Most Americans Agree Country Is Headed For Socialism

(FreedomBeacon.com)- The majority of Americans agree that the United States is heading toward socialism, according to Newsmax. A new poll conducted by I&I/TIPP Poll came as the U.S.’s government spending reaches over 44% of the gross domestic product, the highest since World War II.

The poll asked 1,356 Americans whether or not they agreed with the statement: “The U.S. is evolving into a big government socialist state.” 51% of Americans said they agree with the statement, whereas 31% said they were unsure, leaving 18% unsure. The poll has a 2.8% margin of error.

20% of respondents believed in the statement “strongly,” 1% said they agreed “somewhat,” 15% disagreed strongly and 16% said they “somewhat” disagreed. When breaking the answers down by political party, 42% of Democrats agreed with the statement and 40% disagreed. That number was highest with Republicans, with 68% agreeing and 18% disagreeing. Independents came in just behind Republicans, with 49% agreeing and 32% disagreeing.

Respondents were also asked about government spending and the economy. They were asked whether they agreed with the statement “I am willing to pay higher taxes to support more social programs.” The majority, at 57%, said they were not willing to pay more in taxes. The majority made up 78% of Republicans and 39% of Democrats.

Contrarily, 52% of Democrats and 6% of Republicans said they would be willing to pay more in taxes. Only 27% of Independents said that they would support higher social spending, while 62% did not.

When asked whether “the government should control or own key industries such as healthcare and energy,” most respondents, 46%, answered that the government should not. 64% of Republicans and 30% of Democrats were opposed. Independents were also largely against the idea, with 53% opposed and 32% in support.

In contrast, 39% thought the government should control these industries, making up 55% of Democrats and 26% of Republicans.