Capitalism

Overview The recent Occupy Wall Street protests have focused public attention on what organizers see as the excesses of America’s free market system, but perceptions of capitalism – and even of socialism – have changed little since early 2010 despite the recent tumult. The American public’s take on capitalism remains mixed, with just slightly more […]

Large majorities of people in three former Soviet republics -- Russia (82%), Lithuania (91%) and Ukraine (95%) -- believe that politicians far more than ordinary people have benefited from the changes that have taken place in their countries since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

With an election approaching, Czechs are unhappy with conditions in their country and frustrated with the way democracy is working, but are committed to free market economics and democratic values.

Overview “Socialism” is a negative for most Americans, but certainly not all Americans. “Capitalism” is regarded positively by a majority of the public, though it is a thin majority. There are certain segments of the public – notably, young people and Democrats – where both “isms” are rated about equally. And while most Americans have […]

Members of the post-communist generation offer much more positive evaluations of the political and economic changes their countries have undergone over the past two decades than do those who were adults when communism collapsed.

We love the free market, but fear corporations and global competition, and depend on Uncle Sam to keep us safe.

A Crisis of Confidence in Capitalism?

The speed of the war in Iraq and the prevailing belief that the Iraqi people are better off as a result have modestly improved the image of America. But in most countries, opinions of the U.S. are markedly lower than they were a year ago.