Democratic socialists poll finds many Americans unsure of movement's ideas
A Reuters/Ipsos survey finds Americans split on whether they understand democratic socialism as DSA-backed candidates gain ground.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
A new democratic socialists poll from Reuters/Ipsos found that Americans are nearly evenly split on whether they understand the movement’s policies. The finding points to a visibility problem for the Democratic Socialists of America as candidates aligned with the group notch primary wins against more centrist Democrats, Reuters and Al Jazeera reported.
The three-day online survey, which ended Sunday, found that 49 percent of Americans said they understand democratic socialist policies, while 47 percent said they do not, according to Reuters/Ipsos. The poll surveyed 1,248 adults across the United States and had a margin of error of three percentage points.
Respondents were cooler when asked whether democratic socialists have worthwhile ideas. Reuters/Ipsos found that 27 percent said democratic socialists have at least some good ideas, 51 percent said they have few or none, and 20 percent said they were unsure.
What do democratic socialists support?
The Democratic Socialists of America is an activist organization whose stated goal is to help workers gain power through democratic means, Reuters and Al Jazeera reported. Democratic socialists seeking office advocate pursuing progressive policies through elections.
That differs from communism, which seeks to abolish private ownership of property and create a classless society, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera. The democratic socialist candidates described in the reporting reject those communist ideas.
The poll also asked Americans about MAGA Republicans, President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” political base. Reuters/Ipsos found a similar level of support for their ideas: 27 percent of respondents said MAGA Republicans have at least some good ideas, while 57 percent said they have few or none, and 13 percent were unsure.
DSA candidates have gained in Democratic primaries
The polling comes after several wins by candidates associated with the Democratic Socialists of America. Reuters and Al Jazeera reported that DSA-aligned leftist candidates have defeated centrist Democrats in primary contests this year.
Prominent DSA figures include New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera. Mamdani, elected in 2025, endorsed other DSA members in New York City who won their primaries in June, the outlets reported.
DSA members also won races in Colorado and California, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera. Those victories have added to the movement’s profile inside Democratic politics, even as the Reuters/Ipsos poll suggests many voters remain uncertain about what democratic socialism means.
Trump has used the movement’s rise to attack Democrats more broadly, Reuters and Al Jazeera reported. He has tried to portray all Democrats, including those not affiliated with democratic socialism, as “hardcore, godless communists,” a characterization the outlets described as false.
The Trump administration also released a 100-page report this month tying left-wing advocacy groups in the United States to Cuba, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera. The report often relied on circumstantial and ideological links rather than direct connections, the outlets reported.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.