Poll: Capitalism is better than socialism

WASHINGTON, April 9 (UPI) -- Just over half of Americans say they believe that capitalism is a better economic system than socialism, a U.S. poll indicates.

The Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 53 percent of Americans say capitalism is better, while 20 percent said they believe that socialism is the better system. Twenty-seven percent of respondents said they are not sure which is better.

The poll found that adults under 30 are evenly divided on which system is better, while adults over 40 strongly favor capitalism.

Republicans, by an 11-to-1 margin, said they favor capitalism. Among Democrats, 39 percent said capitalism is better, while 30 percent said they prefer socialism.

The poll's sample size and margin of error were not reported.

"It is interesting to compare the new results to an earlier survey in which 70 percent of Americans prefer a free-market economy," Rasmussen said in its analysis. "The fact that a 'free-market economy' attracts substantially more support than 'capitalism' may suggest some skepticism about whether capitalism in the United States today relies on free markets."