Poll: 69% of Voters Prefer Free Market Capitalism to Socialism, 50% Won’t Vote for Socialist Candidate

The Heartland Institute and Rasmussen Reports have released a poll that showed American voters are not in favor of socialism or socialist candidates, regardless of party affiliation.

The poll of 1,000 likely voters – 33 percent Republicans, 37 percent Democrats, and 30 percent independents – revealed that when asked which is better “a free-market economic system or socialism,” 69 percent said a free market system, 12 percent picked socialism, and 18 said they were not sure. 

Of the Republicans polled, 87 percent said free-market capitalism was better, and 69 percent of independents agreed. But the poll also found that 53 percent of Democrats said a free-market system was preferable to socialism.

The Heartland Institute reported on the poll:

Only 26 percent of voters said they’d vote for a presidential candidate who identifies as a socialist while 50 percent said they would not. Among voters between the ages of 18 and 39, however, 42 percent said they would vote for a socialist president.

The poll found that two of the leading candidates for the Democratic nomination for president, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders – who have both embraced socialist policies – had unfavorable ratings of 49 percent and 48 percent, respectively.

The poll also showed lukewarm support for gun control. Asked if they support “legislation that would ban private ownership of ‘assault-style’ rifles,” 49 percent said yes, 43 percent said no, and 8 percent were not sure. A full two-thirds did not support a repeal of the Second Amendment, which guarantees Americans the right to bear arms.

The poll was conducted on November 13 and 14, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points and a 95 percent level of confidence.

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