Research Project

The results of the 2024 Election came as a shock to many, particularly in how voters in the 18-29 demographic swung towards Donald Trump, despite voting overwhelmingly in favor of his challenger four years prior. Moreover, overall turnout dipped significantly among young voters as compared to 2020. This study will seek to dive deeper into the political leanings, worldview, and motivations of young voters in order to give context to these developments in the American political landscape. The study will feature a nationally-distributed survey which asks young Americans to answer a slew of questions regarding their demographics, stances on key issues, and worldview factors in order to make sense of where either major candidate succeeded or failed to appeal to different young voting demographics as well as young voters as a whole. Through preliminary analysis, it is evident that there is relative agreement from young voters as a whole on more left-leaning major reforms including universal healthcare and free college, while there are strong differences between voters for either candidate when it comes to cultural issues. Moreover, the methods by which voters receive political content may be critical in influencing who they ultimately decide to vote for. As more and more members of Generation Z join the American electorate, political candidates would be wise to motivate voters through widely available content mediums, including social media platforms and podcasts, while emphasizing popular reforms on which there is a general consensus among young Americans.