Being a millennial is a bit like being an amoeba, a lot of scientists are spending a lot of time poking and prodding, trying to figure out what these strange little creatures want. The latest in this series of scientific exams — a new poll by Reason-Rupe — surveyed 2,000 millennials between the ages of 18-29 and found that while this generation might know what they want, they have less of a handle on what these things would actually cost.
The survey found that while 64 percent said that cutting government spending would help the economy and 59 percent wanted to cut taxes, they also thought it was the government’s responsibility to provide citizens with shelter, health care and a college education.
Emily Ekins, the polling director at the Reason Foundation, explained the seemingly disparate results, telling the Washington Times, “The most important thing to recognize with this group is that they don’t know what things cost.”
The survey found that support for large government lessened when cost was mentioned.
In the survey, one half of the participants were asked “If you had to choose, would you rather have a smaller government providing fewer services, or a larger government providing more services?” With this wording, a majority opted for a larger government offering more services. However, when the other half of the participants were asked, “If you had to choose, would you rather have a smaller government providing fewer services with low taxes, or a larger government providing more services with high taxes?,” the mention of taxes drove down support. The majority then wanted smaller government.
The study found that this shift was most pronounced among Asian and Hispanic millennials.
Overall, the group is a fickle bunch, not trusting either party consistently.
Most preferred Democrats on social issues like gay marriage, the environment and poverty, but trended Republican when it came to promoting entrepreneurship. Although 66 percent of millennial voters said government is inefficient and wasteful and only 25 percent of trusted government agencies to do the right thing, more than half of the group still planned to vote for the Democratic Party. While still high, this number is lower than the 64 percent support the Democrats enjoyed in 2012.
