Is Gen Z Giving Up on Democracy?
Summary: Is Gen Z really giving up on democracy? Not quite. Rabhya Mehrotra, one of our Gen Z colleagues, writes about our surprising findings – and what they mean for democracy advocates. Read our full report here.
If recent headlines are to be believed, America’s youngest voting-eligible cohort seems to be less interested in democracy and a commitment to resolving political differences peacefully. Is Gen Z1 really “embracing dictatorships?" What does this mean for America’s future?
Our new research at More in Common reveals a more complex reality.2
It is certainly true that a sizeable portion of Gen Z is unsure of democracy’s value. For instance, we found that only four in ten Gen Z Americans agree that democracy is “definitely the best form of government” for America, a stark contrast to 89% of Baby Boomers who agree.
Moreover, Gen Z is unconvinced that the veneration of democracy by older generations of Americans is deserved. Only slightly over half of Gen Z respondents agreed that the Constitution “should be widely respected because it has provided stability for hundreds of years.”
Perhaps most revealing is Gen Z’s willingness to trade off democratic norms in favor of improving our economy. Nearly half of Gen Z Americans (47%) agreed that “sometimes it’s okay for leaders to set aside democratic principles (e.g. constitutional checks and balances) to fix the economy.”
Yet these results do not mean that Gen Z is uninterested in carrying on the American democratic project. When we actually spoke to Gen Z Americans in our focus groups, we began to understand that they do not reject the premise of democracy. Rather, their disappointment reflects their high expectations for our democracy; expectations that have thus far gone largely unmet.
Gen Z has come of age during a series of transformative changes: a profound reshaping of media systems via social media; disrupted labor markets due to the emergence of the gig economy and artificial intelligence; a looming climate crisis; and a global pandemic that disrupted critical life experiences. These challenges cry out for meaningful leadership.
Yet as political polarization and gridlock prevents effective policy solutions to contemporary challenges, Gen Z Americans are left with a sense of skepticism about how the system works and who it is meant to serve:
“I feel like right now the two part[ies] are kind of divided. I feel like if there's something I would change, I want [them] to be more focusing on to like solving the issue[s] of people, rather than just like having their own show.”
Wyatt, 28-year-old Asian man, moderate Democrat and 2024 Trump voter from California
The challenge isn't that Gen Z is rejecting democracy in favor of authoritarianism. Rather, they're questioning whether our current democratic system will effectively listen to and address their concerns.
“You have to have money. If you don't have the money, then your voice isn't being heard. You're not even getting looked at.”
Catherine, 27-year-old white woman, moderate Independent (did not vote in 2024) from Oklahoma
“What is the point of voting and choosing different people for us to have a better country? It’s a mess. We don't get the attention.”
Kelly, 26-year-old Hispanic woman, moderate Independent and 2024 Harris voter from Arizona
This distinction matters – and it’s why urging young people to simply care more about our democracy is likely to fall flat. If young Americans don’t think democracy can deliver tangible benefits, what is the point of engaging with it?
“I personally don't vote. Because I do think that our votes don't count when we're voting for somebody to be in office or government. I don't know who it's meant to benefit. Probably the richer people who are rich, like Trump or Elon Musk maybe.”
Kayla, 27-year-old white woman, moderate Independent (did not vote in 2024) from Ohio
And yet older generations fail to learn from their mistakes, simply perceiving Gen Z’s discontent through their preconceived narratives. We’ve already seen hand-wringing reactions to our data online. Commentators oscillate between infantilizing young people (see those who argue that Gen Z's beliefs are just a product of their lack of education or misinformation) or outright mocking young people (see those who tell Gen Z they are that they are entitled , want instant gratification, or simply too Tik-Tok addled to know better). Both of these responses (correctly) reinforce Gen Z’s sense that people don’t listen to them.
To engage young Americans in our democracy, taking them seriously would be a good start.
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Gen Z is defined as Americans born from 1997 to 2012 - but for our purposes, we could only survey those above 18. We therefore captured respondents born from 1997 to 2008.
In late February, More in Common conducted a large-scale national survey, asking 2,647 Americans (with an oversample of Gen Zers) about their attitudes towards democracy. More in Common also conducted two focus groups with democracy-skeptic Gen Z Americans.
I hope so