Bernie Sanders Explains Democratic Socialism In 6 Clips
Bernie Sanders laid out his brand of Democratic socialism Thursday, explaining how it informs his views on higher education, poverty, health care, the minimum wage and more.
Sanders has an uphill battle convincing most Americans to get on board with his socialist ideology — a recent Gallup poll found that less than half of Americans would vote for a “well-qualified” presidential candidate who is a socialist. That’s something he hoped to combat in addressing an audience at the Georgetown’s Institute of Politics and Public Service in Washington D.C.
He’s not the first candidate who’s had to explicitly explain his identity or ideology, as NPR’s Tamara Keith reported.
In six clips, here’s how Sanders explained Democratic socialism:
On poverty, Sanders said the U.S. needs to look to other countries that have done a “far better job” in protecting working families, the elderly, children and the poor:
On health care, he called for a Medicare-for-all, single-payer health care system:
On higher education, Sanders once again called the “right” to free tuition at public colleges and universities. “Is this a radical social idea?” he asked. “I don’t think so”:
Sanders again called for raising the minimum wage:
On the environment, Sanders said the U.S. has a “moral responsibility” to combat climate change:
On taxes, Sanders said “greed for the sake of greed is not something that public policy should support” and:
