Politics

Are Democrats Now the Party of Free Markets? Don't Bet on It.

Even the abundance wing of the left wants "a much stronger government," in movement champion Ezra Klein's words.

Stephanie Slade | From the June 2026 issue

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Source: Gallup

Here's a fact about partisanship and public opinion that may surprise you: According to Gallup, Democrats have been warming toward foreign trade since 2008, and they have been more positive about it than Republicans have been since 2012. With all the talk of political realignment in recent years, data points like these have led some to wonder whether Democrats are becoming the major party that better aligns with libertarian commitments to free markets and limited government.

That case could certainly be made. Another recent Gallup poll found that, for the first time in almost 20 years, Democrats are more concerned than Republicans about government overreach. Asked whether the federal government has too much power, about the right amount of power, or too little power, 62 percent of Americans say it has too much. That includes 66 percent of Democrats and Democratic leaners, compared to 58 percent of Republicans and Republican leaners.

Republicans are still much more likely than Democrats to think the government is doing too many things that should be left to individuals and businesses (81 percent vs. 31 percent), while Democrats are much more likely to think the government should do more to solve our country's........

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