Millennials like socialism, but don’t want a government-run economy

Millennials like socialism, but don’t want a government-run economy

Millennials–young adults 30 and younger–like socialism.  85% of that cohort in Iowa and New Hampshire voted for socialist Bernie Sanders, and a majority (53%) in one poll favor socialism over capitalism.  At the same time, 64% of this age group do not want the government running the economy, preferring instead the workings of the “free market”!

Which tells us that Millennials are such relativists that they have no problems believing in two contradictory ideas, or don’t know what socialism is, or have never been taught economics in school, or all of the above.  They also have no memories of the Cold War, with its death struggle between capitalism and communism, and no experience with socialistic experiments, such as the Nixon administration’s wage-and-price controls, which gave us gasoline and food shortages.  (Anybody remember that?  And Nixon is usually portrayed as a conservative!)

Read the research from the Federalist, linked after the jump.

From Emily Ekins & Joy Pullman, Why So Many Millennials Are Socialists, The Federalist:

Since when did socialism become en vogue? It seems like only a few years ago being called a socialist in American politics was an insult. Today, however, presidential candidate Bernie Sanders—a self-avowed socialist—is quickly rising in the polls, and millennials are largely driving his support.

The Iowa caucus entrance poll found Sanders garnered an overwhelming 84 percent of the 30 and under vote. Exit polls from New Hampshire found 85 percent support for Sanders among voters ages 30 and younger. What is going on?

 [Keep reading. . .]

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