America’s Youth
Surveying
America’s Youth
GenNext is the only survey of young Americans that’s conceived and conducted by young Americans. This unique design provides us all with insight into how young Americans feel and think about their present and future.
America’s youngest voters want a leader who will shake things up and get America back on track, even if it means breaking the rules. Those opinions are underscored by a fearful outlook toward the future and concerns for their financial wellbeing. Gen Z likely voters are in step with their older counterparts in that the economy is front and center in deciding their vote for President. However, Gen Z likely voters are less concerned about electing a President who will preserve democracy. Despite their pessimism about the future, Gen Z likely voters believe in the power of their vote, a sentiment echoed across all generations.
Gen Z likely voters look to the future with more fear than hope and a belief that the rules may need to be broken to make progress on things that are important to them. At the same time, these youngest American adults, like older generations, firmly believe their votes will make a difference.
Gen Z is far more likely to agree or strongly agree that America has gotten so far off track we need a leader willing to break some rules to set things right. 66% of likely Gen Z voters say this compared with 44% of Millennials, 34% of Gen X, and 27% of Boomers/Greatest likely voters.
66%
GenZ likely voters: Leader needs to break some rules
Gen Z likely voters show relatively little difference with older generations in feeling more fearful than hopeful about America’s future. Fearful: Gen Z (58%), Millennials (64%), Gen X (57%), Boomers/Greatest (64%).
58% fearful v. 42% hopeful
Gen Z likely voters about the future of America
Large majorities of likely voters across the generations believe their votes in the 2024 presidential election will matter: Gen Z (80%), Millennials (79%), Gen X (81%), Boomers/Greatest (90%).
Voting Matters!
Big majority say their vote will matter in 2024
What should the next president’s top priority be? Inflation is #1 for likely voters in every generation but Gen Z is the only group in which a majority says this: Gen Z (60%), Millennials (49%), Gen X (47%), Boomers/Greatest (43%).
60%
Gen Z likely voters choosing inflation as #1 priority
When likely voters were asked to think about the future and choose which is a bigger priority, financial security or relationships with friends and family, only Gen Z was more likely to choose money: Gen Z (51%), Millennials (48%), Gen X (39%), Boomers/Greatest (40%).
Money or Friends & Family?
Slight majority of Gen Z likely voters pick $$
While Gen Z likely voters agree with older generations on some issues that are deciding factors in their choice for president in 2024 (abortion, the economy, immigration, and guns), there are notable differences between younger and older voters on the importance of issues such as preserving democracy, climate change, the Israel/Hamas war, and LGBTQ+ rights.
A notably lower percentage of Gen Z likely voters say preserving democracy is a deciding factor in how they’ll vote compared with older generations: Gen Z (46%), Millennials (61%), Gen X (72%), Boomers/Greatest (78%).
Preserving
Democracy
Only among Gen X likely voters is abortion not a deciding factor for the majority in how they vote for president in 2024. Gen Z (51%), Millennials (51%), Gen X (40%), Boomers/Greatest (52%).
Abortion
Among all issues, the economy is the one the largest majorities of likely voters in every generation noted as being a deciding factor in their choice for president: Gen Z (69%), Millennials (68%), Gen X (67%), Boomers/Greatest (65%).
Economy
Likely voters in Gen X and Boomers/Greatest are slightly more likely to say immigration is a deciding factor in how they vote in 2024 than younger voters: Gen Z (45%), Millennials (45%), Gen X (52%), Boomers/Greatest (50%).
Immigration
Likely voters older than Gen Z are more likely to say climate change plays no role at all in their 2024 president vote: Gen Z (18%), Millennials (27%), Gen X (28%), Boomers/Greatest (34%).
Climate
Change
Gen Z likely voters are notably more likely to say the Israel/Hamas War is a deciding factor than older voters: Gen Z (37%), Millennials (25%), Gen X (23%), Boomers/Greatest (21%).
Israel/Hamas
War
Similar percentages of likely voters across generations name gun policy as a deciding factor in their choice of presidential candidate this year: Gen Z (46%), Millennials (45%), Gen X (42%), Boomers/Greatest (44%).
Gun
Policy
Gen Z and Millennial likely voters are more likely to say LGBTQ+ rights are a deciding issue in this year’s election for them: Gen Z (36%), Millennials (32%), Gen X (27%), Boomers/Greatest (21%).
LGBTQ+
Rights
Is the American Dream still attainable? Gen Z and Millennial likely voters are far less likely to believe that to be true than older voters. On the other hand, most voters agree that it is unlikely a young person today will own their own home by the time they are 35.
Younger likely voters are far less likely than older ones to believe the American Dream is still attainable: Gen Z (52%), Millennials (52%), Gen X (80%), Boomers/Greatest (85%).
American Dream Attainable?
There’s general agreement among likely voters across the generations that a young person today will be unlikely to own their own home by the time they’re 35: Gen Z (66%), Millennials (69%), Gen X (64%), Boomers/Greatest (59%).
Homeowner by 35?
Is a young person today likely to have a better life than their parents? Likely voters across the generations are somewhat dubious of the proposition: Gen Z (42%), Millennials (45%), Gen X (50%), Boomers/Greatest (46%).
Better Life Than Parents?
Student Researchers: Matt Pater, Luke Sassa, Caroline Smith, Neel Viswanathan
Marist Poll Advisors: Daniela Charter, Jay DeDapper, Mary Griffith, Rachel Sandford
What is GenNext?
GenNext is an innovative research project from the Marist Institute for Public Opinion that captures the opinions of young Americans to illuminate the issues and topics that motivate, inspire, and excite America’s next generation of leaders.
And here’s the twist – student researchers mount each survey from start to finish. Working alongside professionals at the Marist Poll, Marist students determine what to ask and how to ask it.
In doing so, they learn best practices for measuring public opinion, including information and data fluency, identifying topics, writing scientifically rigorous questionnaires, and collecting, analyzing, and reporting the results of the survey to the public.