The article is devoted to the change in the attitude of American society to the ideology of socialism at the beginning of the XXI century. The article examines reasons for popularity of leftist ideas in the United States, the most popular interpretations of the concept of “socialism” among American citizens, taking into account their age or belonging to a particular social group. The program and the success story of Bernie Sanders, a man who embodies American socialism today, as well as the impact of his political “headway” on the political development of the United States, are analyzed.