Interesting yet disturbing data.

[PotshotPolka]

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/publ...than_socialism

Just 53% Say Capitalism Better Than Socialism


Thursday, April 09, 2009


Only 53% of American adults believe capitalism is better than socialism.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 20% disagree and say socialism is better. Twenty-seven percent (27%) are not sure which is better.
Adults under 30 are essentially evenly divided: 37% prefer capitalism, 33% socialism, and 30% are undecided. Thirty-somethings are a bit more supportive of the free-enterprise approach with 49% for capitalism and 26% for socialism. Adults over 40 strongly favor capitalism, and just 13% of those older Americans believe socialism is better.
Investors by a 5-to-1 margin choose capitalism. As for those who do not invest, 40% say capitalism is better while 25% prefer socialism.
There is a partisan gap as well. Republicans - by an 11-to-1 margin - favor capitalism. Democrats are much more closely divided: Just 39% say capitalism is better while 30% prefer socialism. As for those not affiliated with either major political party, 48% say capitalism is best, and 21% opt for socialism.
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls.) Rasmussen Reports updates also available on Twitter.
The question posed by Rasmussen Reports did not define either capitalism or socialism
It is interesting to compare the new results to an earlier survey in which 70% of Americans prefer a free-market economy. The fact that a “free-market economy” attracts substantially more support than “capitalism” may suggest some skepticism about whether capitalism in the United States today relies on free markets.
Other survey data supports that notion. Rather than seeing large corporations as committed to free markets, two-out-of-three Americans believe that big government and big business often work together in ways that hurt consumers and investors.
Fifteen percent (15%) of Americans say they prefer a government-managed economy, similar to the 20% support for socialism. Just 14% believe the federal government would do a better job running auto companies, and even fewer believe government would do a better job running financial firms.
Most Americans today hold views that can generally be defined as populist while only seven percent (7%) share the elitist views of the Political Class.

[Italian Jew]

More people said they were not sure rather than claim Capitalism was better than Socialism. It also depends on whether people viewed things as purely capitalistic (which we haven't been) and purely socialist (which large governments haven't been) or if they took into consideration size restraints to each theory (small communities-socialism works well, large communities-socialism not so well unless COMPLETE cooperation).

Phone surveys are also poor mediums to obtain good statistical data because opinionated people take the time to actually participate, so you could have a larger margin of one over the other.

There would probably be a shift away from "capitalism" with the current economic climate, but if you gave people more choices than the two extremes, you would probably see them shying away from what you would consider full blown socialism.

[PotshotPolka]

More people said they were not sure rather than claim Capitalism was better than Socialism. It also depends on whether people viewed things as purely capitalistic (which we haven't been) and purely socialist (which large governments haven't been) or if they took into consideration size restraints to each theory (small communities-socialism works well, large communities-socialism not so well unless COMPLETE cooperation).

Phone surveys are also poor mediums to obtain good statistical data because opinionated people take the time to actually participate, so you could have a larger margin of one over the other.

There would probably be a shift away from "capitalism" with the current economic climate, but if you gave people more choices than the two extremes, you would probably see them shying away from what you would consider full blown socialism.

That's more or less what I got out of this, but concerning socialism period, its wholly unapplicable on any major scale. Small towns? Sure, because there are few enough factors to be weighed by the planners accurately. Even in the Soviet Union and in the PRC their governments admit that they only have managed to make it to the "transitional" stage.

The sad thing is that socialism and capitalism truly do not mix well. If you want proof, go look at the best example of the USSR and Perestroika, a similar, but better managed and controlled system is in place in China in the form of SEZs, which are pumping capitalist funding into China. It is of course, according to the Chineses government only for the time being.

On a less intense scale, government spending, monetary policy by the FED, and fiscal policy DOES damage the economy. If I have time or if someone else wants I'll expand further on this.

[LegalSmash]

I think people want to reap the benefits of capitalism, while having to do the work in socialism. Capitalist profits, financial incentives, and focus on independence of the individual is attractive to almost anyone, however, the whole hard work that may not pay off thing is not. People do not like being made aware that they are working and they suck at it, or that they are not getting anywhere... socialism in theory cushions such a blow with an "everyone is equal" message.

[Slavic]

A telephone poll of only a 1000 people in which the questions being asked are blunt and extreme does not seem to be a very accurate set of data to compare to the US population. A much more interesting poll would be to ask these people to explain what socialism is and what capitalism is. If you get either wrong, then you are categorized in the Dumb Shit category. If you get both right, then you are categorized in the Possible Junior Highschool Graduate category.

[PotshotPolka]

A telephone poll of only a 1000 people in which the questions being asked are blunt and extreme does not seem to be a very accurate set of data to compare to the US population. A much more interesting poll would be to ask these people to explain what socialism is and what capitalism is. If you get either wrong, then you are categorized in the Dumb Shit category. If you get both right, then you are categorized in the Possible Junior Highschool Graduate category.

I'm actually writing an economics paper with some scholarly sources that may hold some of the figures you're asking for, if I see something I'll post it up here, I just happened to see that poll on Drudge when I scrolled through it.

[Havok]

Neither have ever been proven to work well (depending on how far left you define socialism).

Whatever anyone does, there'll always be economic upturns and downturns. And, as is proven in history, in the upturns people like ideas and systems that make them more money (even if it is at the expense of others) and in the downturns extremism isn't quite so...extreme.


Good economy:

Rich getting richer > The needs of others.


Bad economy:

Strong leader(s) > Whether things will actually work a few years down the line.

[PotshotPolka]

Neither have ever been proven to work well (depending on how far left you define socialism).

Whatever anyone does, there'll always be economic upturns and downturns. And, as is proven in history, in the upturns people like ideas and systems that make them more money (even if it is at the expense of others) and in the downturns extremism isn't quite so...extreme.


Good economy:

Rich getting richer > The needs of others.


Bad economy:

Strong leader(s) > Whether things will actually work a few years down the line.

Good and bad are normative terms requiring a valued judgement.

And that model isn't really accurate.

[Havok]

Good and bad are normative terms requiring a valued judgement.

And that model isn't really accurate.

Judging what?

[PotshotPolka]

Judging what?

Good and bad are personal values, what you think is good someone else may view as bad.

If you really want to try understand the economy, its best to try and be neutral about it.