In 2022, average scores on the Nation’s Report Card for U.S. history and civics reached all-time lows
Support for socialism among young Americans has increased significantly
More than half of students said their teachers or professors favored democratic socialism
SCHAUMBURG, IL (February 19, 2026) – In recent years, multiple polls show that socialism has gained traction among America’s youth. This did not occur by accident. Rather, it happened because America’s public schools do not teach millions of students the truth about socialism.
A new Heartland Institute Policy Brief titled “Teaching the Truth About Socialism in America’s Public Schools,” examines how we got here and what policymakers can do to rectify this troubling trend.
As young Americans’ support for socialism has increased substantially, average test scores in “civics” and “U.S. history” have considerably declined. Based on the most recent results from the Nation’s Report, the average eighth grade U.S. history score has dropped by nine points since 2014, marking the lowest average score since the test was first given in 1994.
Shockingly, most young Americans cannot even define the term “socialism.” Surveys show that many believe socialism is “being social” or when the “government provides services.” Despite this ignorance, young Americans are overwhelmingly voting for democratic socialists like Zohran Mamdani and Katie Wilson.
Sadly, America’s public schools are most to blame for the sudden rise in youth socialist sentiment. It is no big secret that social studies departments are dominated by those who lean to the left. When asked, more than half of young Americans have said that their teachers and professors favored democratic socialism when they attended school.
Teaching revisionist socialism has no place in America’s public schools. It is a disservice to the millions of people who have suffered immensely under socialist regimes for more than a century. It lends credibility to an ideology that has enslaved millions, led to mass murder, and imposed misery, poverty, and hopelessness since its inception.
In 2024, the Florida Legislature passed SB 1264, which mandates “instruction on the history of Communism in the United States and the tactics of Communist movements.”
In November 2025, the Florida Board of Education approved “new History of Communism standards” to equip “students with a truthful, in-depth understanding of how communist ideologies suppress individual freedoms, abuse power, and inflict widespread suffering.”
Before it is too late, policymakers should consider similar legislation that would specifically address this profound problem.
The Glenn C. Haskins Emerging Issues Center serves as the “tip of the spear” in identifying and confronting the underreported challenges that threaten American sovereignty, individual liberty, and free-market capitalism. The EIC brings these emerging threats to the forefront of public and political awareness, empowering citizens and policymakers alike to act in defense of freedom and a thriving free-market society.
The following quote can be used for attribution:
“As a former public high school social studies, I was shocked to find that many, if not most, of my colleagues were socialist sympathizers who blatantly advocated for American socialism in their classrooms. They peddled lies to susceptible young minds that socialism is moral, fair, and just while outright ignoring the human atrocities committed under the banner of socialism. Unfortunately, millions of students have been indoctrinated into thinking that socialism is the answer to America’s problems when history demonstrates that socialism never makes life better for the masses and nearly always results in mass poverty and much less freedom.”
Chris Talgo
Socialism Research Fellow
Glenn C. Haskins Emerging Issues Center
The Heartland Institute
[email protected]
If you’d like to interview a Heartland Institute expert on this topic or other topics, please contact Donald Kendal, the director of the Glenn C. Haskins Emerging Issues Center at [email protected], or contact Vice President and Director of Communications Jim Lakely at [email protected]. You can also call/text Jim at 312-731-9364.
Chris Talgo is the Editorial Director for the Heartland Institute and a fellow for Heartland’s Glenn C. Haskins Emerging Issues Center.
