A critical deficit struck me as I watched the presidential debate. Working with Gen Z around politics, I’ve seen a dominant theme emerging. The cost of living and economic pressures are on their minds as they navigate housing, student debt, and employment.
My organization has been doing research since 2019 asking about their priority issues. The economy has always been at the top for young men, but we’re seeing the gender gap close now. With Gen Z’s vote likely pivotal in the coming election, they need to hear much more on this note.
The Gen Z vote cannot be taken for granted, and a significant, decisive proportion of young voters has yet to choose whom to vote for. The economy is an issue beyond party politics and on which Gen Z voters are still persuadable.
Gen Z demands authenticity from candidates. They’re also savvy enough to look behind headlines and social media posts. They’re ready to drill into the details. So, regarding the economy, they want to hear from someone with a detailed plan. They want someone who understands their concerns and shares their values.
If candidates nationwide, not just at the top level, skirt the economic issues, they will leave votes on the table in a very close election.
This is a generation that is struggling, and they are craving to understand tangible solutions from the candidates. We need to focus on the challenges young people face. They can’t move out of their parents’ homes. Because they lack financial stability, they can’t afford to pursue many of their other dreams, such as deepening their education, building successful careers and having families. That’s deadly serious to them, and they need more acknowledgment.
Abortion continues to be a critical issue for young voters ever since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Young voters can see the connections between abortion and the economy. Young women I’ve heard from can detail the economic implications for individuals, families and communities of taking away the right to choose. I’m seeing them engage with issues as they interact with one another. The economy and its effect on our younger generations is an issue that could sway the election in either direction. It is a serious point, and I didn’t hear it made strongly in the debate or in any of the post-debate analysis.
Our research has consistently shown that healthcare policy is important to young people. And mental health, too, as a critical part of that. Since the pandemic, young people’s mental health has gone through a crisis. There is an intersection of issues again, as more than 40 percent of Americans say money has a clear effect on their mental health.
The Federal Reserve is about to cut interest rates to avoid a recession. The stock markets are nervous. Meanwhile, young people have shown they have learned from previous generations. They’re saving a lot more than Gen X did for retirement. So, it won’t go unnoticed that the S&P 500 index was down more last week than in the previous 18 months.
The candidates who will win in November will convince these young voters that they see and feel this issue to be critical and, most important, that they have a plan to address their concerns. As political strategist James Carville said in 1992, “It’s the economy, stupid.”
Both sides can learn from that.
This is about not just the presidential ticket. Up and down the ballot, candidates must engage with young people and listen to their concerns, offering tangible, practical plans for addressing them. This is more than a meme election; young people need more grist from their candidates. We should trust younger generations to be savvy on the details and lean into them rather than underestimate Gen Z’s appetite for substance.
