Republicans Are Souring on Capitalism

Support for capitalism has long been central to Republican economic thinking, reflecting a belief that private ownership, competition and free enterprise offer the best route to prosperity. Yet new polling suggests that Republican confidence in the system is weakening.

A new Fox News survey found that 61 percent of Republicans viewed capitalism favorably, down from 72 percent in 2019, while the share with a strongly favorable opinion has fallen from 54 percent to 41 percent. Republicans remain capitalism's firmest supporters, but the decline points to growing dissatisfaction with how the economy operates in practice, particularly as more Americans conclude that it favors the wealthy over ordinary workers.