What Do People In the U.S. Think About Capitalism?
Ask, Rainer Zitelmann, author of In Defense of Capitalism
By Rainer Zitelmann, author of In Defense of Capitalism
It is often claimed that Americans are critical of capitalism. But a new global comparison reveals that this is not true. A survey on attitudes toward capitalism in 33 countries shows that the image of capitalism is worse in 31 countries and in only one country – Poland – is it better than in the USA.
The poll was conducted between June 2021 and November 2022 in a total of 33 countries. In most cases, the survey was conducted by Ipsos MORI and comprised representative samples of around 1,000 respondents in each country. The survey took place in the United States and in small, medium, and large countries in Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa. In total, 33,452 respondents took part in the survey. In the United States, Ipsos MORI surveyed a representative sample of 1,090 people.
Attitudes to economic freedom in the United States
The survey confirms that a majority of Americans are in favor of economic freedom. Respondents were presented with a total of six statements about economic freedom. Three of these statements had a clear pro-market tendency, e.g.: “I think private business alone should decide what products to manufacture and what prices to charge for them; the state should not be involved in that.” Three statements had a clear pro-state tendency, e.g., “We need a lot more state intervention in the economy, since the market fails time and again.” Agreement with the three pro-market statements averaged 30 percent, while agreement with the pro-state statements averaged 18 percent (Figure 1).
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PLUG BOOK: In Defense of Capitalism
BIO: Rainer Zitelmann studied history and political science and graduated with distinction.
From 1987 to 1992, Zitelmann worked at the Central Institute for Social Science Research at the Free University of Berlin. He then became editor-in-chief of Ullstein-Propyläen publishing house, at that time Germany’s third largest book publishing group and headed various departments of the German daily newspaper Die Welt. In 2000, he set up his own business, Dr. ZitelmannPB. GmbH, which he established as the market leader for communication for real estate companies in Germany. He sold the business in 2016.
In 2016, Zitelmann was awarded his second doctorate, this time in sociology, with his thesis on the psychology of the super-rich (published as The Wealth Elite) at the University of Potsdam. Zitelmann is a multiple bestselling author and his 26 books have been translated into numerous languages, including this book, which will be published in 30 languages. He is a much sought-after guest speaker in Asia, the United States, Latin America, and Europe. Over the last few years, he has written articles and given interviews to many of the world’s leading media, including The Daily Telegraph, The Times, Forbes, Le Monde, Corriere de la Serra, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Der Spiegel, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, and numerous media in Poland, China, Vietnam, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina. Detailed information about the life of Rainer Zitelmann can be found at rainer-zitelmann.com.
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Rainer Zitelmann, author of In Defense of Capitalism.