Date Presented

Spring 4-12-2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Political Science

First Advisor

Timothy Meinke

Second Advisor

Dan Lang

Third Advisor

Beth Savage

Abstract

Millennials are about to surpass the Baby Boomers as the largest generation in the United States. In a republican system where citizens are showing up to the polls in record lows, there is an emphatic effort to bring people to the polls. A lot of research has accumulated over the years showing that young people do not vote; however, why is it that specifically the Millennial generation is showing up in astronomically low numbers in comparison with young people in the past?

The purpose of this research is to find information that identifies the values of both Millennials and Baby Boomers. The values I investigated are individual-minded and community-minded traits. For Millennials, the first presidential election where the entirety of the generation could vote was 2016, and for Baby Boomers, the first presidential election where the entirety of the generation could vote was in 1984. I analyzed data from these two elections to compare and contrast the voting behavior and values of each respective generation. In doing so, this research either proves that Millennials are indeed different than Baby Boomers. It also sheds light as to how the United States government, activists, and campaigners can make it easier for or incentivize Millennials to vote in regards to their individual values.

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