Most Democrats Aren’t Marxists

The troubled relationship between the US and socialist politics has a long and storied history. Socialism has become something of a boogeyman.

Some Democrats support social programs and taxing the rich. These policies lean on the left a little (when compared to Republicans).

However, Misbar's investigation found that most people don’t seem to know what Marxism is, viewing it as directly synonymous with communism. In a political context, Marxism is shorthand for Marxism-Leninism, one of the many communist ideologies. Basically, the government is a “dictatorship of the proletariat,” wherein a powerful government represents the peoples’ interests (whether or not this actually happens is another matter). This government controls production, the economy, and so on. The eventual goal is a classless society, but that has yet to occur.

It stands to reason that capitalism and free markets can’t exist in a Marxist government, as the government has direct control over the economy. Polls show that a majority of Democrats have a positive view of capitalism. However, many Democrats also have a positive opinion of socialism. This does not mean communism; socialism constitutes a wide variety of ideologies. It could mean that they want to implement more social programs such as universal healthcare. Of course, a few Democrats may actually be Marxists, but they are far from the majority.