Posted on 09/02/2003 4:51:44 PM PDT by Timesink
GALLUP TUESDAY BRIEFING
Government & Public Affairs
September 2, 2003
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.
Generation Z dresses like prostitutes!!! Generation Z is everyone born 2002 - today I don't think babies dress like hookers
You are Generation X (1962 - 1981)
I'm a proud Conservative member of this Generation & I hope you are 2
Yes that dose make you Generation Y
1982 - 2001
You are a Millenial (you became an adult in the new millenium) but you were born before 9-11 so you are Generation Y
Thank you 4 your time
By the way COngradulations on bein Conservative!!! My little sister is also Gernaetion Y & COnservative. She tells me all the time how her school is shoving Liberalism down her throat!!! Don't listen 2 them!!! Stay on the RIGHT wing!!!
Into the trenches once more my fellow South Park Republicans.
We are growing by leaps and bounds
Don't worry you're no BOomer!!!
Geneation X is 1962 - 1981 (currently 23 - 42)
Being 41 you 1 of the 1st. Being 23 I'm the last
But the important thing is we're BOTH CONservative Gen Xers!!!
There are plenty of GenX'ers with a Christian worldview - often its expression is different than the boomers who subverted traditional religion with their narcissism and navel gazing.
Gen Y and gen Xers who call themselves conservatives yet at the same time rail against the boomer gen need to take a reality check.
The boomer gen has been like most all gens before it. 33% feel one way, 33% feel the opposite, and you have 33% in the lukewarm middle.
The odds were stacked against boomers from the beginning. Socialism was on the rise. Look at what LBJ did. Now we have the internet which will prove to be the turning point(if there is one) in the battle against socialism. Boomers have put the most money into SS and chances are most of us will not reap anything from it.
The greatest gen gave us SS and the federal reserve. These two things will prove to be the greatest enemy of the X&Yers.
The hate has to stop. Its the fedgov.org that has created the problem, not the boomers. The boomers will leave behind massive amounts of wealth to the genXYers and all they do is whine. Gov.org is out to steal that wealth. You must change the gov.org not hate the boomers.
Boomers were not spoiled. If anything they are guilty of spoiling their kids. Most boomers raised their families in a era when both spouses had to work in order to give their kids what they thought was best.
Bottom line is I can see LIBERAL genXYers whining and blaming boomers. But it astounds me that conservatives are whining instead of fighting to change things. We have given you greatest weapon in the history of mankind (the internet) to fight socialism. USE IT!!!!!!!
I thought generation Z was people born ~1990
No Generation Z is everyone born after 9-11 (2002 & later). 9-11 changed our lives forever so thats why it's the Generation line.
Also if 1990 was the Generation line that would make for a VERY short Generation Y (it started in 1982)
U said you never met a religious Gen Xer. Well you have now. I'm Lutheran & Generation X (1962 - 1981)
You're right about abortion!!!
You're right about "liberals stink"!!!
If you were born 1962 - 1981 & you are Conservative then you ARE a Gen X conservative!!! Just like me!!! MAKE SURE YOU VOTE!!!
YOU'RE RIGHT!!! Generations ARE roughly 20 years
The REAL dates (which it took me A YEAR to find out cuase I had to dig through so much BS online) are...
Baby Boomers: 1961 & before
Geneartion X: 1962 - 1981
Geneartion Y: 1982 - 2001
Generation Z: 2002 & later
You're NOT a Baby Boomer
You're a Geneartion Xer like me!!!
Geneartion X is age 23 - 42!!!
I'm 23 & you're 40 so together we'll squash John F. Kerry from BOTH ENDS come NOvember 2!!!
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