Survey: More Government, Yes; Socialism, No

Jeffrey M. Jones and Lydia Saad:

Since 2010, the percentage of Americans saying government should do more to solve the country's problems has increased 11 percentage points, to 47%, and the percentage wanting government to take active steps to improve people's lives is up eight points, to 42%. Gallup also finds a nine-point increase -- to 25% -- in the percentage who would prefer to have more government services and higher taxes rather than the alternatives of less government services and less taxes, or no change to the current balance.

These trends offer a mixed picture on perceptions of government regulation of business, one of the core tenets of socialism. On the one hand, a scant 28% say there is too little government regulation, unchanged from 2010. On the other, 53% now agree with the statement that business will harm society if it is not regulated, up from 45% saying this in 2010.

As noted, since 2010 there has been no meaningful change in the percentage holding positive views of socialism per se, holding steady at just under 40%.