By Reagan Steele – Business & Economic Policy Writer

Two-thirds of Democrats now say they favor socialism over capitalism — a stunning reversal that would’ve been unthinkable a generation ago. According to Gallup’s latest numbers, 66% of Democrats hold a positive view of socialism, compared to just 42% who still back capitalism. That gap has been widening for years, but 2025 marks the point where the Democratic Party base has overwhelmingly staked its identity on a system once considered fringe in American politics.

Overall, the country is split down the middle. Barely 54% of Americans still view capitalism positively, the lowest figure since Gallup began asking the question in the early approval of capitalism…. Support for socialism remains steady at 39%, but the partisan divide tells the story: Republicans still rally behind capitalism with 74% approval, while Democrats have gone the other directionAmerican approval of capitalism….

Meanwhile, big corporations are suffering a collapse of public trust. Only 37% of Americans view big business positively, down from 58% just over a decade ago. Democrats, in particular, are hostile toward sectors like Big Tech and Big Pharma, with approval scraping the bottom at 17%.

Yet one thing unites nearly every American — love for small business. Gallup found 95% of respondents, across party lines, hold small business in high regard. That makes mom-and-pop shops the last institution that bridges America’s ideological divide.

The numbers paint a clear picture: capitalism no longer commands automatic loyalty in America, and socialism is now the rallying cry for the Democratic Party’s grassroots. But amid all the upheaval, the country still agrees on one thing — the heart of the American economy beats on Main Street.