Support for capitalism among Americans has declined over the past 10 years, according to a new poll released Wednesday by The Wall Street Journal and NORC Research Center. In the survey, 48 percent of respondents said American capitalism is functioning “very well” or “somewhat well”, while 51 percent believe it is functioning “not too well” or “not well at all”.
The Journal reports that in 2015, about 37 percent of those surveyed believed that capitalism was not functioning well at all. These results come amid the growing momentum of the democratic socialist movement following key primary victories in New York, Colorado, Washington, and California last year.
Influence of corporations and the role of government
Another 52 percent of respondents believe that the power held by corporations and business owners harms consumers and workers, and that “the government should do more to limit the influence of corporations”. Approximately 45 percent of those surveyed hold the view that “America is successful due to respect for free markets” and that “when governments interfere in business or seek to own private companies, they make America weaker”.
Support for socialists and Trump’s rating
A separate poll by The Economist/YouGov, published at the end of last month, showed that nearly one in three Americans said they would support a democratic socialist in elections. These sentiments also coincide with increased voter concern about affordability and a decline in the approval rating of President Donald Trump.
According to the average of Decision Desk HQ polls, the president’s approval rating stands at 41.4 percent as of Thursday noon, while the disapproval rating is 55 percent. The Journal/NORC poll was conducted from 11 to 18 June among 1,862 American voters and has a margin of error of 3.44 percentage points.
Source: The Hill
