Long-Term Generational Trends in Political Values

Pew Research did a study on the Long-Term Trends in Political Values

Referred to as Generation Y or Nexters, "they have much more positive attitudes about government -- they are more likely to see government as effective and efficient."

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1245/gen-next-squeezed-recession-most-see-better-times-ahead

Another propensity is that those younger than 30 are more likely than older people to "say that every possible effort should be made to improve the position of blacks and other minorities "even if it means giving them preferential treatment."

Another inclination that is shared by young Americans is that they are far less conservative on traditional and social values -- including attitudes toward homosexuality, women's roles, censorship, and whether there are clear guidelines about good and evil. And the youngest generation's level of religious commitment is currently lower than any other age cohort's."


What's more the Nexters stand for less supportive and assertive approaches to national security. While support for an assertive national security policy has decreased for nexters, it has increased for older people since 2007.


Nexters are not uniformly liberal. They are not significantly more supportive of the social safety net than are older Americans. They also are likely to express pro-business attitudes; they're also no more likely to support environmental protection -- than older Americans.

Nexters are increasingly feeling that voting is important, particularly in the aftermath of the election.

In terms of social networking alone, 70% of Nexters do Facebook, Myspace or Twitter, and around 48% have a positive view of sharing personal info, while only 19% of those over age 65 agree that social networking is positive.

It's fascinating to think about how Nexters will influence future elections.