Voters have little taste for socialism, candidates who identify as socialists, or the repeal of the Second Amendment, according to a new poll conducted by the Heartland Institute, a Chicago-based think tank, and Rasmussen Reports.
When asked which is better, “a free-market economic system or socialism,” 69% chose a free market system, 12% chose socialism and 18% were not sure either way. The survey revealed that 87% of Republicans preferred the free market, along with 69% of independents and 53% of Democrats.
Though the media has promoted the idea that the popularity of socialism is on the rise, the survey reveals otherwise. Only 26% of voters said they’d vote for a presidential candidate who identifies as a socialist while 50% said they would not. The rest were undecided.
There is a bump in popularity for socialist candidates in one demographic: Among voters between the ages of 18 and 39, 42% said they would opt for a socialist president.
The poll also had news for two Democratic presidential hopefuls who have publicly supported socialist ideas: Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernard Sanders of Vermont had unfavorable ratings of 49% and 48%, respectively.
Asked if they would support repealing the Second Amendment, 24% agreed and 66% said no, with the rest unsure.
The poll of 1,000 likely voters was conducted Nov. 13-14. The margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
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