The messaging of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and now Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is reaching young Americans – which will be 37 percent of the electorate in 2020, according to Axios – and "socialism" is no longer a dirty word in America, once the heartbeat of capitalism.
Generation Z and millennials take more kindly to socialistic policy than past generations. In fact 49.6 percent of young voters would prefer to live in a socialist country, according to a new Harris Poll given exclusively to Axios.
That figure has dragged American society as a whole to be 37.2 percent favoring living in a socialist over capitalist society, according to the poll.
Younger voters put more emphasis on universal healthcare, free college and abolishing ICE than the electorate as a whole, per The Harris Poll.
Data: The Harris Poll; Poll conducted Feb. 21–25, 2019 among 2,035 adults; Chart: Axios Visuals
According to the poll, the two youngest generations describe their top three voting issues on the side of socialism and liberal politics vs. that of President Donald Trump and conservative ideals.
- Generation Z – Mass shootings, racial equality, and immigration/treatment of immigrants.
- Millennials – Healthcare, global warming/climate change, and mass shootings.
Meanwhile, Generation X and older see the top issues as: access to healthcare, terrorism/national security, and the national debt, according to the poll.