Ideological Crossroads: Gen X Marks the Spot (Xers Turning More Conservative as they age; Gen Y too)

Gallup ^ | September 2, 2003 | Darren K. Carlson

[Timesink]

GALLUP TUESDAY BRIEFING

Government & Public Affairs
September 2, 2003

Ideological Crossroads: Gen X Marks the Spot

by Darren K. Carlson, Contributing Editor

A special analysis* of Gallup data on the politics of Americans between the ages of 25 and 38 -- post-baby boomers who correspond roughly to "Generation X" -- points toward a more conservative ideology than one might expect, given their relatively young age. Two survey questions focusing on respondents' stances on social and economic issues shed light on where Gen Xers stand ideologically.

Socially Balanced

The famous 1960's admonition to "never trust anybody over 30" alluded to people's penchant to grow more conservative as they get older. Gallup's data suggest that this transition toward conservatism may occur closer to age 40 than age 30.

When asked about their views on social issues, the youngest American adults (18- to 24-year-olds) skew slightly liberal, with 36% saying they are liberal on social issues, compared to 27% who say they are conservative (another 36% say they are moderate on social issues). Gen Xers are more ideologically balanced: 31% identify themselves as liberal, 33% as conservative, and 34% as moderates.

That shift toward conservative thought on social issues plays out among Gen Xers' elders: among those aged 39 and older, just 19% say they are liberal on social issues, while 40% are conservative and 38% say they are moderates.

Conservatism Rooted in the Economy

Americans' earning power and responsibility levels tend to increase with age. With more at stake than their younger counterparts, 25- to 38-year-olds are more conservative when it comes to economics, although not as conservative as older Americans.

The ideology pattern regarding economic issues is similar to that observed on social issues. Members of the youngest age group (18- to 24-year-olds) are the most likely of the age groups to identify themselves as economically liberal (26%), though more in this age group say they are economically conservative (33%) or moderate (40%). The group loosely corresponding to Generation X is somewhat more conservative on economic issues. One in five Gen Xers identify as economically liberal, compared to 39% who are economically conservative and 39% who are moderate.

The trend toward economic conservatism rises sharply after age 38, as 47% of Americans aged 39 and older say they are conservative on economic issues, compared to 12% who say they are liberal, and 38% who call themselves moderate.

Bottom Line

Gen Xers are more likely than those under 25 to identify themselves as conservatives, although many Gen X conservatives say they are political independents rather than Republicans. This dichotomy may be driven by the differentiation between Gen Xers' social and economic ideologies. On social issues, people in this group are fairly ideologically balanced, while on economic issues, they're more likely to skew conservative. Gen Xers are still very much the "middle generation" in American society.

*Results based on an aggregate of telephone interviews with 3,028 American adults, aged 18 and older, taken from polls conducted each May from 2001 through 2003. For results based on the total sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±2 percentage points.

For the sample of 285 18- to 24-year-olds, the maximum margin of sampling error is ±6 percentage points.

For the sample of 733 25- to 38-year-olds, the maximum margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points.

For the sample of 1,983 Americans 39 and older, the maximum margin of sampling error is ±2 percentage points.

[Timesink]

Note that even Gen Y is 63% conservative/moderate and only 36% liberal, a 2-1 repudiation of hardcore liberalism. These are kids in college!

WE ARE WINNING!

[Timesink]

bump for bump lists

[thoughtomator]

Meanwhile, Generation Z females dress like prostitutes, and countless males have been neurologically neutered. Don't get overconfident.

[Clemenza]

27 year old Gen-X Conservative here. These findings do not come as a surprise to me. While many of us may not be devout churchgoers, we are still sick of crooks taking money out of our pocket to pay for the BOOMERS (the enemy, except mom and dad) prescription drug scheme, see Socialist Security as the pyramid scheme it always was and we do not see personal responsability as a novel idea!

[Clemenza]

Meanwhile, Generation Z females dress like prostitutes, and countless males have been neurologically neutered. Don't get overconfident.

Methinks Gen Z may turn out to be the "new boomers." Nevertheless, we GenX males see firsthand the damage the Publik Edyoucation system has wreaked on young boys (males get ritalin, girls get "extra help"). We need a groundswell for SINGLE SEX EDUCATION NOW!

[HitmanLV]

I'm 35, not clear what generation I am, but I've been a conservative since the 1980 election - I was a 12-year old Reagan Man growing up in the streets of NYC! Ah, the memories! ;-)

[The Brush]

I always forget who said it... if you're under 30(?) and you're a Repub you have no heart, over 30 and a Democrat you have no brain.

[tortoise]

This seems accurate. GenX definitely has a conservative streak, just not "religious" conservative. I would describe it as pragmatic libertarianism. It is the "small, unobtrusive government" part of conservatism that really appeals to them at the core (which also probably explains why Dubya only gets a lukewarm reception with a lot of GenX).

[Chewbacca]

I am 30, and I was rooting for Reagan to win in 1980 also.

[HitmanLV]

I remember being deleriously happy on election night, 1980. I hated Carter so much - even at 12 I knew he was a chump. Between the long gas lines I would see in city gas stations (we didn't have a car but I was one aware kid!), and the national humiliation during the hostage crisis, I knew Reagan was the smart choice.

I was in high school in 1984, when Mondale got squashed. I went to Regis High in NYC, where the student body was widely conservative, and the teachers more progressive. Go figure! ;-) 49 state squash sure took the wind out of those square teacher;'s sails! :-)

I was at Vassar College in 1988 when Bush won - the general student population wore black arm bands the next day. Childish! Still, it was a good night.

I had the pleasure of working at a NY law firm on during election 2000, and that too provides some tender memories!

Liberals stink, plain and simple!

[steve50]

From the looks of what passes for a "conservative" any more I think the conservatives moved to them more than them coming to the conservatives. Face it, we got 1 big liberal party going on in DC

[Dr. Frank fan]

I always forget who said it... if you're under 30(?) and you're a Repub you have no heart, over 30 and a Democrat you have no brain.

Nobody said this (well, besides you :-).

There is a quote which (in various phrasing) is often attributed to Winston Churchill, but (of course) this quote mentions neither "Democrats" nor "Republicans" since being a Brit he would not have thought in those terms. The quote people cite mentions "liberals" and "conservatives", and further, if Churchill actually said it, he would have meant something quite different by the word "liberal" (and for that matter "conservative") than most Americans do today.

Furthermore, there is some doubt as to whether Churchill ever said such a thing.

And besides, I've always disagreed with that quote, whoever said or didn't say it, and however it is phrased.

[JohnnyRidden]

I'm 18, does that make me generation Y? Oh well, I'm conservative (My www.politicalcompass.score is 9.4 for economics, and 3.5 for politics), and most of my friends are as well.

[Arpege92]

I'm a 34 year old female and I too have been a conservative since the 1980 election!

[BluH2o]

As Britain's wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill said,
"At age 20 you're a liberal because you have a heart; at age 40 you're a conservative because you have a brain." This astute man, one who will go down in the history of the world as one of the greatest political leaders ever, was indeed a profound person.

[hilaryrhymeswithrich]

I too am a genx conservative! We are out there in force!

[Eala]

From the looks of what passes for a "conservative" any more I think the conservatives moved to them more than them coming to the conservatives. Face it, we got 1 big liberal party going on in DC

Do we have many conservatives in DC? I know we have lots of Democrats and self-styled Republicans.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

"I'm 35, not clear what generation I am, but I've been a conservative since the 1980 election - I was a 12-year old Reagan Man growing up in the streets of NYC! Ah, the memories! ;-)"

Spooky. Exact same with me, but in NJ!

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

At 41 I'm NO Boomer, I hate and abominate the Boom generation and all its pomps and works. Cast my first vote for GHWB in Spring '80 and my second for RR in November '80. Never looked back.

They don't have a label for us yet tho. Gen W? :-)

Of course, the REAL question: what will they call my one-year old? Generation Z'? Generation A? (One friend of mine suggested 'Generation Wumba,' the first letter from Dr. Seuss's "On Beyond Zebra"....)

[HitmanLV]

Awesome! Election night 1980 was a classic!