No, Democrats aren’t socialists.

The Democratic party is pretty moderate. It is not working for extreme ideas. Many Republicans accuse Democrats of being socialists because they know it sounds scary. There’s no truth to it at all. There’s a huge difference between Democratic party goals and policies and any of the scary ideas being spread around. Those scary things aren’t socialism either. Several countries have dictators that call themselves socialists – and that just makes the issue scarier and more complicated – and that’s why it works.

• Like Republicans, Democrats want a government that answers to the people. They are deeply opposed to dictatorship and authoritarianism.
• Democrats believe religious freedom is a core value of democracy – just like Republicans.
• Democrats also believe in civil liberties and civil rights – like most Republicans.
• Democrats want well-controlled, well-managed borders and immigration.
• Like Republicans, Democrats believe public school, Social Security and Medicare helped the U.S. build a powerful economy and society. Democrats want to update these programs for the 21st Century.
• Like Republicans, Democrats aren’t coming for your guns. They do want responsible gun ownership.
• Democrats don’t want massive taxes or debt. They want to restore tax rates on the rich to be closer to the rates of the last 50 years.
• Democrats believe that investing in public healthcare, education, and labor protections will build a stronger workforce that will strengthen our global economic power.

Are there people who want scary things? Sure. There is always someone with a more extreme view. Democrats are pretty moderate.