With the July Fourth holiday over and so much anger seething in the hearts and minds of Americans over a host of political issues ranging from gun control to economic troubles, politicos and pundits alike will be turning their attention to the upcoming and hugely important 2022 midterm elections. With that in mind, Republicans need to remember that it would be a mistake to write off younger Americans as the nation heads into another election. Data from Harvard’s Institute of Politics (IOP) spring 2022 poll of over 2,000 Americans aged 18–29 powerfully shows that younger citizens are very much in play and would be receptive to many of the GOP’s base issues if the party can meaningfully engage and mobilize this growing electoral cohort this fall.

Consider the political and ideological inclinations
of these younger Americans. On partisanship, the survey found that 38 percent
identify as Democrats, while 25 percent state that they are Republicans, and 37
percent are Independents or unaffiliated. Put somewhat differently, on most
political issues and ideologies, nearly a third of younger Americans (31
percent) see themselves as liberal, and just under a quarter (23 percent) are
conservative. The plurality (44 percent) are moderates—significant numbers of
whom are already right of center, with many in the middle and possibly
persuadable.

Thinking about geography and the on-the-ground practice of politics, the GOP has real strength outside of Democratic core cities. The IOP data revealed that while over a quarter of younger Americans (27 percent) report living in an urban area, the plurality—48 percent—can be found in suburban neighborhoods and another 25 percent are in rural and small-town areas. These data confirm other findings about how young people are not uniformly flocking to cities and many have their hearts and minds elsewhere; they are “now looking toward starry skies, spacious homes, and green yards—not at towers, cramped apartments, and neon lights.”

As for
mobilization and engagement, a large number of young voters turned out in 2020
to vote for President Biden—57 percent to 31
percent for Donald Trump, as reported in this survey—but this does not mean
they are happy with Biden or politically active today. Just 41 percent approve
of Biden’s performance in office, with far more (56 percent) disapproving.
While this cohort also disapproves more than it approves of Republicans in
Congress, just four in 10 approve of Democrats in Congress today. The Democrats
have little advantage here.

Moreover, about a third (31 percent) of younger Americans state that they
consider themselves politically engaged or politically active, while barely
half (51 percent) closely follow news about national politics. This does not
mean, however, that they are checked out from their environs either; they
simply need an outlet. Over three-quarters (77 percent) of younger Americans
believe that community service is an honorable thing to do. And despite social
media highlighting varied celebrities and influencers saying that they would
like to leave the country and renounce their citizenship, a majority (61
percent) of younger Americans agree with the statement, “Despite our
challenges, I would rather live in America than any other place.” It is
imperative for the GOP to create a bigger tent once again and engage this
cohort in the coming months.

The Democrats have made a policy mess at many levels of government, which opens up the door for the GOP to show that it can effectively govern. When asked about the most important national issues in the minds of younger Americans, the issues stated tend to fall into the traditional areas of strength for the Republican Party. Over a third (29 percent) of the issues are economic—from inflation to gas prices and taxes. The second-largest area involves issues related to national security and foreign policy (18 percent), which includes the military and the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the top of the list. Meanwhile, concerns that were more salient just a few years ago have diminished: the environment and issues of global warming collectively account for just 8 percent of the total, with racial issues now being just 3 percent and questions of division and partisanship just 2 percent.

Taking in these findings collectively,
the GOP should seize the moment now and try to connect and work with younger
Americans as the fall election season approaches. Young Americans are not a
solid liberal block and are not particularly happy with President Biden or the
Democratic Party. They do not live exclusively in cities, and they worry about
economic and security concerns—issues that are at the heart of GOP policy.
Thus, a shrewd GOP would be well served to try to build a robust coalition; the
2022 election could be a huge set of gains for the Republicans if they put in
the work now.

Samuel J. Abrams is a professor of politics at Sarah Lawrence College and a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute

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