AILSA CHANG, HOST:
Gen Z and millennials are expected to make up about half of all eligible voters next year. It's a group that typically voted in large numbers for Democrats. But Republicans were able to narrow that gap in 2024. Now, how they vote in 2026 could be key in determining control of Congress. Joining us now to talk about all of this is NPR political reporter Elena Moore. Hi, Elena.
ELENA MOORE, BYLINE: Hey, Ailsa.
CHANG: OK, so what do we know about what's going on with the youth vote right now?
MOORE: Yeah, I mean, a lot of folks are unhappy with politics. And that's spelled out pretty clearly in a new GenForward survey from the University of Chicago, which was first obtained by NPR. It surveyed more than 5,000 Americans between the ages of 18 and 42 and found that nearly 60% disapprove of President Trump's job in office. And on the flip side, only 30% approve. And that's a six-point drop compared to his favorability rating this time last year.
CHANG: OK, well, that's about Trump. But we're less than a year away from the midterms, at this point. What did they say about Democrats and Republicans in Congress?
MOORE: Yeah, well, the results do paint a sobering picture for both parties. When folks were asked who they'd choose on a generic congressional ballot, you know, Democrats or Republicans, Democrats lead by 15 points. But there are some caveats here. You know, young people's support for Democrats has dropped pretty dramatically since last year. And now roughly 6 in 10 have unfavorable impressions of both the Democrats and the Republicans. There's also just a loud call for more party options. You know, pollsters asked respondents if they agreed with the statement that both Democrats and Republicans do such a poor job representing the American people that voters need more political party choices. And Ailsa, more than 80% said yes to that.
CHANG: Eighty percent? Wow.
MOORE: Yeah (laughter).
CHANG: What might be driving that?
MOORE: I mean, I talked to Professor Cathy Cohen about this. She's the founder and director of the GenForward Survey. And she argues that, you know, political dissatisfaction that young people are feeling is directly tied to their deeply rooted economic concerns.
CATHY COHEN: There is a real sense that these individuals and these parts of the administration are not delivering. Young people are feeling like the state or the government is not, in fact, providing the opportunities that they're seeking.
MOORE: And the poll finds that nearly 9 in 10 young people are concerned about the price of food and the cost of health care in this country. Plus, I mean, about a third think they're going to be worse off financially than their parents. So right now, I mean, quite a grim outlook.
CHANG: Yeah. How do these economic concerns fit into their views of other big institutions, you think?
MOORE: Yeah, I mean, that gets at Cohen's main takeaway from this poll. You know, when asked about factors needed to make democracy work well in the U.S., housing and affordability of food were the top choices after the need for free and fair elections. And to Cohen, you know, that shows that young people believe that their economic struggles are really intertwined with their feelings about democracy.
COHEN: These young people are saying that without the ability to have full lives, they can't be full citizens. And they're rejecting this idea that we should separate discussions of democracy from discussions of affordability.
MOORE: So Ailsa, essentially, they're saying if the economy isn't working well, neither are the political institutions in charge of fixing it.
CHANG: OK. Well, Elena, you have pored over all of this data. What do you think is the big takeaway here?
MOORE: Well, I think a lot of young people just, you know, feel unseen. And there are examples, that said, when young people are taken seriously, they can, you know, prove decisive in elections. I mean, look at Democrats' win in the New York mayoral race. Zohran Mamdani centered his campaign on affordability. Or, you know, even Trump's bid in 2024. A lot of young people supported him because of his focus, at least at the time, on inflation. But as this poll shows, those concerns are still very much out there.
CHANG: Indeed. That is NPR's Elena Moore. Thank you so much, Elena.
MOORE: Thanks. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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