Gen Z turns against capitalism as DSA takes off

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The Hill's Headlines (PM) - August 20, 2026

The Hill's Headlines (PM) - August 20, 2026

Only 9 percent of Americans under 30 have a “very positive” view of capitalism, according to a new CBS/YouGov poll. 

That shows a stark generation between Generation Z and older generations.

Thirty-three percent of people over 65, the Baby Boom generation, say they have a very positive view of capitalism, while 23 percent of people aged 45-64, a grouping that includes Gen Xers and older millennials, view capitalism very positively.

Millennials in the 30-44 age range were closer to Gen Z, with just 15 percent saying they had a very positive view of capitalism.

Forty-one percent of respondents under 30 had a very negative or somewhat negative view of capitalism. That compares to 27 percent of those 65 and older; 32 percent of those aged 45-64, and 37 percent of those aged 30-44.

The data arrives amid a surge in democratic socialist victories across the U.S. — and not just in progressive corners of the country. State Rep. Angie Nixon (D-Fla.) on Tuesday beat out the more moderate Alex Vindman (D) in the Democratic Senate primary in Florida, a state known for its sunshine, not socialism. 

Ashik Siddique, national co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), said the polling illustrates what the group is seeing at the street level: Generation Z is ready for a big change.

“We’ve seen that polling and it’s definitely striking, but to us, it really tracks with the experience that so many younger people have,” Siddique told The Hill. 

“Gen Z, especially by now, just like wasn’t even raised with a lot of the assumptions that I think millennials were,” he added. “Seeing the condition of the world today, our government spending so much money on militarism and expanding ICE and giving tax cuts to the billionaires to the tune of trillions of dollars while public services are being cut for most Americans – it’s just like the contrast is really clear.”

When asked if there’s a gap between disliking capitalism and desiring a socialist economic system, Siddique said that in response to the capitalist status quo, “people are way more open to socialism.”

He cited a 2025 poll from Jacobin and the DSA Fund which found that “Democrats prefer democratic socialism to capitalism by a 58-point margin.”

Nixon is seen as the underdog in the general election battle this fall.

In response to her primary win, election handicapper Sabato Crystal Ball shifted its projection for the seat from “likely Republican” to a safe Republican seat.

That’s partly because of the fundraising shortage Nixon is expected to have, but also reflects doubts that democratic socialism will be a winning message in the fall in........

© The Hill