Foa highlights the situation in the United States: nearly two-thirds (63%) of US millennials felt good about American democracy when they were in their early 20s, but by the time they hit their mid-30s, that dropped to only half (50%). In contrast, around three-quarters (74%) of US baby boomers were happy with democracy by their mid-30s and more than two-thirds (68%) have stayed that way throughout their lives.
Actually, the old idea that young people are grumpy but mellow out as they get older is flipped now pretty much everywhere. Millennials and Gen X folks tend to get less satisfied with how democracy works as they grow up.
Experts say that in wealthy democracies, the main reason for this trend is “economic exclusion” – caused by things like high youth unemployment and big gaps between rich and poor. These factors are the biggest reasons why younger generations feel less positive about democracy compared to older ones.
Countries where wealth is shared more evenly, like Iceland or Austria, show only small differences between generations when it comes to views on democracy. But places with persistent wealth gaps – think the US – have big and growing divides between age groups.
“Higher debt loads, fewer chances of owning a home, tougher times starting a family, and needing inherited wealth rather than just working hard or being talented all add up to frustration among young people,” Foa said.
In newer democracies across Latin America, Africa, and southern Europe, researchers noticed something called “transition fatigue”: satisfaction drops sharply after about 25 years of democracy because younger generations don’t remember past dictatorships or struggles for freedom.
“Right across the world, we are seeing an ever widening gap between youth and older generations on how they perceive the functioning of democracy,” said Foa.
“This democratic disconnect is not a given, but the result of democracies failing to deliver outcomes that matter for young people in recent decades, from jobs and life chances to addressing inequality and climate change.”
There are some signs millennials feel better about democracy though – like new EU members showing more positivity – but most noticeable gains happened during what’s called the “populist wave” over the last five years.
An average 16 percentage-point rise in satisfaction with democracy was found among voters under 35 during populist leaders’ first two years. When moderate politicians narrowly beat populists though, no similar jump showed up.
