In communities of all kinds, voters in their 20s and 30s are confronting a financial reality of rising costs, mounting debt and minimal wage growth. But how is this changing their political views?
It’s a question that NPR put to readers. We received more than 1,100 submissions from across the political spectrum from almost every state in the U.S.
Many described a similar reality — one where economic worries loom large over their everyday lives and erode their faith in the ability of those in power. Taken together, their responses paint a portrait of a generation of voters discouraged by what they see in Washington and who increasingly feel as if they have no political home.
It is important to note that the responses are not from a representative sample of all young voters. But what readers shared helps highlight a steep challenge facing Democrats and Republicans alike as they work to win over these voters, who are collectively expected to make up more than half the electorate in 2028. Here is a snapshot of what readers shared.
Feels that way for some of us older voters, too.
there is no fix within the current system, it is working as intended
it needs to be reset
Millennials have been saying this since 2008, and they’re only seriously considering it now??
I’d say I’m surprised, but after almost two decades of being told that my concerns over housing prices, student debt, poor wages, unaffordable healthcare, etc aren’t important right now because Dems need moderate Republicans to vote for them, I’m really not.
Wouldn’t revolution be considered a “political fix”?
There is no political fix.
The only solution is violence.
Maybe figure out a new American dream, like punching Nazis, or eating the rich
Gen X:
Actual Gen X:
GenX here… No. Just fucking no. Not in the fucking slightest.
I mean…
Kinda looks like your gen is going full boomer
Jeez look at this statistical minority give em a medal (their whole generation is ultimately just desperate for attention)
True
deleted by creator
For many? For most.
And it’s funny how the answer seems to be turning to the right wing. Concept that makes absolutely no sense
Becuase the so called “Left” Democrats aren’t offering any real alternatives of lasting change. Only the Right are doing that
But the rights offer is practically openly ‘We want to make everything worse for everybody’ shouted with extreme enthusiasm for some reason.
No, they’re saying that things will get better if we get all our anger out on these specific people.
Of course it won’t fix anything, but people are gullible
I grew up in a very conservative area. The people in my demographic only want to see change. The right wing government under Trump has been robbing the future blind with zero regard for anyone, but the sentiment I keep hearing is a perception that something is happening. “He’s deporting the criminals,” “he’s saving our jobs,” “he’s making other countries pay us,” “he’s making America safe,” ergo the idea that progression in any direction is progress. People are stupid and short sighted when they are struggling. So the adoption of populism makes a lot of sense to me
Another anecdote, there was a guy I used to work with that would say “we have to go all the way right to come back to center” and they actually believe that would happen lol
Anyway I hate this shit so much, have a good day
I’ve seen this theorised as being one of the key reasons that Harris lost. Obama campaigned on “change” and won. So did Trump. So did Biden. And Harris’ pitch was kind of “I’m going to keep doing what Biden was!”
Any political novice could see there was no right answer there.
You can’t promise change when you yourself served in the government 4 straight years as VP. They’d question why you didn’t do any of this stuff already
I also live in a very conservative area with no hopes of moving any time soon. Your comment is spot on, they think he’s actually trying to help when he is literally doing the opposite. However, it does appear that grocery prices going way up at the same time he’s building a ballroom has kinda broken through to them a little bit. I’m sure they’ll forget it in a week though like always :/
Pathogens and Politics: Further Evidence That Parasite Prevalence Predicts Authoritarianism.
Now who says the parasites have to be biological?
It actually makes a ton of sense and has oodles and gobs of historical precedent. Fascism is what happens during capitalist crisis. When you weaken education, revoke social safety nets, delay retirement age, encourage unaffordable housing, withhold wages, withold healthcare, and promote wealth inequality, you’re going to get fascists. The emerging fascist wing is anything but irrational. They are reacting to real issues, and so they flock to the only people who appear to actually get anything done: the right.
At the moment that the “normal” police and military resources of the bourgeois dictatorship, together with their parliamentary screens, no longer suffice to hold society in a state of equilibrium – the turn of the fascist regime arrives. Through the fascist agency, capitalism sets in motion the masses of the crazed petty bourgeoisie and the bands of declassed and demoralized lumpenproletariat – all the countless human beings whom finance capital itself has brought to desperation and frenzy.
https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/works/1944/1944-fas.htm
It doesn’t work on logic. It works on identity and feelings. Mostly anger.
Can we have some [American Dream]?
We have some at home.
At home: [American Nightmare]
We’re really living in a neo-liberal’s wet dream.
This is all according to plan for the people making 6 figures and have homes that cost at least $400,000.
Trump isn’t raising their taxes.
spoiler
Anyone who thinks millionaires are not part of the problem is a fucking idiot.
So let’s just sit it out in protest again. Worked so well in 2024. I mean, what better way to take charge of my destiny than to do absolutely nothing.
/s dumbasses. Only not really.
I didn’t really notice a lot of people saying to sit it out.
The article doesn’t advocate for any particular solutions, it’s just identifying a problem. I’m not sure how a criticism of protest really adds anything to the discussion?
How about instead of a completely useless non sequitur… Maybe an opinion of something that you think is more effective than protest would be more helpful?
Go read up on Malaysia’s GE14. We had an entrenched authoritarian govt of over 60 years gerrymandered to the neck with consolidation of executive and financial power in one person, ignoring the judiciary, using state funds for election purposes, openly handing out ‘donations’ to the public in cafes, blatant corruption at all levels, institutionalized racism, a placated majority held by race and religion, secret police, religious police, state sponsored disappearing of political dissidents, an ISA, fucked up education system, royalty killing people on golf courses, religious partisanship, the evil witch wife of the premiere, literally everything.
I too, didn’t vote until the largest national scandal in history. Same excuses - ‘it wouldn’t make a difference, so why turn up?’ ‘Maybe by protesting people will see we are unhappy and the entrenched govt would hear our plea.’ ‘ill not fly the national flag during independence day, that’ll show em!’
LfuckingOL. They don’t care. Why would they? The formula worked for 60 years. Hoping for the politicians to wake up is a pipe dream.
The grassroots decided ‘this is too much’ and went out to the polls. People I personally know were digging into their life savings to convince their parents to vote against the govt that paid the parents a hralthy bribe each time the elections came around, while threatening the loss of the race and religious aid they’ve enjoyed over the years. National loyalty apparently cost round about $50 a head every 5 years. And you know what? We got that change, for better or worse.
Malaysia isn’t perfect either. I’d say we’re trying our best, given the circumstances. I’d draw parallels with the marcos era in the Philippines, but if the Philippines is anything to go by, we’d just as easily vote in the same, sometime in the future.
Current America doesn’t know pain. It’s almost comical. Her pain is in the past, it got her here. While it took pain to get us out of our situation, America had so much they took the pain of the past for granted, squandered their gifts, got complacent and LET that asshole back into office. It’s is a fucking joke. Maybe it’s not perfect, but believe it or not, many people aspire to the dream. Now? Not so much. Hopefully it doesn’t get as bad as my country, it’s gonna take us decades to right the ship. But no, you guys slept on your watch. Pretending it’s the fault of the system or the politicians is just passing the buck.
Yeah yeah. Fucking boomers and all that.
Do you think people are protesting…but not voting?
No one seriously believes that protesting is going to change the administration’s mind, protesting is a way to bring attention to a problem. Which will hopefully get people who normally wouldn’t participate in the Democratic process to get involved.
Do you think people are protesting…but not voting?
Its a sentiment echoed by tankies on Lemmy, if they even protest.
Still I do know a few people that won’t vote, but do show up to protests.
You dudes will complain until Trump is seeing the world from Mussolini’s perspective. All the way until that point you’ll be like “well protesting does nothing!” while the regime is moving into military bases theres so much violence and unrest lol it does have an effect. Ya’ll are just mad its not over instantly and can’t be.
The only decent protest the US has had since the Civil Rights Movement was the Occupy protest and nothing came of it.
ok boomer
Boomers actually go out and vote… So…
Ssh… the kids are having a moment. It’ll dawn on them soon.
