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Majority of Millennials Reject Capitalism?
In a poll that should shock exactly no one, 51 percent of Millenials reject Capitalism, and want an alternative economic system:
Although the results are startling, Harvard’s questions accord with other recent research on how Americans think about capitalism and socialism. In 2011, for example, the Pew Research Center found that people ages 18 to 29 were frustrated with the free-market system. In that survey, 46 percent had positive views of capitalism, and 47 percent had negative views — a broader question than what Harvard’s pollsters asked, which was whether the respondent supported the system. With regard to socialism, by contrast, 49 percent of the young people in Pew’s poll had positive views, and just 43 percent had negative views.
And apparently, just as with gay marriage, Millenials are now dragging older generations to their point of view on economics as well:
Published in Domestic Policy, EconomicsA subsequent survey that included people of all ages found that somewhat older Americans also are skeptical of capitalism. Only among respondents at least 50 years old was the majority in support of capitalism.
Too lazy. They intend to bring the political environment of Venezuela to us.
Live and learn – sounds like you raised a good one! Tough was the Great Depression and WWII – yet that generation pushed through – they don’t know tough.
I liked your comment but I ask where is the counter-balance, the parents? This nonsense started while I was in high school and I had already been fairly anesthetized to it (as were my capitalist swine friends).
A friend of mine wants to join the Conservative party here in Ontario, as of Christmas she was a hard bound Quebec Socialist despite living in Ontario for years.
Last night she said, “I cant believe I am signing on to the PCs. Had you told me this two months ago I wouldn’t have believed it.”
Two months ago she started her own business. She has been getting a crash course in how Socialism actually stifles people like her from starting a business.
Its all fun and sun, being a socialist until you get your first job and see how much Socialism is costing you.
I don’t think Millenials associate Venezuela with socialism. They know “social” media, ergo “socialism” must simply meaning running things in a social kind of way — reflecting, supporting, and providing everyone with what they need in benign ways. (Of course there is no bullying and censorship in social media.) Since social media is free so long as you put up with advertising, click bait, and pop-ups, it’s pretty much market based, right? So socialism must involve something market based, right? So where’s the “prob”?
They associate it with Sweden, or at least the dreamy picture of Sweden that educators paint for them. Said educators neglect to tell them that Sweden has been backing away from that system for 20 years now.
And that their average tax rate is higher than our top marginal rate.
I enjoyed your post, but I can’t agree with the latter. It’s true that there are some systemic issues beyond the millennial’s control that are affecting their world view–they may be “victims” of that. But it’s also true that they have control over their own destiny to a sufficient extent that they aren’t “victims” in a meaningful sense.
Instant gratification is probably an overused phrase, but the desire for it is a prominent characteristic of millennials in my experience. That’s pretty much on them. “I want a career now.” “I want this social ill fixed now.” Etc., etc. They do not seem to have any sense of the longer view or the fact that it took preceding generations time and effort in the long run to get where they did.
Is the study broken down by geography and class? I would love to see how this goes white collar upbringing versus blue collar, urban versus suburban verus rural.
Rural and exurban kids I see are quite entrepreneurial, perhaps because they are surrounded by small business and see it in action.
If you work with your hands, you understand barter, step one to understanding capitalism.
If a generation does not see capitalism on a small scale when they are very young, they will not grasp it when they get older, especially when it is pitched as a negative message on media and in academy.
My first comic book trade sold me on capitalism at a fairly young age.
We succeeded with our older kid, failed with the younger. It’s really hard to counteract constant propaganda from a series of adults the kids really respect, especially when they are supported by pretty much every other element of society the kids admire, actors, musicians, artists etc etc.
I hear the left say that all the time. And if you bring up all the horrors communism and socialism had caused, they return to the argument that they are much smarter than the Soviet technocrats, the Chinese politburo, or in case of one argument my aunt received, the Khmer Rouge. The left thinks their implementation of such policies would be better, they would do it right.
Yes!
Not to mention the peer group pressure. It’s a natural thing for kids to lean liberal because they don’t know any better; I still remember all the “black is beautiful” and peace sign posters in my bedroom!
The difference today is that all that stuff was simply youthful indiscretion and when it came time to pay the taxman, I grew up rather immediately. :)