WASHINGTON — Mairekk Griffiths, a 26-year-old chef from the Denver suburbs, isn’t particularly engaged with American politics unless something drastic changes.
“I’d probably pay more attention if another party had a real shot at winning,” Griffith said.
“Honestly, I can’t say that voting matters much. It feels like choosing between the lesser of two evils. That’s just what I’ve experienced my entire life. Both sides have their flaws, but one side happens to be worse,” he added.
Young adults like Griffiths seem less inclined to view voting as significant, according to a recent poll from the Associated Press Center for Public Issues. Even when they do follow political developments, they’re not as likely to consider them “very important” compared to older Americans dealing with similar issues like healthcare and government spending.
This suggests a widespread feeling of disillusionment among the youth regarding the political landscape. Yet, they still manage to vote. Alberto Medina, who leads the Center for Information and Research on Civic Engagement at Tufts University, noted that youth voter turnout hit all-time highs during the 2020 election and remained substantial last year.
“There’s a prevailing sentiment that democracy just isn’t working for young people. They seem skeptical that democracy can improve their lives,” Medina remarked. “Yet, interestingly, we’re in an era where young voter turnout is high.”
Disengagement from Political Parties
Another sign of this general detachment from politics is that many young adults steer clear of political party affiliations. Around one-third of those under 30 identify as political independents, whereas only 17% of Americans over 60 share that distinction.
Surveys also indicate that younger individuals are less likely to closely follow political news compared to older people.
Only about 20% of adults under 30 report following American politics “very closely,” in contrast to around a third of all Americans. This number is notably higher for adults aged 60 and older, where 45% claim to follow political developments closely.
Interestingly, a significant portion of teens—44%—aged 13 to 17 described their engagement with U.S. politics as “not very close” or “not very close at all.”
Meanwhile, roughly two-thirds of adults under 30 deem voting as “very” important. In comparison, almost 90% of those over 45 feel similarly.
These behaviors can shift as people age. Generally, young individuals are less likely to vote than their older counterparts, and engagement tends to grow with age.
28-year-old Brittany Diaz pays close attention to politics for personal reasons. Her seven-year-old son eagerly consumes news every night, which has prompted her interest since having him at age 20.
“Now that I have kids, I’ve got to care about these issues,” she noted.
Diaz’s engagement is unusual for her age group. Polls reveal that women under 30 are less likely to follow politics compared to their male counterparts, with about 16% of young women stating they follow political news closely, contrasted with 25% of young men. Furthermore, around 40% of young women report being “not very close” to political matters, while that figure is roughly 25% for young men.
Changing Priorities
In certain areas, like the economy and healthcare, there is not a significant difference in priorities between younger and older Americans. About 80% of individuals under 30 and 90% over 60 consider the economy “very” important in their lives.
However, seniors tend to prioritize issues such as immigration and government spending, which gained prominence during President Trump’s second term, more than those under 30.
This trend extends to topics like the Middle East, which have mobilized young activists, particularly following the recent Israeli-Hamas conflict. Only about 40% of young adults regard this issue as personally significant, in contrast to around 60% of older Americans.
For some, this lack of interest may stem from a perception that the political system doesn’t address their needs.
At 18, Blake Mahler has just started to engage in political discussions. He emailed two Republican senators from his state to voice his concerns against Medicaid cuts and increased immigration enforcement, but he felt dismissed.
“It seemed like they didn’t take me seriously. I know they represent everyone, but not everyone agrees with me,” Mahler expressed.
Still, he is not giving up on politics. “I plan to stay involved in the future,” he said.
