Opinion

Want to stop socialism? A modern civic education needs a lot more than you'd think

Only about one-quarter of students who began college in 2012 received any college-level economics instruction

By Scott Carrell Fox News

Published August 20, 2026 5:00am EDT

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Young Americans turn to socialism amid affordability crisis

Fox News analyst Kat Timpf discusses why young voters are increasingly drawn to socialism, arguing that the rising cost of living is leaving many young people feeling locked out of the American dream.

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The recent election victories of socialist and progressive candidates in New York, Michigan and Minnesota, along with Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong’s narrow loss in Wisconsin, highlight the changing political and economic attitudes of a growing segment of Americans. Perhaps most surprising is the constituency driving this movement: younger, college-educated voters.

Recent analysis shows support for Democratic Socialist candidates particularly strong among highly educated younger voters. By contrast, support among working-class voters without a college degree is weaker, despite these candidates’ emphasis on policies intended to benefit working-class households.

There is no shortage of explanations for the recent rise in support for socialism among young college graduates. Conservatives emphasize ideological capture within universities. Progressives emphasize housing affordability and economic insecurity. Both likely play a role, but these results raise a more fundamental issue. Higher education has spent decades encouraging students to engage in political and economic debates without first ensuring that they possess the foundational........

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