What young voters *actually* want from politicians
Here’s what they told us.
So far this week, I’ve held two focus groups with young voters across the country. We covered a range of topics — from their economic outlook to why it’s a massive misconception to assume all young voters are suddenly Democratic socialists (I’ll explore all of that in depth later this week, stay tuned 👀).
Amid a very public conversation playing out about the types of candidates we should welcome into a “big tent” political party — I was really curious to hear what exactly young Americans are looking for from their political leaders, since it seems to be a question political operatives, pundits, and even candidates are struggling to identify.
Raised in an era of complete chaos and, for the most part, a total vacuum of political leadership, they’re prioritizing yes — hope and change — but also people who take responsibility and are held accountable for their actions.
It might not be sexy, but now more than ever, that’s what they’re looking for.
I asked, point blank, what are you looking for from your political leaders in one word? Here’s what they told me.
Hope
Understanding
Accountability
Transparency
Representation
Plain english
Open-mindedness
Courage
Being proactive
Honesty
Genuine care
Character
The young people I spoke to are wondering why so many Democrats waited so long to call on Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner to step aside despite the growing list of allegations and controversies surrounding him, including sexual assault allegations and a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol.
“It didn’t have to get to this point. There’s been a lot of very concerning allegations,” said a 21-year-old woman in New York. “I was shocked to see how many people were defending him. It’s important to keep a certain threshold for who we have in public office.”
Others were quick to call out the hypocrisy of politicians who will let poor behavior on their side of the aisle slide, while going after candidates of the opposing party for similar actions.
“You shouldn’t condemn the actions of certain people in office and then kind of sweep others under the rug simply because of where you stand politically. That’s a huge problem, and I think it shows where things are right now,” said a 21-year-old man from Florida.
“Like would you rather have a candidate that encompasses values that you don’t agree with and has committed acts that you definitely don’t agree with for the sake of having your party’s agenda be promoted? I think that’s like a a big question that we as constituents need to ask.”
And a 25-year-old man from Illinois said this goes back to the question of what Americans want from their politicians:
“I said character partly because of this, because I feel like there’s just this chase in politics for people who are authentic and embody the working class and will say what comes to their mind and don’t hold their tongues like typical politicians. And I feel like whether it’s [Eric] Swalwell or Platner or [President Donald] Trump, you’re having these people who are… their character is not there. And it feels like we’re suffering as a country because of that. And we look like fools because of that. Because we’re nominating people who are… they’re just bad people. Let’s call it what it is.”
Many Gen Zers Rooted Against Team USA. Here’s Why.
Young people are getting very into the World Cup, hosting watch parties, making fan-edits, and leaning into sideline fashion. And while Team USA is out, many young Americans still have a team to cheer for because they weren’t rooting for the US men’s national soccer team in the first place. I unpacked why for The Bulwark.
Noteworthy reads
Gen Z women are the most pessimistic about the American Dream, Terri Rupar for The 19th*
Weddings are getting pricier just at Gen Z gets in the game, Emily Peck for Axios
Why Gen Z bros are ditching their MAGA hats, Astead Herndon for Vox
Remote Work Is Making It Harder for Grads to Find (and Keep) Jobs, Owen Tucker-Smith for The Wall Street Journal