A new study indicates there is a group of young Americans primed to vote conservative come Election Day – if the Republican Party can reach them in time.
A Pew Research Center study released Thursday identified a group it calls “Young Outsiders,” a young, largely independent group that doesn’t toe either party line. This group represents about 13 percent of the country.
The good news for Republicans is that more members of this group vote GOP than Democrat. The bad news is that these so-called Young Outsiders hold unfavorable opinions of both major parties, the report stated.
“They are skeptical of activist government; a substantial majority views government as wasteful and inefficient,” the report summary read. “Yet they diverge from the two conservative typology groups – Steadfast Conservatives and Business Conservatives – in their strong support for the environment and many liberal social policies.”
The legalization of marijuana, support for homosexuality, and stricter environmental regulations were among the Young Outsider views that led to Pew’s conclusion.
But most of the strongest views of the group harkened back to the tenants of small government, a bonus for conservatives.
It will be interesting to see if either party will be able to capitalize on this growing percentage of the electorate
