CLEVELAND — Harvard University Monday issued a 2016 “millennial agenda” for Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump to seize on, warning that ignoring the issues of younger voters will keep them away from the polls in the fall.
“This is the last chance,” said John Della Volpe, director of polling for Harvard’s Institute of Politics.
“I don’t think there’s a way we get over 50 percent if we don’t address these issues,” he said in an interview with Secrets.
IOP issued a poll with the agenda on Monday and found that there is a “consensus emerging” around key issues such as jobs, terrorism and national unity.
“Remember right after 9/11 when people were united,” said Della Volpe. “They seek a return to that.”
The election between two partisans who voters dislike more than like aren’t likely to accomplish that, but they are seizing on the other issues IOP said were among the top five cited in the poll of 1,001.
The top five issues:
— 64 percent picked jobs and the economy as the top issue.
— 39 percent said fighting the spread of terrorism was the top issue.
— 39 percent picked combating inequality of all shapes was third.
— Uniting the nation came in fourth at 31 percent.
— Immigration was cited as the fifth most important issue.
But there isn’t agreement among the younger Democrats, Republicans, independents and libertarians, IOP found. From the survey:
— Among likely Hillary Clinton voters, the top concerns were: improving the economy (64% indicated this was a top 3 issue), reducing inequality (57%) and uniting the country (30%).
— Among likely Donald Trump voters, the three issues of top concern were: improving the economy (69%), combating the spread of terrorism (63%) and dealing with immigration (51%).
— Among Gary Johnson supporters, top concerns were: improving the economy (64%), reducing inequality in America (35%) and uniting the country (35%).
— For undecided voters, improving the economy (63%) was top again, followed by combating terrorism (35%) and reducing inequality in America (31%).
“Should the leadership of both political parties—in Washington and throughout state and local governments—choose to ignore Millennials’ values and principles and only engage them at election time as subgroups in swing states, there is every chance that we will lose their participation in politics and their support of government, paralyzing American progress,” said Della Volpe.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
