Progressive Students Shift Views on Minimum Wage When Presented With Facts
A new Tax Day poll from Young America’s Foundation, released in partnership with Townhall, reveals a majority of high school and college students hold progressive views, but, once presented with data refuting liberal talking points, their opinions shift.
An overwhelming majority of students, 69 percent, said they support a $15 federal minimum wage. However, their support dropped nearly 20 points when they learned of the Congressional Budget Office’s projection of 1.4 million jobs lost due to the wage increase.
In a similar scenario, 64 percent of students support the federal government eliminating student loan debt for all borrowers. However, more than half of respondents agreed that it was not fair for those who did not attend college to pay for student loan debt cancellation with their hard-earned tax dollars.
Regarding tax rates, 49 percent of students say a fair tax rate on most Americans would be between 0 and 10 percent––despite current federal income tax rates being much higher than 10 percent. The same percentage of students also agree that the government does not spend taxpayer money efficiently.
“The new data from YAF’s polling underscores the importance of facts over liberal talking points,” said Governor Scott Walker, president of Young America’s Foundation. “Generation Z and millennials do hold some liberal views, but these findings highlight that many young people simply have not heard a differing viewpoint or been taught the facts. The rising generation values fairness, and YAF will continue to show young people that progressive ideas are—at their core—unfair and unjust. Through YAF’s Long Game action plan, we will continue to promote and give voice to the pro-freedom ideas which the mainstream media and our government-run schools actively stifle.”
Polling for YAF’s 2021 Tax Day Poll—released in partnership with Townhall—was conducted by Echelon Insights from March 30 to April 7, 2021, from a sample of 800 current high school students and 800 current college students aged 13 to 22. Topline data can be viewed here.
For additional information or to request an interview, contact Young America’s Foundation Spokeswoman Kara Zupkus via [email protected] or 800-872-1776.
