Young voters have growing power, but broken politics leave them ‘fatalistic,’ studies find

By Edward Lempinen

Millennials and Gen Z face existential risks unknown to previous generations. The Berkeley Institute for Young Americans reports that these voters — left, center and right — want political action to address the challenges.

Young voters from the millennial generation and Gen Z are emerging as the demographic center of power in American politics, but new studies by UC Berkeley researchers find they are fatalistic about critical problems such as economic inequality, climate change and the future of democracy.

Younger voters had a broad, decisive impact on the 2020 presidential election and congressional elections in 2018 and 2022, according to research released today by the Berkeley Institute for Young Americans (BIFYA). Now, with the 2024 presidential election just months away, the institute’s analysis raises concerns about possibly low turnout among young voters in November.

Two new studies offer a deeply detailed look at the social values and political behaviors of voters aged 18-43 — and jarring insights into their generational zeitgeist. Some findings diverge sharply from prevailing stereotypes about the political behavior of young voters...

https://news.berkeley.edu/2024/06/26/young-voters-have-growing-power-but...