--- description: Her description of her own politics and her campaign platform put Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez well to the left of the Democratic mainstream. title: Here's What Americans Think of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Most Provocative Ideas image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd10422d1257f3587/69893404929fad78e4bf0ed5/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-wins-ny-primary.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Congress](/tag/congress/) ## Congress Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Here's What Americans Think of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Most Provocative Ideas  by [Abby Vesoulis](/author/abby-vesoulis/)  ## Abby Vesoulis Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 27, 2018 11:48 PM CUT  Progressive challenger Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez celebrartes with supporters at a victory party in the Bronx after upsetting incumbent Democratic Representative Joseph Crowley on June 26, 2018 in New York City. Ocasio-Cortez upset Rep. Joseph Crowley in New York’s 14th Congressional District, which includes parts of the Bronx and Queens. Progressive challenger Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez celebrartes with supporters at a victory party in the Bronx after upsetting incumbent Democratic Representative Joseph Crowley on June 26, 2018 in New York City. Ocasio-Cortez upset Rep. Joseph Crowley in New York’s 14th Congressional District, which includes parts of the Bronx and Queens.Scott Heins - Getty Images  by [Abby Vesoulis](/author/abby-vesoulis/)  ## Abby Vesoulis Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 27, 2018 11:48 PM CUT Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pulled a surprising upset when she [defeated](http://time.com/5322905/joe-crowley-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/ "undefined") 10-term Democratic Rep. Joe Crowley Tuesday night by running as a democratic socialist. Her description of her own politics and her campaign platform put Ocasio-Cortez well to the left of the Democratic mainstream, but many of the individual policies she called for actually poll quite well. In a tweet celebrating her win, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, whose 2016 campaign she worked on, said she had “demonstrated once again what progressive grassroots politics can do.” > [](https://twitter.com/BernieSanders/status/1011801096161984514) Here’s a closer look at some of Ocasio-Cortez’s policy proposals. ## Medicare for All **What she proposes:** In her campaign, Ocasio-Cortez has called for [“Medicare for All,”](https://ocasio2018.com/issues "undefined") essentially expanding and extending the government health care program for the poor to cover every American. She backed [a bill from Rep. John Conyers](https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/8/28/16114436/john-conyers-single-payer-insurance "undefined") that would virtually eliminate private medical insurance in favor of a universal health care system. **What Americans think:** Polls show Americans are [warming to the idea of universal health care](https://www.kff.org/health-reform/poll-finding/data-note-modestly-strong-but-malleable-support-for-single-payer-health-care/ "undefined"), but the wording matters a lot. A March poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found [75% support for “Medicare for All,”](https://www.kff.org/health-reform/poll-finding/kaiser-health-tracking-poll-march-2018-prescription-drug-pricing-medicare-for-all-proposals/ "undefined") when it was framed as an option alongside the existing private insurance system, but only 59% backed the idea when it was described as a single national health care plan. ## Tuition-free public college **What she proposes:** Ocasio-Cortez advocated for [tuition-free public colleges and trade schools](https://ocasio2018.com/issues "undefined"). In addition, she called for the federal government to cancel student loans that it holds directly and pay off privately held student loans, arguing that it would give a boost to the economy. **What Americans think:** Americans are split on the idea of eliminating tuition at public colleges. A [2016 poll by Gallup](https://news.gallup.com/poll/191255/americans-buy-free-pre-split-tuition-free-college.aspx "undefined") found that 47% backed the idea of making tuition free at all public colleges and universities, while 45% opposed it. ## A federal jobs guarantee **What she proposes:** Ocasio-Cortez called for a federal jobs guarantee in which the federal government would employ anyone who wants to work with at least a $15 minimum wage, health care and paid child and sick leave. This [tracks similar ideas](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-18/the-most-radical-economic-plan-in-years-and-now-it-s-mainstream "undefined") that have been floated by an unorthodox group of economists and backed by some key Democrats recently. **What Americans think:** A [Civis Analytics poll](https://www.thenation.com/article/why-democrats-should-embrace-a-federal-jobs-guarantee/ "undefined") earlier this year showed 52% supported a jobs guarantee and 29% opposed it. ## Legalizing marijuana **What she proposes:** Ocasio-Cortez supports the federal legalization of marijuana as part of broader efforts at criminal justice reform. **What Americans think:** A [January poll by the Pew Research Center](http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/01/05/americans-support-marijuana-legalization/ "undefined") found that 61% of Americans think the use of marijuana should be legalized. ## Abolishing ICE **What she proposes:** Ocasio-Cortez has called for abolishing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, arguing that its creation after 9/11 was part of an “unchecked expansion of executive powers” and that other agencies can handle immigration enforcement. **What Americans think:** There have not been reliable polls on the call to abolish ICE. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5323658/heres-what-americans-think-of-alexandria-ocasio-cortezs-most-provocative-ideas/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5323658/heres-what-americans-think-of-alexandria-ocasio-cortezs-most-provocative-ideas/"},"headline":"Here's What Americans Think of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Most Provocative Ideas","datePublished":"2018-06-27T23:48:54.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T20:42:03.820Z","description":"Her description of her own politics and her campaign platform put Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez well to the left of the Democratic mainstream.","url":"https://time.com/5323658/heres-what-americans-think-of-alexandria-ocasio-cortezs-most-provocative-ideas/","keywords":["Congress","Health Care","Marijuana","Education","College","Medicare","Immigration","Polling"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd10422d1257f3587/69893404929fad78e4bf0ed5/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-wins-ny-primary.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Abby Vesoulis","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/abby-vesoulis/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd10422d1257f3587/69893404929fad78e4bf0ed5/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-wins-ny-primary.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Upsets Rep. 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