratic Socialists of America Fund, which funded the survey alongside the magazine Jacobin and the Berlin-based Rosa Luxemburg Foundation.
However, while Democratic voters are warming up to socialism, the reception among Republicans and many independents remains decidedly chilly, complicating the path for socialists in competitive areas. Even among Democrats, there’s lingering skepticism regarding the electability of democratic socialists in swing districts—a challenge Sanders faced during his two presidential bids.
The Democratic Party is currently grappling with the aftermath of a disappointing national election last year, leading to an internal struggle over the best strategy to rebuild. Progressives and moderates have engaged in a tug-of-war over the direction of the party, utilizing polling, memos, and face-to-face discussions to navigate their way out of a political quagmire.
This poll marks the first formal release from the DSA Fund, showcasing the left’s efforts to professionalize its operations and establish a robust infrastructure to capitalize on recent electoral gains. The organization intends to share its findings with hundreds of socialist elected officials throughout the nation.
A striking 53 percent of Democratic voters expressed a preference for politicians akin to Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez, and Mamdani, while only 33 percent favored those resembling Schumer, Jeffries, and Pelosi. Fourteen percent remained undecided.
Despite the relatively equal favorability ratings among Democratic voters for both democratic socialists and traditional Democrats, independent and Republican voters harbored significantly more negative views toward socialists. Both groups described the hypothetical politicians as having a similarly affordability-focused agenda.
These findings shed light on why socialists and progressives have thrived in solidly blue districts and cities—highlighted by Mamdani’s recent victory in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary in June—yet have encountered difficulties appealing to swing voters in more competitive areas.
In this survey, democratic socialists were defined as those who believe “the government should take a more active role to improve Americans’ lives. They generally support higher taxes on corporations and high-income earners, advocate for regulations that protect workers and consumers, and favor more public ownership of key industries like housing, health care, and utilities.” Conversely, capitalists were described as believing “the private sector is best equipped to make improvements to Americans’ lives. They generally support lower taxes, oppose government regulations of businesses, and prefer private ownership of key industries like housing, health care, and utilities.”
After hearing these definitions, a notable 74 percent of likely Democratic voters identified democratic socialism as aligning most closely with their views, while only 16 percent favored capitalism. Meanwhile, a plurality of independent voters and a majority of Republicans expressed a preference for capitalism.
This survey, which canvassed 1,257 likely voters nationwide from August 22 to 24, boasts a margin of error of 3 points. It reflects a significant moment in political sentiment, perhaps signaling a broader shift within the Democratic Party as it grapples with its identity and future direction.
