Why younger people lean towards Socialism

Why younger people lean towards Socialism

Some said they like the idea in theory but maybe not in practice. Others pointed out that they expect their opinions on socialism to evolve over time, as they gain more life experience and start their careers. But many students said they still viewed socialism positively.

NPR spoke with Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, director of the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University, to find out more about why young people view socialism the way they do. She pointed to two big reasons for the socialism gap between younger and older people: the economy and history.

The Economy

Kawashima-Ginsberg said millennials are less positive than their parents about capitalism. "Older millennials that graduated from college or got into the workforce in the late 2000s really had a hard time believing in American Dreams and capitalism," she said.

That's partly due to the lingering effects of America's last recession. Young people — and not just college graduates — are doing worse than their parents did at their age. Data suggest they earn less, have more student loan debt and aren't able to buy a house as soon. 

Note: Their opinions were developed during a dark period in our economy and the great blame game played out in the media.

As a result, "young people conversely show much less support for capitalism versus the older population," Kawashima-Ginsberg said. Instead, many are enamored with some of the ideals of self-declared socialists like Sanders.

NOTE: Troubled and disillusioned were drawn into a narrative that a larger and more intrusive Federal Government could right the wrongs they were told came from Capitalism gone wild.

"Young people really do support the idea of equality, especially economic equality, at a higher rate," Kawashima-Ginsberg said. "Economic inequality was one of the biggest problems that plagues their society."

History

Kawashima-Ginsberg also pointed out that what people think about socialism is often shaped by history and geopolitics.

"When young people think about socialism, or hear that term, the first thing they think about are Scandinavian countries, like Sweden and Norway, where people seem to be quite happy and people seem to be pretty well-supported," she noted.

But the idea of those Western European nations, with their heavily subsidized health care and college tuition, isn't the same for their parents.

"Older generations thought straight to the Soviet Union, where things were really tough and the idea of socialism wasn't really about raising the bottom," said Kawashima-Ginsberg.

NOTE: Many blame education or the lack of. Some blame parents from passing on their own world views. Regardless "Government" is seemingly replaced by "Country" when it comes to who one relies upon. Self vs. Government and the personal costs that come with it.

Will This Change?

Typically, the more people age and climb the job ladder, they become more conservative and more loyal to that party.

But Kawashima-Ginsberg said she hasn't seen that yet in her research.

"First of all, there's a big diversity within the millennial generation about what they believe in, who they might support, and how they might vote, but also by gender and race," she pointed out.

"For example, young women who are in their late 20s and early 30s aren't really turning more conservative than younger women," Kawashima-Ginsberg said. "Whereas older millennial men are now a little bit more conservative than younger millennial men, showing that the men are in some ways following that trend — becoming a little bit more conservative, maybe more supportive of a Republican platform — young women continue to hold pretty liberal views, and that doesn't seem to be shifting."

Summary

Young people 18 - 24 have grown up in an age where they have become susceptible to ideas that are not congruent with there parents and surely not the Republican form of government our founders created. They have emerged with a world view where Government is at the center and the country (patriotism) is at best an ideal, but less of a reality. Where "rights" are birthed out of want and not reality in accordance with the Constitution.