Declining Support for Capitalism Among U.S. Voters, New WSJ/NORC Survey Finds

A poll released Wednesday by *The Wall Street Journal* and the NORC Research Center indicates that fewer Americans view the current economic system favorably than a decade ago. Among the 1,862 U.S. voters surveyed June 11-18, only 48 % said capitalism is “very well” or “somewhat well” functioning, while 51 % judged it “not too well” or “not at all well.” In the 2015 iteration of the same poll, 37 % expressed a negative assessment, highlighting a measurable shift over ten years.

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• Corporate influence: 52 % of respondents believe that corporate and business-owner power harms consumers and workers and that the government should act to limit that influence.

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• Free-market belief: 45 % agree that America’s success stems from respect for free markets and that government interference weakens the nation.

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• Democratic-socialist openness: A separate Economist/YouGov survey released late last month found that roughly one-in-three Americans would consider backing a democratic socialist candidate in an election.

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• Presidential approval: Decision Desk HQ’s average shows President Donald Trump’s approval at 41.4 % with a 55 % disapproval rating as of the poll’s midpoint.

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The poll’s findings emerge as the democratic-socialist movement gains visibility after primary victories in New York, Colorado, Washington and California during the past year. Commentators have linked the erosion of confidence in capitalism to heightened concerns over affordability and the broader decline in Trump’s approval rating.

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While the WSJ/NORC poll emphasizes a growing skepticism of capitalism’s performance, the Economist/YouGov survey suggests a substantial minority remain open to democratic-socialist candidates, indicating divergent attitudes toward systemic change. The WSJ/NORC data does not break down responses by demographic groups, and the margin of error of 3.44 percentage points leaves uncertainty about the precise magnitude of the shift. Further research would be needed to reconcile these perspectives and to track how attitudes evolve ahead of upcoming elections.

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