Support for socialism stronger among younger voters

By VDC staff

A July 29 University of New Hampshire poll showing that half of Vermonters view socialism positively — compared with 42% who view capitalism positively — suggests the word “socialism” has considerable appeal in Vermont. But a closer look at the poll shows that support for socialism, membership in the Democratic Socialists of America and the electoral value of a DSA endorsement are three different things.

The July Green Mountain State Poll found 51% of Vermont residents had a very or somewhat positive view of socialism, while 31% viewed it negatively. Capitalism was evenly divided: 42% positive and 42% negative. Another 14% were neutral or had no opinion about socialism, compared with 12% for capitalism.

That does not mean half of Vermonters identify themselves as socialists or support the Democratic Socialists of America. The poll asked separately about attitudes toward an ideology and attitudes toward a political organization.

The distinction is especially clear in the DSA numbers. Just 2% of Vermonters said they currently belong to DSA and another 1% said they were former members. Half said they had heard of the organization and understood what it was, but 19% had heard of it without knowing much about it, 22% had never heard of it and 7% were unsure.

In other words, about half of those surveyed did not claim a solid understanding of DSA, despite the relatively favorable statewide numbers for socialism itself.

Among the 878 respondents who had heard of DSA, 47% viewed the organization positively, 31% negatively, 15% were neutral and 7% were unsure. The partisan divide was large: the poll reported that 71% of Democrats had positive feelings about DSA, while 89% of Republicans had negative feelings. Independents were almost evenly split, with 39% positive and 35% negative.

The poll also tested whether a DSA endorsement would actually influence a vote. Among respondents familiar with DSA, 37% said an endorsement would make them more likely to support a candidate, while 30% said it would make them less likely. Another 26% said it would have little or no effect and 7% were unsure.

Among self-described socialists, 86% said a DSA endorsement would make them more likely to vote for a candidate. That fell to 62% among progressives, 45% among liberals and just 9% among moderates.

In a column set to be published this weekend, former Rep. Bob Stannard of Manchester (himself leaning socialist) defined Capitalism and Socialism. 

Capitalism: “Capitalism is an economic system where private individuals and businesses own the tools, factories, and resources used to make goods, rather than the government. According to the International Monetary Fund, capitalism relies on private ownership, profit, and competition.” 

Socialism: “Socialism is an economic and political system where the community or the government owns and controls the major means of production—such as factories, tools, and large businesses—instead of private individuals. According to the general Socialism Definition & Meaning from Merriam-Webster, the core idea is that shared ownership helps distribute wealth more evenly and provides basic needs like healthcare and education to everyone.”

Age may help explain why socialism performs comparatively well in Vermont. The poll found 60% of Vermonters ages 18 to 34 had a positive view of socialism, compared with 25% who viewed capitalism positively. Among those 35 to 49, socialism was viewed positively by 54%, compared with 31% for capitalism.

The relationship reversed among older Vermonters. Among those ages 50 to 64, 49% viewed capitalism positively and 47% viewed socialism positively. Among residents 65 and older, capitalism led 56% to 44%. About half of Vermonters under 50 viewed capitalism negatively, according to UNH.

The poll also provides an important limit on what “positive toward socialism” means. Socialism did not translate into comparable acceptance of communism. Only 11% of Vermonters viewed communism positively, while 73% viewed it negatively. Fascism was viewed negatively by 90%.

The ideological cross-tabs sharpen the distinction further. Nearly all respondents who identified as socialists viewed socialism positively, as did 78% of progressives and 60% of liberals. Moderates were nearly evenly divided, while 91% of conservatives and 69% of libertarians viewed socialism negatively.

Vermont also stood apart from its northern New England neighbors. UNH found 50% positive toward socialism in Vermont, compared with 35% in New Hampshire and 39% in Maine. DSA was viewed positively by 47% of Vermonters familiar with it, versus 30% in both New Hampshire and Maine.

Taken together, the poll indicates that “socialism” has become a relatively positive political label for many Vermonters, particularly younger residents and people on the political left. It does not establish that a majority of Vermonters identify as socialists, belong to DSA, support a particular socialist economic program, or would vote for a DSA-backed candidate.

The Green Mountain State Poll was conducted online July 15-20 by the UNH Survey Center. It included 1,119 Vermont residents and reported a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points. Results were weighted for sex, age, education, region and Vermont’s 2024 election results. UNH also cautioned that question wording, question order, nonresponse and other non-sampling errors can affect survey results.