The Millennial Generation Is Proving to Be the Most Politically Independent Yet

Millennials are poised to be the most politically independent
generation yet,
according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center.
Finally, something that makes me proud of my generation! Actually,
there’s much to like in Millennial viewpoints, from a libertarian
perspective.

Millennials—those born between roughly 1980 and 1995 (some say
2000), also known as Gen Y—are largely in favor
of marijuana legalization and same-sex
marriage. They worry about the
surveillance state. They shun
stricter gun laws. Anecdotally, I’ve known a good deal of
young, Occupy Wall Street types who are also incredibly concerned
with police brutality, free speech, gun rights, drug policy, and
other typically libertarian issues. It’s not surprising that 50
percent of Gen Y adults now identify as politically independent (up
from 38 percent in 2004). 

Millennials aren’t necessarily less conforming to political
categories than previous generations (who were plenty paradoxical
themselves). But we’re less likely to suck it up on certain issues
in order to self-identify with either major (or any) political
party. And, sure, every recent generation has skewed more
politically independent when young. But according to Pew,
this year’s poll recorded the highest levels of political
dissatisfaction in the past 25 years.

Philip Bump says it’s
hard to see how Pew’s new survey could be seen as good
news by the Republican party. But boatloads of malleable
independents can’t be bad news, either. Young
independents may tend to lean Democrat, but that’s largely because
the GOP has mucked things up so badly with social issues and is
seen as lacking its own vision of health care reform (plus the
first Republican leader most of us knew was George W. Bush).

There would seem to be room for Republicans to pick up young
independents if they toned down the culture war rhetoric and
focused more on areas where Millennials see President Barack Obama
and current Democratic leadership as failing (surveillance, drones,
drugs, etc.). But, of course, the GOP is eternally reluctant to
court more libertarian-minded voters at the perceived expense of
evangelicals. 

A few other interesting findings from Pew’s survey of 18- to
32-year-olds: 

• Only 26 percent are married, compared with 36 percent of Gen X
  in 1997 and 48 percent of boomers in 1980. 
• About one-third say they’re not affiliated with any
  religion. 
• Just over half don’t believe there will be any money left in
  Social Security by the time they retire, and an additional 39
  percent think they’ll get benefits at a reduced level. 
• Only 32 percent of Millennials say they’re “environmentalists,”
  compared to 40 percent of those in older generations.

White Millennials were more likely to prefer a smaller
government that provides fewer services (52 percent) rather than a
bigger government that provides more services (39 percent).
Non-white Millennials were more likely to favor big government (71
percent to 21 percent), which is similar to the racial divide seen
in Gen X and boomers, according to Pew.