SHANNON KELLY
News Editor
Generation Y’s 18-25 year olds’ are leaning left with 39 percent calling themselves Democrats over the 28 percent that support the Republican party. Generation Y is more liberal on social issues such as abortion and gay marriage and more likely than previous generations to identify with third parties. Now that the entire Generation Y group has reached voting age, its political preferences and attitudes are hugely significant.
While demographics might bring a smile to left-of-center voters and make conservatives cringe, it might push third parties to consider catering to the youngest voting generation. Even though young voters only constitute about 8 percent of the U.S. electorate. They will not be young voters forever and the more years that pass, the more Generation Y votes will be cast.
Generation Y’s strong concern for social issues is an admirable quality. Their faith in big government solutions to social problems, however, is troublesome. Close to two thirds, almost 70 percent think the government should do more to solve people’s problems.
There is hope, however, in another Generation Y characteristic — its seemingly contradictory believe in a more individualistic approach to the market.
Today’s political environment gives Generation Y every reason in the world to hold the political contempt and cynicism about political parties, with which it his been charged.
With a mix of liberal and conservative perspectives, Generation Y opens doors for either party to win its favor, as long as one of the parties finds the right message and delivers it the right way. But something better might be behind a third door — something that caters more to Generation Y’s political state of mind.
There are plenty of third-party options that fit the generation’s more liberal tendencies, but there are few that respect individual choice and civil liberties while still promoting a free market economy, limited government intervention and personal freedom. The Libertarian party encompasses all of these ideals and offers solace for young voters who are fed up with the right and the left but still don’t feel quite right in the middle.
It adds up almost perfectly. Generation Y’s third-party appreciation, plus its belief in the free market, plus a disdain for the present political parties equals potential libertarians.
There are still some obvious and significant sour ingredients that need to be reconsidered, such as Generation Y’s misguided love of big government. But If Generation Y understood that individuals can solve social problems better than a bogged down bureaucracy, and they can channel their social drive toward volunteering and private charities, we might have something good brewing.
03-01-2007