American College Students Prefer Socialism to Capitalism, Survey Finds

A nationwide survey of undergraduate students conducted by Yale University’s Buckley Institute, a conservative student group, found that the popularity of socialism is surging among college students just as socialist political candidates are rising in American politics.

In fact, the survey of over 800 undergraduate students across the country found that students say they prefer socialism to capitalism by a 42 to 28 percent margin. Separately, more than one in five—22 percent—say America deserved the 9/11 attacks.

The United Kingdom, Germany, "Palestine," and China are the countries viewed most favorably by these students. Even communist Cuba is viewed more favorably than unfavorably, while the Middle East’s lone democracy, Israel, ranks among the countries viewed least favorably alongside Iran, Russia, and North Korea. The survey did not ask whether students are American or foreign born, and on campuses where increasing numbers of students are foreign, that may have affected the results. Survey respondents also tend to view "free enterprise" more favorably than "capitalism," Gallup has shown.

"During the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, America’s college students have swung heavily in favor of socialism. Alarmingly, those same students are more likely to support shout downs, violence to stop hate speech, and other tools of censorship," said Lauren Noble, the Buckley Institute’s founder and executive director.

The survey found that while undergraduates in America support free speech in theory, they favor censorship to combat speech with which they disagree. Some of the survey’s most interesting findings include:

— While 87 percent of respondents say the First Amendment is important, nearly half—49 percent—favor speech codes on their campuses, and 40 percent say offensive speech should be subject to criminal prosecution.

— 46 percent of students say it is appropriate to shout down or disrupt speakers with whom they disagree, and 45 percent say physical violence is warranted to stop hate speech or racially charged comments.

— More than half of students—54 percent—say they have felt intimidated in sharing their ideas, opinions, or beliefs.

— 48 percent of students say they would not be close friends with somebody of a different political party.

The survey, conducted by Inquire LLC, polled 803 undergraduates at four-year public and private institutions across the country between September 5 and September 14. The cross tabs can be viewed here.

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