For young Americans, politics breaks the American dream instead of building it

Gen Z and millennials have high hopes for the future. Except when it comes to politics.

That's according to a new report exclusively obtained by NPR from the Sine Institute of Policy & Politics at American University, examining the goals and values of younger Americans today.

The survey of 1,568 adults between 18 and 34 found that young people are optimistic about their futures and envision becoming more successful than their parents. But they express more negativity when thinking about the effect the government and political system will have on their lives in the coming decades.

"That is consistently an area where there's a disconnect," said Molly O'Rourke, a senior adviser with the Sine Institute.

"There definitely needs to be an improvement and a real, more focused engagement to fix or remedy that," she added.

Which could, in part, fall on the politicians of today. But, ahead of the 2024 election, young Americans continue to show weak enthusiasm for President Biden and the entire Republican presidential primary pool. Plus, nearly a quarter of young people remain politically undecided when choosing between the incumbent president and an unnamed, eventual Republican nominee.