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Both GOP and Democratic student leaders tell The College Fix young people across the spectrum concerned about making a living in today’s economy

Students and young voters across party lines agree that economic concerns take priority over social issues, according to a new Young America’s Foundation poll.

Nearly half of the 1,600 young people surveyed — 48 percent of high school students and 44 percent of college students — named the economy as a top concern.

Angst over the economy outpaced the results for any other topic, such as health care, school safety, the environment and race relations among those surveyed, one in three of whom identified themselves as moderate. The rest ran the gamut, from conservative to liberal.

Among college students polled, only 14 percent named race relations among their top three concerns, and only 15 percent listed LGBTQ-rights as a priority.

Asked to weigh in on the results, National Vice President of College Democrats of America Sunjay Muralitharan said they are not necessarily surprising.

“I think there’s been this misconception that young people are really heavily focused on social issues like LGBTQ rights and climate justice,” Muralitharan said in an interview with The College Fix. “Those are vital issues for Democrats across the nation, but not at the very top when it comes to the priorities of young people.”

YAF, in a news release regarding the poll, noted the results come amid a “struggling job market and soaring inflation.”

Both GOP and Democratic student leaders said the economy is a real and pressing problem facing the next generation right now.

“Home ownership is practically impossible while the price of basic goods is unreachable for anyone making the median wage in America,” Josiah Jones, vice president of the Hillsdale College Republicans, told The College Fix.

Muralitharan agreed the cost of living takes precedence over non-economic concerns.

“I think it’s a lot easier to care about rent control or housing prices when you’re trying to look to buy a house, rather than climate justice or LGBTQ rights,” Muralitharan said.

He said it is increasingly becoming a privilege for people to vote primarily for social issues when more pressing economic issues are on the table.

“You need to get your basic needs met first,” Muralitharan said.

College Republicans National Committee Chairman Courtney Hope Britt said the results of the poll demonstrate that young people’s priorities align more with the Republican party.

“Polling is looking better and better for us by the day. In part, people are worried about the economy, and people trust Republicans with the economy,” Britt told The College Fix via email.

“Priorities for young voters are shifting for a simple reason: they can no longer afford the basic cost of living, and they’re fed up with it. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this trend continue as long as Democrats focus on the wrong problems,” she said.

Hillsdale College Republicans executive board member Micah Hart said young voters have begun to realize the economy has worsened since Donald Trump left office.

“I think the economy is always a big issue, but especially right now, when people are really feeling the pain and are looking back at how they were better off in Trump’s years,” Hart told The Fix.

The poll also revealed students value free speech, with 54 percent of college students and 51 percent of high school students polled saying a university should lose funding if it fails to protect free speech on campus.

The poll also found that 32 percent of high school students and 28 percent of college students cited political corruption as a major concern.

“Our polling shows that on a range of issues, young people value liberty and justice – some of the very principles that continue to make our country the envy of the world,” YAF spokesman Michael McGonigle told The College Fix via email.

“Gen Z craves authenticity, so it’s no surprise that protecting free speech – and the ability to express one’s beliefs – matters a great deal to them,” McGonigle said. “A lot of what our society throws at Gen Z leaves them feeling empty and always searching for more. So it’s no surprise more young people are looking to values and principles that stand the test of time.”

Pollster Echelon Insights conducted the survey of over 1,600 high school and college students ages 15 to 24. The survey was fielded online from June 4 to June 9, 2024.

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