According to Polls, Americans Like Socialism a Lot

A crop of recent polls shows that socialism’s appeal is surprisingly broad. They also reflect a transformed US political landscape that is ripe for a socialist politician to capitalize on — if they’re willing to step up.

Then New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani holds hands with US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) at the end of a campaign rally at Forest Hills Stadium in the Queens borough of New York City on October 26, 2025.

You wouldn’t know it from listening to mainstream media, but socialism is more popular than it’s been for a long time, and both socialism and its most well-known leaders appeal to a diverse voter base. (Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images)


Socialism is more popular than it’s been for a long time, both socialism and its most well-known adherents appeal to a surprisingly diverse voter base, and most people still have no idea who Hasan Piker is.

Those are just a few of the takeaways from a crop of polls conducted over the past month or so, which together suggest the radicalized, antiestablishment zeal that’s taken over the Democratic electorate and opened the door for a rising socialist insurgency is still going strong, with a few surprises in tow. And they come at a potentially crucial time, as socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez weighs whether to make a run for president in 2028, a campaign that many socialists view as pivotal to the future prospects of their movement as a whole.

We should obviously be careful with polls, which are not actual elections and only give us an imperfect snapshot of public opinion at any point in time. Still, while they may not exactly reflect hard numbers, they do often reflect real trends, especially when put alongside other poll results. And as such, these recent ones offer several takeaways.

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