What is America’s View of Socialism?

A recent Gallup Poll suggests 36% of Americans have a “positive image of Socialism.” It is telling when the results are broken into groups. 53% of Democrats have a positive attitude compared to 17% of Republicans. Here is my analysis after reviewing the poll results.

The poll respondents were asked “Just off the top of your head, would you say you have a positive or negative image of each of the following?”; what we are actually seeing in the poll results is more about education rather than party affiliation. I say that because when the same respondents are asked about small business for example the results are basically the same between the groups. They hover in the 95% range positive. When asked about their image of the federal government we see 67% of Democrats with a positive image compared to 27% of Republicans.

I don’t believe if the respondents were asked; do you believe that the government should run all businesses in America? The response would be much different than the small business result. I don’t believe if you asked; do you believe everyone should get the same pay no matter what job they do or career they pick? The response would be overwhelmingly no. If you asked; do you believe that you would be better off if the government chose your home, school and career? Most people would say no.

The reality is that Republicans are more in tune with what socialism truly is and have not believed or been exposed to the same sources of information as the Democrats. Democrats have believed and been exposed to bad information, and have not been asked the right questions. Democrats have a belief that government is compassionate but again if they were asked; do you think public education in the city of Detroit has been successful? The answer would be no. The federal, state, and local governments are responsible for that but like many democrats they are not exposing themselves to the facts and results of government programs. It is not that democrats are not smart; they have not been asked the right questions.

Socialism is a destructive system that would ruin this nation. If asked the right questions or exposed to the correct information; the results would be nearly unanimous; the image of socialism would be bad, just like the system.