The Effect of Issues and Candidate Traits on Young Democrats’ Party Evaluations

• In Event: Poster Session: Representation and Electoral Systems & Public Opinion and U.S. Politics
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Public Opinion and U.S. Politics

Abstract

The current cohort of young voters is large, diverse, and overwhelmingly Democratic. Although the group appears to be voting at relatively high rates, the ANES feeling thermometer values for the Democratic Party suggest young Democrats are less attached to their in-party. I argue that a lack of representation makes young people feel alienated from the party. Polls during the presidential nomination process suggest young voters prioritize issue agreement and honesty in a nominee, compared to older partisans who prioritize electability and experience. These diverging priorities have frequently led to the party deciding on a candidate, but young people disagreeing. In this paper I explore whether this lack of representation and dissatisfaction with the party stems from a lack of alignment on the issues and/or discontent over candidate traits. Young people have distinct issues because of their stage in the life cycle as well distinct generation factors. They have also, especially in the last two elections, been frustrated with the party’s choice for president. Using ANES data, I explore differences in the perceived positions of the respondent compared to the Democratic Party candidate and how respondents evaluate candidates on traits such as honesty. I test the effect of these variables on the Democratic Party feeling thermometers, exploring temporal variation to understand how this relationship is changed by the candidate and different voting cohorts. As American politics continues to be dominated by older people, party politics provides young people with an opportunity to influence the direction of the country (Munger 2022). However, if young people feel the party is not listening to their concerns, they may feel alienated from party politics. As this generation gains power, it is important to understand what is driving their politics and how this may conflict with other party goals.

Author

• Patrick Rewa McSweeney, Georgetown University