The American public’s take on capitalism remains mixed, with just slightly more saying they have a positive (50%) than a negative (40%) reaction to the term. That’s largely unchanged from a 52% to 37% balance of opinion in April 2010.Socialism is a negative for most Americans, but certainly not all. Six-in-ten (60%) say they have a negative reaction to the word; 31% have a positive reaction. Those numbers are little changed from when the question was last asked in April 2010.
After Americans have increasingly turned against the word "liberal", Democrats have been quick to tone down their rhetoric and instead embrace "progressivism," never mind its sordid history in the United States during the "progressive era." And it's clear that Americans are much more receptive to progressives.