Millennials are highly critical of structural flaws in government, media, and society at large, finds the Harvard Public Opinion Project’s spring 2018 youth poll. By contrast, they are skeptical that foreigners, immigrants, or the wealthy are to blame for America’s greatest problems. The poll surveyed 2,631 young people, aged 18 to 29, on a wide range of political issues.
Perhaps most notably, millennials are highly critical of many of the most established attributes of the American political system. Sixty-three percent of respondents said that the media is “very” or “somewhat” responsible for current problems in American politics and society. This is consistent with the poll’s finding that a third of millennials “never” trust the media, while less than three percent always do. At a time when “fake news” has become a household term, it’s clear that skepticism of the media has become embedded in American politics. “Political correctness,” however, faces a much more even split; just under half of respondents believe it to be responsible for the country’s problems.
Millennials also express frustration with elected officials and the political system. Seventy-two percent of those surveyed believe that politicians are “very” or “somewhat” responsible for America’s problems, while only 7 percent say they’re “not very” or “not at all” responsible. These numbers paint a bleak picture of young Americans’ perceptions of the government, although they are not vastly different from overall public opinion. The most recent Gallup poll found that 79 percent of Americans disapprove of Congress, and only 15 percent approve.
The youth poll also found that 68 percent of millennials place blame for the country’s problems on money in politics. This issue has become more and more important in political discourse since the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision, which deregulated corporate campaign contributions. In particular, progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have championed this issue. Young Americans’ opposition to money in politics is unsurprising given their strong support of Sanders in last year’s HPOP youth poll.
Perhaps more than anything else, however, young people are known for their activism on social issues. The youth poll found that structural issues of race and education are a significant priority of millennials. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said that structural racism is “very” or “somewhat” responsible for America’s problems, and 51 percent said the same of a lack of access to higher education. Interestingly, college students and graduates were the most likely to place blame on inadequate higher education access.
In contrast with their disapproval of much of the American political system, millennials report much more positive opinions on foreigners and immigrants. Only 5 percent of poll respondents said foreign actors are “very responsible” for America’s problems, and only 7 percent said the same of immigrants. By contrast, 19 percent believe that foreigners are “not at all responsible,” and 17 percent believe the same of immigrants. This relative support of outsiders grows even larger when including more moderate respondents—those who believe foreigners and immigrants are “somewhat” or “not very” responsible for America’s problems. As the most diverse generation in American history, millennials are taking a stand on this issue, and that is especially important as a heated immigration debate rages on in Washington.
Millennials have also been slow to criticize other Americans overall. The poll found that young Americans are nearly perfectly split between those who believe that other Americans are responsible for the country’s problems and those who don’t. Perhaps surprisingly, the split was nearly the same on the question of blaming the richest one percent of Americans.
One American, however, was found to be blamed by a substantial majority of young people for America’s problems. Fifty-six percent of respondents said President Donald Trump is “very” or “somewhat” responsible for America’s problems, while only 19 percent say he is “not very” or “not at all” responsible. This result is unsurprising, given that only 25 percent of poll respondents approve of the President—compared to 72 percent that don’t.
The President aside, the results of this youth poll provide considerable new insight into the way young people are thinking about today’s most important political issues. In general, millennials are focused on our government and society’s systemic and structural problems, rather than issues posed by individuals or groups. They are concerned by the media, the political system, and systemic social issues, but are less likely to fixate on issues posed by immigrants, the general public, or the wealthy. Where young people place blame for the country’s problems will be a major factor in November’s midterm elections and our political discourse for years to come.
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