The views expressed are those of the authors and do not represent the views of the SNF Agora Institute or Johns Hopkins University.

Authors: Sophia Winner, Scott Warren, Lilliana Mason

INTRODUCTION

Modern American political life is primarily understood through a partisan lens, but recent polling conducted by YouGov, led through an initiative of SNF Agora and Public Agenda, reveal significant generational divides in the ways people identify with political representation, conceive of government legitimacy, consume information, and interact with one another.

Today’s youngest adults have come of age in a political environment defined by congressional gridlock, economic precarity, and heightened political hostility. At the same time, they have been shaped by a digital landscape that has transformed how people communicate and receive information. In contrast, older generations formed their political identities during periods of comparatively stronger institutional trust and stable party structures. These differing circumstances have resulted in different generations inhabiting fundamentally different political realities.

To understand these differences, this report defines and divides age groups using the following generational framework:

Generation Z (Gen Z): ages 18–29
Millennials: ages 30–44
Generation X (Gen X): ages 45–64
Baby Boomers (Boomers): ages 65 and older

Each of these cohorts carries its own political inheritance shaped by emerging technologies, formative events, and evolving social norms. These generational experiences notably influence how each group engages within the broader democratic sphere while reflecting competing visions for what American democracy is today and what it could become. We intend for this report to serve as the start of a larger conversation and study that the SNF Agora Institute will lead, specifically exploring how young people are conceiving of and understanding politics, institutions, and democracy in the modern age.

Read the Report