Generation Z, composed of young people born after 1997, leans heavily Democratic.
By understanding the five shared life experiences of Gen Z, Democrats can learn how to appeal to this key voting bloc.
John Della Volpe is the Director of Polling at Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics. His best-selling book is just out, called Fight: How Gen Z is Channeling their Fear and Passion to Save America. It’s been called the definitive account of America’s next great generation. John appears regularly on NBC and MSNBC, particularly on Morning Joe. He is the founder and CEO of SocialSphere, which is a public opinion research company.
Slides by John Della Volpe
Five shared experiences defined and traumatized Gen Z:
- Occupy Wall Street (income inequality)
- Election of Trump after having Obama as President
- School shootings
- Climate change
- George Floyd’s murder
“Every generation has its share of angst and turmoil. But no generation in the last 75 years has been confronted with more chaos more quickly than Generation Z,” Volpe says. “Yes, they’re anxious, but they’re also voters — and they’re stronger, more resilient, and determined to change the world. “
Gen Z Voters are Democratic Voters
Young voters in the 2022 election generated the second-highest turnout ever in a mid-term election, voting heavily for Democrats. “For every 10 Americans who turn 18 every day, 7 have values that are more closely aligned with Democrats than Republicans. The Gen Z & millennial alliance (40% of 2024 electorate) is the greatest short- and longer-term opportunity the party has seen in generations,” Volpe says.
Volpe listed the top 15 issues that concern young Democratic voters:
“What’s more important are values communicated by the right messenger, and then the right message falls from that,” he concluded.
For further information
Book link: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250260468/fight
Website: https://dellavolpe.substack.com/
Twitter: @dellavolpe