Americans Prefer Free Markets To Capitalism

As soon as I read this headline, my first thought was how are they defining terms?

Poll: Americans Like Free Markets More than Capitalism and Socialism More Than a Govt Managed Economy

Could this be?!

Fully 66 percent of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of an economy managed by the government while 58 percent have a negative view of socialism. Only 21 percent reported a negative opinion of free markets but nearly double that, 38 percent, have a negative view of capitalism.

Seems fairly correctly defined, depending on what demographic is answering:

Several forces could likely be at play. First, young people don’t know what these words mean. The fact that they are more favorable toward socialism than a government-managed economy, which if anything is socialism-lite, demonstrates this. Second, young people like free markets and the technology, products, and wealth it creates, but they also want to feel confident the poor have access to what they need. In their minds socialism might simply connote a social safety net rather than government ownership. Third, individuals often trend left in their youth, but may change as they age. Fourth, this cohort of young people may be systematically different from older generations in holding a preference for both markets and government activism. It remains to be determined how this young generation will make the trade-off when markets and government action are at odds.

So the potential is there and other parts of the analysis suggests a pretty sophisticated understanding of the differences.  Capitalism and communism are both unmitigated evils, but at least communism had the good graces to die out.

Thanks to Richard for the link.

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