Liberal hot spot residents can't agree on what socialism means as far-left movement gains steam

Americans can't seem to get on the same page when it comes to what defines socialism even though new polling shows the movement's favorability is at an all-time high.

Whether far-left factions are able to rally around the label could come down to understanding its principles.

Fox News Digital took to the streets of a Maryland liberal hot spot, Takoma Park, for its annual street festival to talk with attendees about their definitions of socialism and how far they would be willing to go to embrace its ideals.

"The fact is that there's no … one answer," Nina Gilden Seavey said when asked to define socialism.

"Just the idea of, like, you've been paying all these things to set up these programs, and then you're actually giving them to the people," Jaw Blake said, describing his view of the political movement. 

"It's not a special group that gets to have them. It's just available."

Jenny Sniderman had a more direct answer, claiming that "public libraries, the police department, the fire department, all our public services, utilities," are all part of what makes up socialism.

But the survey asks respondents their image of socialism without providing a definition of the ideology or asking whether they would actually support adopting it in the U.S.

"Do I want to give up my private property? Of course, I don't want to give up my private property," Sniderman said. "Are they going to reimburse me fairly? That would be helpful in making my choice."

"I don't know that I would necessarily love it," Blake said. "But, I mean, if it was something that was beneficial, I'd at least consider it.

"Nobody wants what they have to be taken away from them," he continued. "But there is something to be said about … you can set up things so that they're available for everybody."

"I think the government is not the greatest steward … of assets," Seavey said. "It's not to say that capitalism is somehow without flaw, but the fact is that there is an idealism that can come from thinking, 'Oh, if we had some more centrality, if … there was some kind of uber organization in charge of reallocation.'"

"Socialism is where there is a massive redistribution of wealth. We are not having redistribution of wealth in this country."

Seavey argued that political labels themselves have distorted the conversation.

"Let's think about it differently, and let's take away these ridiculous stigmas that have to do with these crazy labels that we have allowed the right wing to foment onto the rest of America," Seavey said.