Today’s young people have considerably more progressive
opinions about economic issues than do their elders.
Under-30s voted very strongly for Barack Obama in 2008
and expressed liberal views about the economy (and about
other issues) in pre-election polls. Observers and strategists
are now asking whether we will see a lasting change
in American politics as a result of the Millennials’ arrival.
It is possible that they are liberal because they are young,
and they will move to the right as they grow older. But
analyses of the trajectories across time of several recent
generations, summarized in this paper, suggest that the
Millennials have a more progressive identity than did
previous generations at their age and are likely to move
the country leftward on economic and social issues for
decades to come.
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More About the Authors
Constance Flanagan
