Tag: Generation Z

Does Generation Z, Americans born from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, look at politics differently from previous generations, like Baby Boomers or even Millennials, such that they will change America and remake the world in its image? Political scientists often overlook generations as an important variable in politics shaping attitudes and behavior. A generational consciousness is triggered by some major event in adolescence that defines a set of political values that shape the views both initially in youth, and approximately 20 years later when that group matures and assumes leadership positions when they can act on their beliefs. The reason for this is simple: Right now the oldest Gen Z is 23 — they are only now coming of voting age. Yet in the ANES study if simply asked if liberal versus conservative, 22.3 percent of Millennials say liberal and 27.1 percent say conservative, while it is 24.7 percent and 30 percent respectively for Gen Z. In ANES, when asked what should immigration levels be, 22.1 percent of Millennials say it should be increased a lot or a little compared to 28.4 percent of Gen Z. Conversely, 35.2 percent of Millennials say immigration levels should be decreased a little or a lot compared to 28.9 percent of Gen Z. Gen Z comes out more liberal on two of the more salient issues in American politics. When asked in the ANES how important the gun access issue is, 59.2 percent of Millennials say it is extremely or very important compared to 56.8 percent for Gen Z. Guns back in 2016 might have been a more important issue to Millennials than Gen Z because of their history with school shootings, and this was of course before the Parkland shooting. On just these issues it is difficult to discern significant differences in political ideology between Millennials and Gen Z. If Mannheim is correct, generational attitudes are formed in adolescence by a major triggering event.