Data Shows More Young People Are Supporting Socialism

By Zion Decoteau

More and more young people in America today have said that they identify as socialists and would vote for socialist candidates for president. 

“I think socialism is better than capitalism,” said 21-year-old Brooklyn College student Tereya Farmer. “It has a lot of ideas that are beneficial to the youth, but no one is talking about who will pay for it because just taxing the rich is all they’re saying. Free health insurance I definitely agree with. If we can get free college too that would be great, but definitely free health insurance” she adds.

The Chicago Tribune’s 2018 GenForward survey found that 62 percent of Americans age 18 to 34  think “we need a strong government to handle today’s complex economic problems,” with just 35 percent saying “the free market can handle these problems without government being involved.” 

Similarly, in 2018, Business Insider cited a BuzzFeed-Maru/Blue Poll which found that roughly one out of three millennials say they are a democratic socialist, a socialist, or would identify as either.  The study also found nearly half of all millennial Democrats identify as democratic socialists or socialists. 

The younger generation appears to share those sentiments as well. The 2019 YouGov–Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation poll found that 49% of Generation Z (which refers to people college aged and younger) respondents held a favorable view of capitalism, and 64% would vote for a socialist candidate. 

The statistics above are in stark contrast to older generations. The same YouGov survey found that only 44 percent of Generation X (40 to 54-year-olds), 33 percent of baby boomers (55 to 75-year-olds) and 33 percent of the silent generation (74-94 year olds) said they were somewhat or extremely likely to vote for a socialist candidate. 

The polls’ findings of youth socialist attitudes heavily contrast with more extremist American aversion to socialism over sixty years ago. At the beginning of the Cold War, mass hysteria  over communism’s spread — a.k.a. the Red Scare — bred McCarthyism in the 1950s. It was an era in U.S. politics when Republican Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy  lead several hearings to scope out communists in the US government. The claims against suspects were often based on exaggerated evidence. Many who fell under McCarthy’s suspicion lost their jobs, were blacklisted or faced imprisonment. 

“With capitalism there’s a huge wealth gap between rich and poor, especially in New York. I obviously agree with capitalism, you wouldn’t want to live in China. But, there should be a cap on how rich someone could be.” said BC student Evelyn Avila, 20. 

One of today’s youth, Christian Cozlov, isn’t hot on the socialism’s rising popularity either. So much so, that the former Young Republicans club member and Turning Point USA leader is apart of a group on campus named Socialism Sucks.

“I would not advocate for like the red scare again. I would not like–put people in jail because they have a certain belief. I’m a free speech guy, but there has to be definitely education on socialism.” Cozlov said. “There’s also a lot of stuff in our system that’s making our economy terrible in certain areas, people who are ignorant of economics tend to blame that on capitalism” he added. 

Cozlov isn’t alone in his cautiousness towards socialism. “I wouldn’t prefer either, because they both have flaws,” said BC student Montasir Omi, 21. “Socialism wouldn’t work in the US. Our roots are so deep into capitalism that we might not be ready.”

With the 2020 election around the corner, socialism is a hot topic. According to an October 2019 national poll from Quinnipiac University, the top presidential candidate for voters ages 18 to 34 was self-described socialist, Sen. Bernie Sanders.