Center for American Progress Center for American Progress
Issues Domestic & Economy Economy

The Progressive Generation: How Young Americans View Economic Issues and Why It Matters

Every presidential election season, it seems like we hear rumblings about why the youth vote matters. And this year, politicians’ main focus may be on the economy. A May 2008 survey and report that I co-authored for the Center for American Progress shows that voters under 30—often known as the Millennial generation—have decidedly progressive views on the economy, possibly more so than any previous generation, especially compared to the more conservative views of Generation X.

According to CAP’s report, a majority of 18 to 29 year-olds (the ages the report used to define the Millennial generation) believe that in order to ensure strong and sustainable economic growth, we need increased public investments in health care, education, services, and other areas. Millennials also tend to think that government can and should play a positive role in the economy, and they don't necessarily believe that free markets always have the answers.

Read more here.

This article was originally published in Qvisory.

To speak with our experts on this topic, please contact:

For print and radio, John Neurohr, Deputy Press Secretary
202.481.8182 or jneurohr@americanprogress.org

For TV, Sean Gibbons, Director of Media Strategy
202.682.1611 or sgibbons@americanprogress.org

For web, Erin Lindsay, Online Marketing Manager
202.741.6397 or elindsay@americanprogress.org

Subscribe to RSS Feeds

RSS IconSite-Wide and Issue-Specific RSS Feeds

Related Articles

Labor Market Free Fall, by Heather Boushey

Weekly Round Up

On Point: The Stimulus Debate, by Christian E. Weller

Investing in a Clean Energy Present and Future: Opportunities and the Costs of Inaction, by Kit Batten

The Case for Economic Stimulus, by Will Straw

Also by Amanda Logan

Job Mayhem in Financial Services, December 16, 2008

Holiday Spending Isn't Looking Too Cheery This Year, December 12, 2008

From a Trickle to a Flood, December 11, 2008