Preamble
Even in turbulent times, young Americans remain remarkably hopeful. At least, about their own futures, if not always the country’s.
Young Americans want to build wealth quickly, live meaningfully, and have a life beyond stability. They want satisfaction in their lives and work. While their ambitions are clear, their faith in existing institutions — including political parties — is far less certain.
This polling explores that gap: between optimism and anxiety, progress and polarization, self-belief and civic disillusionment. It shows a generation eager to move forward, yet unconvinced that today’s leaders are keeping pace with their vision of the American dream.
Methodology
We conducted a poll of 5,000 Americans, with an oversample of 4,000 adults under the age of 45
About the Poll
The survey was conducted online among opt-in respondents. Respondents were asked to give their honest opinion and were compensated for their time.
The survey was weighted by age, race, gender, and education in line with the latest census data.
Respondents were cleaned through a combination of in-survey quality checks, speeder and straight line checks, and open ended responses.
About the Respondents
Respondents were distributed evenly throughout the oversample of younger adults, with a quarter of each falling in between ages 18-24, 25-30, 30-37, and 37-45.
Demographic information like ethnicity, education, geography, and income also fell within census proportions and was weighted accordingly.
While not targeted, political identification fell evenly among the 18-45 year-old population, with a third identifying as Democrats, Independents, and Republicans.
Our Future
➤ How optimistic are Americans about their own future?
Younger Americans remain the most hopeful about their future, though optimism remains high across all age groups.
➤ How optimistic are Americans about America’s future?
Younger adults are optimistic about their own futures — but when asked about the country's future, their optimism drops 19%.
➤ How optimistic are young Americans about America’s future?
While most young progressives feel hopeful about their own futures (66% of men, 63% of women), that optimism fades when they think about the country — 58% of men and 70% of women are pessimistic about America’s future.
➤ In the next 10 years, what will be harder or easier for Americans under 45?
Despite 80% of young Americans being optimistic about their futures overall, when asked about specific aspects they are less confident.
➤ In the next 10 years, what issues will improve in America?
While a majority of conservatives are optimistic about all aspects of their future, progressives are much less optimistic. Young progressives are especially pessimistic about the state of the climate, inflation, and the national debt.
➤ 10-year optimism outlook for Americans under 45:
Young Americans are uncertain about achieving key life goals, with fewer than half confident they can afford milestones like healthcare, homeownership, and retirement.
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Notably, young Black adults were much more optimistic on average about their personal futures than non-Black progressives, a difference more than twice as large as the gap among conservatives. White and Asian peers are generally the least.
➤ What words describe young people’s experience in America today?
Younger Americans—especially those 18 to 29—see the world through a lens of economic strain. Affordability and future hardship dominate their outlook, far outweighing feelings of hope or progress.
➤ What do Americans under 45 consider “very important” for their future?
Both progressives and conservatives care most about personal stability—family, security, and financial footing. But progressives tie their sense of the future more to collective progress and fairness, emphasizing issues like equality, climate, and healthcare. Conservatives, meanwhile, frame the future around individual responsibility and protection, prioritizing faith, freedom, and security.
Our Future: Three Takeaways
A generation hopeful about themselves, uncertain about America.
Most young adults (80%) feel optimistic about their own futures—but that confidence fades when they think about the country. Optimism about America is increasingly a political marker: young conservatives remain overwhelmingly hopeful, while most young progressives are not.
The optimism gap runs through class, race, and ideology.
Black young adults are consistently the most optimistic about achieving core life goals—education, work, and family—while White and Asian peers are the least. Progressives define success through fairness and collective progress; conservatives through freedom and personal stability.
Economic strain shapes every outlook.
Across all groups, fewer than half of young Americans believe they can afford key milestones like healthcare, retirement, or homeownership. Affordability and future hardship dominate the mindset of under-45 Americans—hope exists, but it’s bounded by cost of living and insecurity.
Our Values
➤ What does the American Dream mean to Americans under 45?
Younger Americans define the American Dream in personal, not political terms. Across ideologies, success means career fulfillment, financial stability, and homeownership, not civic ideals or family life. Yet one in five young progressives associate the American Dream with disillusionment—a striking contrast to conservatives, for whom that number is nearly zero.
➤ What is the main factor that helps successful Americans under 45, succeed?
Both young Republicans and Democrats credit success to individual effort, but they define it differently. Republicans emphasize hard work and intelligence as the key drivers, while Democrats see mentorship and connections playing an equally important role. It’s a subtle but telling divide between a self-made ethos and a network-driven view of opportunity.
➤ Who should the government prioritize helping?
Most young Americans believe government should focus on helping people most in need—a view shared by two-thirds of progressives and moderates alike. Conservatives are more divided, with a third preferring aid directed toward their own families. The data underscores a moral gap: progressives frame help as collective responsibility, conservatives as personal protection.
➤ What percentage of Americans agree that billionaires should pay more in taxes?
There’s rare consensus across ideological lines: large majorities of young Americans—85% overall—believe billionaires should pay more in taxes. Even 4 in 5 young conservatives agree, showing that economic fairness cuts across party identity. Inequality, not ideology, is the common concern.
➤ What percentage of Americans agree that corporations should pay more in taxes?
An overwhelming majority of young Americans—across the political spectrum—believe corporations should pay more in taxes. Support is strong among progressives (90%) but nearly identical among conservatives (80%), showing that economic fairness unites more than it divides.
➤ What percentage of Americans agree that a fair system wouldn’t produce billionaires?
A solid majority of young Americans—about six in ten—believe a truly fair system wouldn’t produce billionaires. Progressives are most convinced (72%), but even most conservatives agree, revealing how deeply inequality has eroded faith in the fairness of the economic system.
➤ Who do Americans under 45 get trusted advice from?
Across ideologies, trust still begins at home. Parents—especially moms—remain the most trusted source of advice for Americans under 45, followed closely by close friends. Progressives are more likely than conservatives to turn to experts for guidance, while very few in any group place much trust in people they follow on social media.
➤ What percentage of Americans agree that cancel culture does more to punish people than to hold people accountable?
Nearly three in four Americans under 45 believe cancel culture punishes more than it holds people accountable. Conservatives feel this most strongly, but even majorities of progressives and women agree. The perception of cancel culture as excessive spans gender and ideology—uniting Americans in skepticism about social punishment.
A strong majority of young Americans—68% overall—say “wokeness” has gone too far. Conservatives lead that sentiment (85% of young men, 77% of young women), but even nearly half of young progressives agree. The idea that cultural awareness has tipped into excess now resonates well beyond the right.
➤ What percentage of Americans agree that “wokeness” has gone too far?
➤ What percentage of Americans agree that DEI does more harm than good?
More than half of young Americans (58%) believe DEI efforts do more harm than good, though views split sharply by ideology. Conservative men (71%) and women (63%) drive that sentiment, while only 20% of young progressive women agree. Among moderates, six in ten share the skepticism—suggesting DEI’s public perception problem extends beyond the right.
➤ The role of men and women under 45 : What do Americans agree on?
Views on gender roles reveal one of the sharpest ideological divides in the data. Most conservative men and women believe men and women are meant to play different roles and that masculinity is unfairly criticized. Progressive Americans—especially women—largely reject those views, though nearly half of progressive men share concerns about how masculinity is perceived.
➤ How likely is it for Americans to change their opinion on an issue based on something they see online?
Four in ten young Americans say they’ve changed their opinion on an issue because of something they saw online. Women—especially progressive women—are the most likely to shift their views, while conservative men are the least. The data suggests that openness to new ideas online is shaped as much by ideology as by gender.
Our Values: Three Takeaways
Fairness unites where politics divides.
Across ideology, young Americans share a strong sense of economic fairness—most agree billionaires and corporations should pay more in taxes, and many even question whether a fair system would produce billionaires at all.
Cultural values reveal sharper divides.
While economic justice brings alignment, cultural debates drive polarization. Although conservatives and progressives alike view cancel culture as excessive, progressives see aspects of "wokeness" and DEI as essential for equity and accountability. Similarly, conservatives embrace traditional gender roles and believe masculinity faces unfair criticism, while progressives – especially women – disagree.
Trust, identity, and belief are deeply personal.
Younger Americans place the most trust in family and close friends, not institutions or influencers. Yet nearly half say something they saw online has changed their views—showing that values today are shaped as much by lived relationships as by the digital world.
Our Politics
➤ What percentage of Americans agree that neither political party represents their values?
A majority of young Americans—58%—say neither political party represents their values. Disillusionment runs especially high among young men and moderates, while progressive women are the least alienated. The data points to a generation politically engaged but ideologically unanchored, skeptical of both parties’ ability to reflect their beliefs.
➤ If Americans had to choose only one political affiliation, what would it be?
Younger Americans are drifting away from traditional party identities. Independents now rival Democrats among 18–24-year-olds, while Republicans grow stronger with age—peaking at 40–45. The data suggests a generation that starts politically fluid, then gradually polarizes as it matures.
➤ How do Americans rank “the most important” quality in a Presidential candidate?
Intelligence tops the list of qualities Americans value most in a presidential candidate, across every group under 45. Progressives also prize compassion and transparency, while conservatives emphasize hard work and strength. The ideal leader for young voters is smart first—but what “smart” means differs by ideology.
➤ How did Americans under 45 feel as they cast their ballot in the 2024 Presidential election?
Voting in 2024 inspired more relief than excitement. Trump voters—especially men—were far more energized and proud than Harris voters, who leaned toward reluctance or even disgust. For many young Americans, the election felt less like a choice for something and more like a vote against something.
➤ How favorably do Americans under 45 view the Democratic party?
Both young Democratic and Republican leaners are lukewarm about their own parties. Only about half of each group views their side favorably, while roughly a third feel unfavorably and one in five express no opinion. The data suggests partisan affiliation among the under-45 crowd is more pragmatic than passionate.
➤ How favorably do Trump voters (under 45) view the Democrats?
Even among Trump voters under 45, views of Democrats vary by tone rather than ideology. “Progressive” Trump voters are evenly split, while moderates and “negative” Trump voters hold strongly unfavorable views. It points to a small but distinct subset of younger Republicans open to Democrats on specific issues, if not the party itself.
➤ What is the biggest complaint Americans have about the Democratic Party?
Most young Americans think the Democratic Party is too moderate—a view shared by both Democratic and Republican leaners under 45. While a third of Republican-leaning young voters see the party as too progressive, even many within the left flank feel it lacks ambition. The critique from both sides: Democrats stand for too little, too carefully.
➤ How favorably do American voters (under 45) view the Republicans?
Among Trump voters under 45, the Republican Party remains popular but with varying intensity. Even self-described “progressive” Trump voters view the GOP favorably (+42%), though less so than moderates (+52%). The data suggests a softening edge among younger conservatives—still aligned, but less rigidly so.
➤ What is the biggest complaint Americans under 45 have about the Republican Party?
Half of young Democratic-leaning voters say the Republican Party is too conservative—and even many young Republicans agree. Nearly half of GOP-leaning under-45s say their own party has become too extreme, not too moderate. Among younger voters, the GOP’s challenge isn’t rejection from the left—it’s alienation within its ranks.
➤ How favorably do Americans under 45 view the Republican party?
Young Americans’ views of the Republican Party are deeply polarized. Only about half of Republican-leaning under-45s feel favorably toward their own party, while Democratic leaners are overwhelmingly negative. The GOP’s brand among younger voters remains defined more by opposition than enthusiasm—even among those on its side.
➤ What percentage of Americans agree with: “It’s clear what the Democrats stand for”?
Most Americans under 45 (75%) feel they understand what Democrats stand for—but clarity doesn’t always equal connection. Progressive young women are the most confident in the party’s direction (87% agree), while conservative men and women show far less conviction. The takeaway: the Democratic message is clear—but not universally compelling.
➤ What percentage of Americans agree with: “It’s clear what the Republicans stand for”?
Young Americans are slightly more likely to say it’s clear what Republicans stand for (79%) than what Democrats do. Clarity is highest among conservative men and women (over 85%)—but even many progressives agree. The Republican brand, for better or worse, projects a more unified identity than the Democratic one.
➤ Forced to choose, what’s the main reason Americans won’t vote for a Republican candidate?
For young Americans, the biggest barrier to voting Republican isn’t ideology—it’s leadership. Across party lines, “Leadership & Trump” tops the list, especially among Democrats (32%) and Independents (26%). Corporate favoritism and culture-war politics trail behind, suggesting the GOP’s image problem with younger voters is personal before it’s political.
➤ Would Americans vote for a candidate that shared Trump’s policies but not his divisive rhetoric?
Nearly half of young Americans (47%) say they’d support a candidate who shared Trump’s policies but not his rhetoric—revealing a clear appetite for Trumpism without Trump. That includes over 75% of young Trump voters but also about one-third of young Harris voters, underscoring that style and tone—not just substance—are major liabilities for the President’s brand among the under-45 electorate.
➤ How likely is it for Americans to donate to a political candidate based on something they see online?
Only about one in ten Americans under 45 (11%) have donated to a political candidate based on something they saw online—but engagement skews sharply by gender and ideology. Progressive young men are far more likely to act (24%), while progressive young women are least likely (5%), highlighting a widening participation gap even within ideological groups.
Our Politics: Three Takeaways
Disillusioned but not disengaged.
A majority of Americans under 45 (58%) say neither party represents their values — and “Independent” is the top-chosen label across younger voters — yet most still plan to vote, suggesting frustration with institutions more than apathy toward politics itself.
Clarity and credibility problems for both parties.
Roughly equal shares think it’s clear what Democrats (75%) and Republicans (79%) stand for, but both are viewed unfavorably by large portions of young voters. Democrats are seen as too moderate by their own base, while Republicans are criticized as too conservative — signaling each faces identity tension with its next generation.
Style divides more than substance.
Nearly half of under-45 voters (47%) would back a candidate who shared Trump’s policies but not his rhetoric — and fewer than 1 in 5 cite bigotry as their main reason for rejecting Republicans — pointing to a political landscape where tone, not ideology, drives the strongest reactions.