Study: 12th grade boys lean conservative, but not politically invested

 An annual survey of high school seniors is getting some buzz after it revealed that 23 percent of young men in that age group consider themselves to be conservative compared to just 13 percent who identify as liberal. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/01/17/next-generation-voters-are-more-liberal-more-inclusive-believe-government/

That’s the statistic that’s getting all the attention because it directly contradicts other reports and opinions that say young people are mostly liberal. But there’s more to it that isn’t being discussed. 

The Monitoring our Future Study found that more than 40 percent said none of the above or I don’t know when asked about political beliefs, and 20% identify as moderate. 

https://www.americansurveycenter.org/newsletter/are-young-men-becoming-conservative/

This survey’s results tend to align with Gallup data that found more young men aged 18-29 say they’re conservative than liberal, but a plurality told Gallup they are moderate. 

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/midterm-exit-polls-show-that-young-voters-drove-democratic-resistance-to-the-red-wave/

But none of those surveys align with the voting habits of 18-29 year old males. In the 2022 midterm election they voted for Democrats over Republicans by a 12 point margin. 

So we went to Capitol Hill, where you can find students from around the country, to ask about their political beliefs. The young men we spoke with had a broad spectrum of views. 

Here’s how they felt, and why. 

We start off with one family who said they’re conservative. 

Img 0868 Jacob Heyboer :027 

I’m a Christian. And I believe what the Bible has to say. And I believe that the truths in the Bible most closely aligned with that viewpoint,

Tc :46 

Ray: how did that how did you get that view over the years? How did that form within you?

Jeremiah Heyboer: I mean, it’s it’s the way we were raised. It’s, and also it just the evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of that. 

Img 0874 Jayson, Brooklyn 

A registered Democrat and my family is, are Democrats. I just agree and align with what they believe in.

Greyson Wilder Michigan 

I’m more on the liberal side. I took like, I was in my government class, and like he made us take like, those quizzes to see just like, where you’d land and I got, like, everything on the left side. So that’s pretty much where I stand.

Tony Gamez tc :26 I’m really like in the middle, 

But while their views have been influenced by their faith and family, these students said they aren’t very invested. 

Jayson: “on a scale of one to 10 Probably like a two or three.// 2:18 I do feel that I could be more politically involved and do my own research so I can feel comfortable with what I identify as in terms of like, Democrat Republican moderate independent, 

Greyson: “I wouldn’t want to make like a decision that doesn’t sit with me well, just because I’m not educated enough on it. So definitely before I become like a member of the party or whatever, I would have to be really educated on what I was doing.”

SAN was curious about one more thing. In October 2022, a survey from the New York Times and Siena College found that 19 percent of voters said that politics had hurt their friendships or family relationships. So we asked the students if political views impact their relationships.  

Wilder: “I know some of my family members think a certain way and I think completely different, but I don’t let that determine like how I think of them like as a person. Because like my parents taught me just never bring politics to the table, especially a family because it could ruin literally everything.”

Tony Gamez, Texas: “I Don’t think that I bring a lot of political stuff into friendships, like, I mean, I just, I like having friendships for who they are, and what what like, you know, just like the personality, things like that. I don’t really look into a lot of political side or anything like that.” 

Friendships based on personality. Straight from DC, I’m Ray Bogan.