The Politics of Millennials: Political Beliefs and Policy Preferences of America's Most Diverse Generation

Review\n"The economic challenges and prospects Millennials face differ from those faced by their parents and grandparents. As the largest generation, Millennials' response will influence American politics for decades. In this careful and compelling analysis, Stella Rouse and Ashley Ross document how these experiences shape Millennials' political attachments and behavior. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the emerging and important role Millennials will play in American politics going forward."
--Benjamin Bishin, University of California, Riverside\n"For all the buzz about Millennials, so much of what is written is overwrought and data-free. Refreshingly, The Politics of Millennials stands apart, as it contains a breadth of insightful data, both qualitative and quantitative. It is certain to become 'the book' on the Millennial generation."
--David Campbell, University of Notre Dame\n"The Politics of Millennials provides a roadmap of how Millennials may reshape American politics. The Millennial Persona emphasizes equality, tolerance of diversity, social justice and other liberal cultural views, combined with economic moderation. By 2020, this will be the largest generation in the American public and their view will alter the style and content of politics."
--Russell Dalton, University of California, Irvine\n"Rouse and Ross provide a wealth of data on this fascinating, diverse, and increasingly politically-important generation. A must-read for those interested in Millennials and politics!"
--Shauna L. Shames, Rutgers University-Camden\nToday the Millennial generation, the cohort born from the early 1980s to the late 1990s, is the largest generation in the United States. It exceeds one-quarter of the population and is the most diverse generation in U.S. history. Millennials grew up experiencing September 11, the global proliferation of the Internet and of smart phones, and the worst economic recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Their young adulthood has been marked by rates of unemployment and underemployment surpassing those of their parents and grandparents, making them the first generation in the modern era to have higher rates of poverty than their predecessors at the same age. The Politics of Millennials explores the factors that shape the Millennial generation’s unique political identity, how this identity conditions political choices, and how this cohort’s diversity informs political attitudes and beliefs. Few scholars have empirically identified and studied the political attitudes and policy preferences of Millennials, despite the size and influence of this generation. This book explores politics from a generational perspective, first, and then combines this with other group identities that include race and ethnicity to bring a new perspective to how we examine identity politics.