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Millennials Fine with Active Government; Can We Get Them to Vote?

The Republican candidates for South Dakota's U.S. Senate seat debated on South Dakota Public TV last night. Click on SDPB 's archived video, and you can watch Stace Nelson, Mike Rounds, Larry Rhoden, and Jason Ravnsborg all spending 90 minutes saying that government is bad! We need less government!... except when we want more government for military spending, veterans' health care, crop insurance, livestock disaster relief....

With their slogan-policy schizophrenia, perhaps our GOP candidates are simply struggling to realign themselves with the worldview of younger voters. A new survey (yes, by a Democratic polling firm; add the grains of salt you deem necessary) of 2,000 Americans age 18 to 33 finds 72% of these "Millennials" support greater government involvement.

Results of Harstad Strategic Research survey of 2,000 voters age 18 to 33, March-April 2014; graphic by Governing
Results of Harstad Strategic Research survey of 2,000 Americans age 18 to 33, March-April 2014; graphic by Governing

On every major issue—college costs, welfare, civil rights, health care—the youngest voting bloc says greater government involvement is fine. This result seems to challenge Cody Hausman's assessment that his generation is deeply suspicious of government. The survey may support Ryan Casey's thesis that Millennials are civic problem solvers who won't let political ideals or slogans stop them from using government to get things done.

The Millennials' values will jar Republicans as much as their policy preferences. HSR asked respondents to identify their two most important values. The most popular choices? Equality and opportunity (hey! Cody Hausman was right about equality!). The least important values: patriotism and competition (curse all that cooperative learning in school, right, Sibby?).

But the He-Man Government-Haters Club on parade at last night's debate need not sweat too much. Millennials can answer all the surveys they want, but they aren't showing up to vote yet:

The survey also reported a one cause for concern: They’ll be a sharp drop in Millennial turnout this November, with only 28 percent reporting they’ll definitely vote in the midterm elections. For the 2016 presidential election, 55 percent said they definitely planned to vote.

A separate poll by Harvard University’s Institute of Politics published a few weeks ago found conservative Millennials are more enthusiastic about voting in November [Mike Maciag, "How to Appeal to Millennial Voters," Governing, 2014.05.16].

Rick Weiland doesn't need to win the message war with the youth. He needs to put absentee ballots in their hands and get them to vote on their values.

Bonus Rick Booster: HSR finds that 71% of young respondents believe "The system is rigged in favor of the rich."

12 Comments

  1. Wayne B. 2014.05.16

    Link to the Survey

    44% of those surveyed associated closer to the Democratic party, 26% closer to the Republican Party, 19% to no party.

    I find it funny that 70% are optimistic about their economic prospects (1b), yet later 60% agreed their employment/education opportunities are less than they thought they'd be.

    Also interesting that 58% said we shouldn't raise taxes to pay off the debt, but according to the majority of the survey responses, gov't should get more involved (i.e. spend more money) on all sorts of things.

    What bothers me, though, is the series of statements made by a theoretical politician, and the survey respondent is asked how persuasive that particular argument is. The statements aren't required to be factual, so using them as a "Millennials believe X or Y" is a bit misleading.

  2. Steve Sibson 2014.05.16

    So Cory, are you going to let me explain how the Millennials worldview was shaped without you getting mad at me?

  3. larry kurtz 2014.05.16

    Weiland is just so much more comfortable in his skin than his opponents are: Rounds squirmed when he jumped off his talking points.

  4. larry kurtz 2014.05.16

    With a little polish Ravnsborg could be something some day. Stace had so many lost opportunities from his imposing command of the stage. I'm more qualified to be a US Senator than Annette Bosworth is. Rhoden? Poor guy.

  5. Rhino Lynn 2014.05.16

    Larry

    I was a little surprised and impressed at how well Ravnsborg did in the details that he provided. He actually brought some substance to the debate. It was obvious he was very nervous in front the camera and knowing just how important this debate was. It was also good to read he was willing to really make an effort to get to know and work with other Senators to make the process work.

    One subject I immediately caught and disagreed with was placing the blame sole on the President for sequestration and the cutbacks to the military. Wasn't that the fault of Congress and their total lack of productivity?

    I'd say in the future dump Ken Crow. He was probably the one behind some of the misguided campaign blunders such as using the photo of the A-10 for campaign purposes.

    Would I vote for him? No! My philosophies are more in line in the end with Rick Weiland.

  6. larry kurtz 2014.05.16

    One huge challenge for millennials or anyone registering to vote is the requirement to serve jury duty: single parents, sole proprietors, service workers just can't afford it.

  7. Douglas Wiken 2014.05.16

    Drive a car with a valid license, and you too can get stuck on a jury. Voting is not the only way to be a peon for over-paid judges and lawyers.

  8. Les 2014.05.16

    As a ranch owner and sole proprietor, I have observed Courts repeatedly allowing farm/ranchers to be excused while others you mentioned, seldom getting the same treatment. As a sole proprietor I had to attack the defense attorney to get excused during crucial events back at the biz.
    .
    They already have the ability to pick and choose and it's not an honor to serve when it hurts those without choices.

  9. Curt Pochardt 2014.05.16

    As a citizen who endured that entire excruciating 80-some minutes (mercifully not an entire 90 mins) of "Debate" last evening, I missed the attacks on "government" referenced above. I heard a lot about the evils of the damn"gummunt" whatever the Hell that may be, but no intelligent commentary or constructive criticism of actual government policy. Was I watching the right channel?

  10. Ashley Kenneth Allen 2014.05.16

    I have faith in Generation X... And in the Millenials... Both becoming more and more liberal. The Republican Party has a huge branding issue, from equal marriage, equal pay, affirmative action, income inequality, environment protection, etc. -- the GOP loses on every issue. We just have to motivate liberals and progressives to get out and vote.

    The 2011 publication "The Generation X Report", based on annual surveys used in the Longitudinal Study of today's adults, finds that Gen Xers, who are defined in the report as people born between 1961 and 1981, are highly educated, active, balanced, happy and family oriented. Clive Thompson, writing in Wired magazine in 2014 claimed that the differences between Generation X and its predecessors, and followers had been over-hyped, quoting Kali Trzesniewski, a scholar of life-span changes as saying, "Despite constant handwringing over generational shifts, the basic personality metrics of Americans have remained remarkably stable for decades." Thompson concluded, "The real pattern here isn’t any big cultural shift. It’s a much more venerable algo­rithm: How middle-aged folks freak out over niggling cultural differences between themselves and twentysomethings."

    Us Gen X folks are now middle aged... It I think we are more tolerant than the Baby Boomers for sure, the Millenials are even better, and my children "Generation Y/Like" doesn't see the barriers that existed even just 10 years ago. The melting pot is working and the GOP IS "MAD AS HELL AND BOT GOING TO TAKE IT!" --- Right Boehner?

  11. Jenny 2014.05.16

    I agree, Ashley. The GOP has a huge problem with 20-somethings. It is so admirable that the millenials are much more tolerant of gays than previous generations. The majority of minorities are not voting GOP either. A conservative South Dakotan may not notice this noteworthy shift in tolerant, independent thinking among milennials but it's out there in the rest of the states and it is invigorating to see!

  12. Deb Geelsdottir 2014.05.16

    Me and my back-in-the-day hippy pals wonder what happened to our sister and brother Boomers who became rigid and intolerant. It's sad that somehow their openness and excitement disappeared. It wasn't families and responsibilities that diminished them. I think it was fear. But why did fear shrink some and not others? I don't know. Wish I did.

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