Most people don't change their ideology once they reach adulthood (though some certainly do). Those born early-1930s to 1948 and from 1955 to 1979 tend to be Republicans, while those born to the early-1930s, 1948 to 1954, and since 1979 tend to be Democrats.
Most people don't change their ideology once they reach adulthood (though some certainly do). Those born early-1930s to 1948 and from 1955 to 1979 tend to be Republicans, while those born to the early-1930s, 1948 to 1954, and since 1979 tend to be Democrats.
Just as my generation - Generation Y - came of age during the Bush the Younger administration and thus associate the Republican Party with the failures of Iraq and the Wall Street crash.
Because they came of age during the Truman administration and they associate the Democratic Party with the rise of the "red menace" in the late 1940s/early 1950s.
My parents were born in 1929 and 1932 and neither was ever a Republican. They lived through the war and like other American children, they contributed to the war effort. The fact that they attained adulthood during the Truman and Eisenhower years didn't override their childhood. Are you sure the heavily Republican cohort goes back as far as you're saying? Someone born in 1932 knew no president except for FDR until they were about 12.
The border is somewhere around 1933, essentially those with a strong memory of the end of WWII. Not that anecdotes are determinative in a conversation like this.
I'd say that younger gen X (including me) tend to be more in line with Millennial voting trends. Difference is if you came of age politically during Reagan or Clinton.
Those born mid-1930s to 1944 and 1960 to 1975 are the more extreme conservatives. The younger end of the GOP generation had their parents raving about Reagan and the fall of the Soviet Union. Clinton became far more popular among the younger generation once he was seen as fighting the GOP congress, particular after his re-election. It's also worth noting that younger voters have always had lower participation rates, so those more apt to vote aren't necessarily representative of their peers.
I think it's strange that an entire cohort of voters is Republican because they came of age during the Eisenhower Administration, which was not very conservative, and there is absolutely no doubt that Eisenhower would be outraged by Trump and other isolationist/collaborationists and habitual liars and would have never supported them. It must be all about labels to them.
For Gen Xers I think there's a dividing line around 1973-74 births. Too much of the older half of the generation votes like every election forever is Reagan vs. Carter or Mondale. The younger half really came of political age in the 1990s, and might remember Reagan as a positive part of childhood nostalgia but, when it started voting, did so based on later candidates and issues.
Thats absolutely true for me. I was born in 1976, but my first vote was only in 2000. I was living in Canada in 1996 and didn't follow US politics that closely anyway. I actually followed 1992 more closely as a 15 year old.
This sounds about right; the 1984 election had lasting effects for those voting the first time(Mondale was my first vote, but unlike many 18-20 year olds voting for the first time, I knew he had zero chance but still voted straight ticket D)
We're just about the same age, then. The difference is that I tried to be in denial about the opinion polls, based on the idea that the only poll that really mattered was on Election Day, and when my polling place in Manhattan was crowded, I tried to argue that turnout helps the Democrats - and then was mortified that Reagan won even my home state of New York.
Yeah, it's a razor's edge. I grew up with Reagan (and mostly liked him), but then my first vote was Bill Clinton (and that hellscape Pat Buchanan convention speech sealed the deal with my affiliation).
I've generally drifted a bit more left each passing year.
I really agree with this and I see it on Facebook. I was born in 1976 and lived in near suburban Philadelphia between 4th grade and 12th grade. The people who are older than me that I see on Facebook (typically graduated from late 1980s to early 1990s) are MUCH more Republican, particularly men. A lot have moved to places like the Philadelphia exurbs and Florida. By contrast, the people more my sister's age, who graduated from the late 1990s to early 2000s are almost across the board Democrats/liberals. Interestingly, this younger group has tended to stay in the near Philadelphia suburbs or the city itself. Or if they have moved, it is more likely to somewhere like New York City.
Most people don't change their ideology once they reach adulthood (though some certainly do). Those born early-1930s to 1948 and from 1955 to 1979 tend to be Republicans, while those born to the early-1930s, 1948 to 1954, and since 1979 tend to be Democrats.
Why would people born during the Roosevelt administration tend to be Republicans?
Because they came of age in the Eisenhower years amidst McCarthyism and Pax Americana.
Just as my generation - Generation Y - came of age during the Bush the Younger administration and thus associate the Republican Party with the failures of Iraq and the Wall Street crash.
I guess those opposed to McCarthyism mostly voted for Adlai Stevenson twice, like my parents did?
Because they came of age during the Truman administration and they associate the Democratic Party with the rise of the "red menace" in the late 1940s/early 1950s.
My parents were born in 1929 and 1932 and neither was ever a Republican. They lived through the war and like other American children, they contributed to the war effort. The fact that they attained adulthood during the Truman and Eisenhower years didn't override their childhood. Are you sure the heavily Republican cohort goes back as far as you're saying? Someone born in 1932 knew no president except for FDR until they were about 12.
The border is somewhere around 1933, essentially those with a strong memory of the end of WWII. Not that anecdotes are determinative in a conversation like this.
No, granted.
I'd say that younger gen X (including me) tend to be more in line with Millennial voting trends. Difference is if you came of age politically during Reagan or Clinton.
If you are old enough to remember Carter, you're more likely to be Republican though. The country was simply done with him in 1980.
Right, but the youngest voters in the 1992 election were born in 1974 and were only 6 when Reagan was first elected.
Those born mid-1930s to 1944 and 1960 to 1975 are the more extreme conservatives. The younger end of the GOP generation had their parents raving about Reagan and the fall of the Soviet Union. Clinton became far more popular among the younger generation once he was seen as fighting the GOP congress, particular after his re-election. It's also worth noting that younger voters have always had lower participation rates, so those more apt to vote aren't necessarily representative of their peers.
And that's true for every generation, regardless of ideology. Reagan openly lamented both in 1982 and 1986 of the lack of younger voter participation.
Yeah I think those both in the late 60s were the peak of Gen X Reaganites.
People who are now in their late 60s are not Gen X.
I mistyped. I meant people BORN in the late 60s.
I think it's strange that an entire cohort of voters is Republican because they came of age during the Eisenhower Administration, which was not very conservative, and there is absolutely no doubt that Eisenhower would be outraged by Trump and other isolationist/collaborationists and habitual liars and would have never supported them. It must be all about labels to them.
I think it pretty much boils down to them coming of age in an era of fear, and that transitioned to a 'protect what's mine' mentality.
For white people, mainly?
Primarily, though more specifically I'd say kids whose families worried more about national/international affairs than local/state affairs.
For Gen Xers I think there's a dividing line around 1973-74 births. Too much of the older half of the generation votes like every election forever is Reagan vs. Carter or Mondale. The younger half really came of political age in the 1990s, and might remember Reagan as a positive part of childhood nostalgia but, when it started voting, did so based on later candidates and issues.
Thats absolutely true for me. I was born in 1976, but my first vote was only in 2000. I was living in Canada in 1996 and didn't follow US politics that closely anyway. I actually followed 1992 more closely as a 15 year old.
This sounds about right; the 1984 election had lasting effects for those voting the first time(Mondale was my first vote, but unlike many 18-20 year olds voting for the first time, I knew he had zero chance but still voted straight ticket D)
We're just about the same age, then. The difference is that I tried to be in denial about the opinion polls, based on the idea that the only poll that really mattered was on Election Day, and when my polling place in Manhattan was crowded, I tried to argue that turnout helps the Democrats - and then was mortified that Reagan won even my home state of New York.
Yeah, it's a razor's edge. I grew up with Reagan (and mostly liked him), but then my first vote was Bill Clinton (and that hellscape Pat Buchanan convention speech sealed the deal with my affiliation).
I've generally drifted a bit more left each passing year.
EDIT - birth year is 1973
I really agree with this and I see it on Facebook. I was born in 1976 and lived in near suburban Philadelphia between 4th grade and 12th grade. The people who are older than me that I see on Facebook (typically graduated from late 1980s to early 1990s) are MUCH more Republican, particularly men. A lot have moved to places like the Philadelphia exurbs and Florida. By contrast, the people more my sister's age, who graduated from the late 1990s to early 2000s are almost across the board Democrats/liberals. Interestingly, this younger group has tended to stay in the near Philadelphia suburbs or the city itself. Or if they have moved, it is more likely to somewhere like New York City.