Who likes capitalism?
By TigerHawk at 4/09/2009 12:30:00 PM
According to Rasmussen, just 53% of the American population believes that "capitalism is better than socialism." The tone of the headline and linked article suggests that this is surprising, but I am not sure why it would be. The current president, who is pursuing manifestly socialist policies along a number of fronts, has a 66% approval rating, so even some putative supporters of capitalism endorse his increasingly statist policies.
More to the point, the percentage who approve of capitalism in this poll (53%) is very close to the percentage of the population that pays (or belongs to a family that pays) any federal income tax (as of 2006, 59%). Indeed, since the top 50% paid more than 97% of all federal income collected in 2006, it is safe to say that the proportion who support capitalism, as opposed to socialism, is almost identical in size to the percentage of Americans who earn enough actual income to pay material income taxes. While the correlation between the two groups is not perfect -- no doubt there are Hollywood types, professors, and United States Representatives who both pay income taxes and profess to be socialists -- it is almost certainly high. Again, it should not surprise us that the beneficiaries of socialism would support it, and the people who pay for it would prefer a system that allows them to keep more of what they produce.
tigerhawk.blogspot.com
By Blogger jayne_cobb, at Thu Apr 09, 01:27:00 PM:
The polls are kind of misleading:
-Regarding the CBS poll they had a 19 point difference in party identification between Dems. and Reps. I think last fall's election had only a 7 point difference (or there about). That's not to say that he's not popular, just that this poll is heavily weighted toward his party.
-And in regard to the Rasmussen poll, while only 53% said that capitalism is better those saying socialism is better only made up 20%. The remaining 27% said they weren't sure. While that's not as high as I'd like it that's hardly a ringing endorsement.
But your point about the correlation between those supporting capitalism and those paying taxes is a very good point.
tigerhawk.blogspot.com
By Anonymous tyree, at Thu Apr 09, 03:25:00 PM:
"It should not surprise us that the beneficiaries of socialism would support it, and the people who pay for it would prefer a system that allows them to keep more of what they produce."
We done.
Or to put it another way,"When you are robbing Peter to pay Paul, you can usually expect the support of Paul".
tigerhawk.blogspot.com
By Blogger clint, at Thu Apr 09, 04:01:00 PM:
This seems to be a semantics thing --- the support is apparently *much* higher when you ask about free markets.
tigerhawk.blogspot.com |
