Young America’s Foundation is excited to unveil the results of the 2023 Understanding Students’ Views on Current Issues poll.
Conducted by Echelon Insights and commissioned by YAF, this comprehensive survey offers a deep dive into the thoughts and concerns of the American youth, with participation from more than 1,650 high school and college students.
This statistic should startle President Joe Biden: fewer than four-in-ten students are confident in his abilities as an effective leader for young people.
A strong majority of college students – 74 percent – express support for establishing a maximum age limit for presidential candidates, which would present a challenge for both Biden and Donald Trump, who are 80 and 76-years-old respectively.
The majority of liberal high school and college students polled indicate that they would like Biden to face a primary challenge. Likewise, most conservative students believe that Trump should participate in debates against his rivals for the GOP nomination.
The results also shed light on the challenges conservative students face in expressing their views on campuses, amplifying the need to advance intellectual diversity in the classroom and beyond. Students who identify as conservative or moderate are less likely to feel comfortable expressing unpopular or controversial opinions among their peers or with their teachers.
They rank the economy, school safety, and gun policies as their top three issues of most concern. Interestingly, LGBTQ+ issues and race relations – two of the Left’s primary areas of focus for young people – fall on the bottom half of the list.
When asked what they would be willing to give up in order to mitigate climate change, fewer than one-in-five students say they are willing to sacrifice their smartphones.
Governor Scott Walker, president of Young America’s Foundation, believes that Republican presidential candidates cannot afford to overlook the issues that young people care about: “In the leadup to GOP primary debate, our polling shows Gen Z students across the political spectrum care about a range of important issues – including a candidate’s age and the need to feel safe in their schools. Strikingly though, the top issue among young voters is the economy. Many are concerned they won’t be able to find a job that pays well, start a business, or be able to afford housing when they graduate from college. Everyone in the 2024 race would be wise to focus on the issues that matter to this important voting bloc.”
View comprehensive slide deck here
For additional information or to request an interview, contact Young America’s Foundation Director of PR Michael McGonigle via [email protected] or 800-872-1776.
