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It's no secret that our country has grown increasingly polarized over the past decade.

One way that shows up is in our ongoing culture wars, where our worldviews collide amidst a crumbling

social contract.

What in the past might have been considered third rail topics are now everyday conversation,

and it can be a lot to take in.

So for the next few weeks, we're breaking down the history,

subtext, and evolving meanings

of the buzzwords you hear all over the news and social media.

This is the ABCs of the Culture Wars.

Today is S for socialism.

If you listen to last week's episode, you may remember this comment from NPR political correspondent Daniel Kurtzleben.

There's one thing we haven't touched on yet that I think is important here as well, which is the fading specter of the Cold War.

You had the U.S. and the USSR, the two great powers, constantly locked in battle.

The USSR was governed by the Communist Party, but it was founded on socialist principles.

Hence the name, USSR, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. During the Cold War and for generations after,

socialism was associated with government ownership and control. And according to Gallup,

Americans have consistently viewed socialism more negatively than positively. But that's changing.

In September of this year, Gallup found that 66% of Democrats view socialism

positively. And young people in particular have been leading that change for some time now.

...