President Trump has claimed his Democratic 2020 rivals are socialists, despite the fact that Bernie Sanders is the only self-described democratic socialist. As the leftist political theory continues to come up in the presidential race, voters’ views of socialism could play a significant role in determining who occupies the White House. But college students’ opinions greatly differ depending on their major.
A new survey of 10,590 undergraduates found that 4 in 10 (39%) have a favorable view of socialism, an equal number (39%) have an unfavorable impression of the economic system, and 18% report that they are unsure of their opinion. A recent Gallup poll found that an increasing number of Americans have a positive view of socialism. More than 4 in 10 Americans (43%) believe socialism would be a good thing for the country, while only 25% said this in 1942.
“Capitalism is a failure of a system,” an Appalachian State student says. “If you weren’t born rich, you [aren’t] gonna be rich, so we should be focusing on helping our neighbors.” They added that students in favor of capitalism were defending “a system designed to keep them poor and exhausted.”
Students with certain majors are far more likely than their peers to approve of socialism. Philosophy majors, in particular, have a positive view of socialism. Nearly 8 in 10 (78%) say they view the economic system favorably, followed by 64% of anthropology majors, and 58% of both English and international relations majors. Accounting and finance majors are least likely to view socialism positively (20% and 22% respectively).
The Majors Most and Least Likely to Favor Socialism
Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of socialism?
When it comes to voting for a candidate who supports socialism, only 12% of students say they would be enthusiastic about a candidate describing themselves as socialist. Three in 10 (30%) say they would be comfortable with a socialist candidate, 32% say they would have some reservations, and 22% say they would be very uncomfortable supporting such a candidate.
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Methodology: This survey was designed and conducted by College Pulse. Interviews were conducted among a sample of 10,590 full-time and part-time students attending four-year colleges or universities in the U.S. who are part of College Pulse’s American College Student Panel.
