Thread by @jasonhickel

How popular are post-capitalist/socialist ideas and policies?

Here's a list of studies and surveys with some striking results...

1. A survey shows that a majority of people around the world (56%) agree with the statement “Capitalism does more harm than good”. In France it is 69%, in India it is 74%.

Source: Edelman Trust Barometer, 2020. edelman.com/news-awards/20…

2. A study found that in 28 of 34 countries, a majority of respondents hold anti-capitalist positions.

Source: Economic Affairs, 2023. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ec…

3. A study of the US, Canada, Australia and the UK found that in all four countries, a majority of respondents aged 18-34 (54-61%) agreed that “socialism will improve the economy and well-being of citizens”.

Source: Fraser Institute, with polling done by Leger, 2023. jacobin.com/2023/03/social…

4. A study of US public opinion found that 62% of respondents aged 18-30 hold favourable views of socialism. And more Democrats have positive views of socialism (67%) than capitalism (50%).

Source: Cato Institute, with polling done by YouGov, 2025. cato.org/blog/81-say-th…

5. A survey of youth climate movement groups found that more than half say that the root cause of the climate and ecological crisis is “a system that puts profit over people and planet”.  89% of this group specified the system as capitalism.

Source: Climate Vanguard, 2023. climatevanguard.org/publications-a…

What about specific policies?

1. Public job guarantee.

The job guarantee is highly popular in polls. In the UK, 72% of people support it. In the US, it's 78%, and in France it’s 79%.  There are few policies that enjoy such widespread support, and research shows it can appeal strongly to working-class voters who otherwise feel alienated from the political process.

Sources: jasonhickel.org/blog/2023/11/2…

2. Workplace democracy.

This study finds that US Americans prefer workplace democracy (where workers own shares, are represented on boards, and elect their managers), even while recognizing this requires more responsibility.

American Political Science Review, 2023. cambridge.org/core/journals/…

3. Universal public services.

Polls show that universal public services are popular in the UK (substantial majorities want public control over healthcare, education, energy, rail, water, postal services, parks, etc.). In the US, 64% of people support universal healthcare, while 62-64% support a public option for housing, internet and childcare.

Sources: jasonhickel.org/blog/2023/11/2…

4. Rent controls.

Polling in the UK shows that 74% of people support permanent rent controls. In the US, polls in Massachusetts and California show majority support for rent controls (71% and 55% respectively).

Sources: jasonhickel.org/blog/2023/11/2…

5. Living wages.

Polling in the US shows that 72% of people support a living wage. In the UK, 87% believe that companies should pay a living wage if they can afford to.

Sources: jasonhickel.org/blog/2023/11/2…

6. Progressive taxation.

In Europe, 84% of people support a global tax on millionaires (in the US, 69% support).

Source: wid.world/document/inter…

7. Reduced inequality.

Data from 40 countries reveal that people tend to prefer relatively low pay ratios (around 4:1) between CEOs/ministers and low-skilled workers, dramatically lower than real-existing ratios. This conclusion holds across demographic groups.

Source: Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2014. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/17…

8. Sufficiency-oriented policies.

A study of European citizens’ assemblies found that sufficiency policies enjoy very high approval rates (93%). The study also found that sufficiency objectives achieved through regulatory policies had the highest support.

Source: Energy Research and Social Science, 2023. sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

9. Transformation of international institutions.

In Europe, 71% of people support democratizing international institutions such as the UN and IMF with population-proportionate voting shares (in the US, 58% of people support).

Source: wid.world/document/inter…

10. Climate justice.

A WID study shows strong majorities in Europe and the US support high-income countries compensating low-income countries for climate damages, funding renewable energy in low-income countries, and supporting low-income countries to adapt to climate change.

Approximately 80-90% of people in high- and medium-income countries believe there should be a global tax on millionaires to finance low-income countries, and call for a global democratic assembly on climate change. 88-91% believe that national shares of the carbon budget should be in proportion to population, and 72-82% believe that countries that have emitted more since 1990 should receive a smaller share.

Source: wid.world/document/inter…

Since you're here:

1. Why capitalism is fundamentally undemocratic: jasonhickel.substack.com/p/why-capitali…

2. And why we need socialism (or, at least one reason why): jasonhickel.substack.com/p/climate-soci…