Gen Next: More Liberal, More Active

While members of Generation Next (those born in 1977 or later) still rate lower than older Americans both in interest in politics and in believing it is a duty to vote, there has been an increased level of political engagement in the aftermath of the 2008 election. Fully 62% of Gen Nexters completely believe it is their duty to always vote, a 14-point increase from 2007. The youngest generation is also more likely to see government as effective and efficient than older age cohorts, more supportive of ensuring equal opportunity for all citizens and far less conservative on traditional and social values — including attitudes toward homosexuality, women’s roles, censorship, and whether there are clear guidelines about good and evil. Gen Nexters are not uniformly liberal, however, as they are not significantly more supportive of the social safety net than are older Americans and no more supportive of environmental protection than other generations. Read More