NEW YORK CITY – Americans broadly support the free market. They’re skeptical of socialism. But ask them how the system actually works for everyday people, and the answers tell a different story — one that carries real weight as voters head toward the November midterm elections.
A new CBS News/YouGov poll finds that 60% of Americans describe the U.S. economic system as unfair when it comes to financial opportunities and chances to get ahead. Just 31% say it’s fair.
Life is harder than it was for mom and dad
That sense of unfairness isn’t abstract. When Americans compare their lives to their parents’ generation, 45% say their opportunities to succeed are worse — not better.
Prices top the list of what Americans say drives their view of the economy, with 89% saying they think about costs when evaluating whether things are going well or badly.
Six in 10 Americans rate the national economy as fairly bad or very bad. And 73% believe the income gap between the richest Americans and the middle class is growing.
Free market: yes. But the system still feels broken.
Despite all that frustration, two-thirds of Americans still see the free market as good for the economy. Capitalism draws a net-positive rating. Socialism is net-negative overall.
But the distinction matters: most people support the idea of free markets while saying the current system isn’t working fairly for them. It’s less about ideology and more about outcomes.
That gap shows up in what people want the government to do. Half of Americans say the government should do “a lot” to make the economic system fair. Another 31% say it should do “some.” Just 19% say not much — or nothing at all.
What does “socialism” even mean?
Labels like socialism mean very different things depending on who you ask.
The most common responses in the poll described it as some form of government control or ownership. But close behind were answers rooted in outcomes: equality, fairness, and helping people. Republicans and independents more often used terms like “government control.” Democrats more often described it as equality, public services, or fairness.
Democrats favor socialism over capitalism — a midterm flashpoint
Here’s where the poll gets politically significant heading into the fall.
While Americans overall are net-negative on socialism, Democrats break the other way. A majority of Democrats hold a positive view of socialism — and that favorable rating is higher than their view of capitalism.
Democrats also believe, by a wide margin, that socialist policies would make their personal finances better — while capitalism, on balance, makes them worse.
Among Democrats, 53% say the party is about as progressive as they want it to be. But 44% say it’s not progressive enough — and those voters are more likely to view socialism favorably.
What Democrats want from their party
The frustration inside the Democratic Party isn’t just about policy labels. It’s about intensity.
When asked what’s more important right now, 83% of Democrats say they want their party to show it is fighting for people — not showing off detailed policy plans.
And on economic direction, 68% of Democrats want the party pushing for big, fundamental changes — not smaller, easier ones.
Voters give both parties poor marks
Neither party is getting high marks from voters headed into November.
Among registered voters, 58% describe the Democratic Party as weak, and just 34% call it effective. The Republican Party fares differently but not better: 58% describe it as extreme, and 41% call it effective.
Both parties find only modest agreement with voters on economic and cultural issues, with just over half saying they agree with each party “at least a little.”
A fresh face appetite
One signal for both parties heading into the fall: 53% of Americans say politics would be better with more young people in elected office. Democrats are especially likely to hold that view. Moderates also draw broad positive sentiment — 47% say more moderates would improve politics.
The CBS News/YouGov poll was conducted August 12–14, 2026, with a nationally representative sample of 2,287 U.S. adults. The margin of error is ±2.6 points