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.
That's because the political system is untenable. The system is fundamentally designed to be undemocratic. The Senate and electoral college will continue to put politicians in power who do not represent the majority. By 2040 70% of the Senate will be elected by just 1/3 of Americans. It's time for a complete re-write.
The problem with a complete rewrite is it takes a constitutional convention, and there's enough states run by maniacs and nutjobs that we might end up with something even worse.
But in 15 years those maniacs and nutjobs will have a supermajority of the Senate. They've already gerrymandered their House districts and stacked the Supreme Court. The court makes up their own facts to cases, and ignores the parts of laws they don't like, and overturn decades of precedent.
What could be worse? The rot is already there, the building just hasn't collapsed yet. Worse is already here. We had a couple attempt 2 years ago, and all the leaders are still in government.
The only thing actually preventing secession is Supreme Court precedent (Texas v. White), and since that’s generally on fire…maybe we have more choices than we think.
When I was a teen and early 20s I had such high hopes for the future. Now I have just kind of accepted the downfall of our nation when it comes to national politics. I limit my gaze to state and local politics since I can actually have a say in those. Honestly due to that limitation my mental health has become far better compared to when I was lamenting our politics.
What happened to the 8 ish other years of millennials? Did we die of dysentery? ~ a 40 something millennial
Millennial is code for young people. Anything above the age of 40 is automatically a boomer, and no, there is no in between
Fuck I'm a boomennial. Or maybe a miloomer
Gen X?
At the cost of “the funny”, that’s what I was alluding to. That Gen X is the generation between millennial and boomer, and that they are always forgotten about
Moomernial? Some sort of aquatic half cow
ITS MERMOO DAD, MERMOO
Oh uh, get off my lawn!
Here’s Lies: Oregon Trail Generation.
Reads our tombstone somewhere between Fort Laramie and Independence Rock.
We died of dysentery with wagons full of clocks
I'm 19. I don't know how long it will be until I can buy a house, if ever. Wages have been mostly stagnant for most of my life. The climate is fucked and we are doing nothing about it, so nothing is secure past 2040. And the same people who messed everything up are still in power decades later. How tf is anyone younger than 65 optimistic about anything?
I’m 36 and I feel the same way. My wife and I decided a decade ago we weren’t having kids because there’s just no way we’ll ever be able to afford it. A house is a pipe dream, something I’d love to have but nothing I’d ever be able to afford. Hell, I can barely afford my apartment.
Few years older than you, decided not to have children after considering our healthcare, the climate, politics, etc. Why would I ever bring a child into this hell?
I'm 47, felt this way for the last 3 decades. Money and power drive it all, doesn't matter politics or social beliefs.
“It’s called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.”
This is the best summary I could come up with:
But, ahead of the 2024 election, young Americans continue to show weak enthusiasm for President Biden and the entire Republican presidential primary pool.
And while young Americans credit family and friends, along with education and community support, as impactful roles in their lives, nearly half say that the political system and the way elected officials are chosen has done more to hold them back.
O'Rourke argues politicians have an opportunity to fill gaps in confidence and trust among young voters ahead of the next election by honing in on issues they care about.
When asked to pick a maximum of three important issues that will inform their vote ahead of next year, a quarter of young Americans say health care is top of mind, closely followed by the economy and housing affordability at 24%.
According to Reed Howard — the vice president of strategy and public affairs at the Millennial Action Project, which was a partner on the report — these issue priorities track with previous trends among young political leaders.
Vice President Kamala Harris kicks off a multi-state college tour Thursday, starting in Hampton, Va. She's expected to make upcoming stops in North Carolina, Georgia, Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona, all key swing states in 2024.
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