According to the partnership of public service in 2024, only 15% of people ages 18-34 said they trusted the federal government.
According to Pew research, trust in the government has not reached more than 30% since 2007.
After Trump’s State of the Union address its clear Trump has no plans to tackle economic insecurity and cost of living, debt and financial pressure, mental health, climate change and systemic inequality issues.
Witnessing those in power ignore the younger generations time and time again gives a better understanding of why distrust is so strong.
How are millennials and Gen Z supposed to feel represented when the people making decisions are 50+ years older?
In a study made by Stavros Niarchos Foundation Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University, “young people are becoming more cynical and frustrated. We urgently need to pay attention to these trends,” said Scott Warren, co-author of the report and a fellow at the SNF Agora Institute.
Although distrust in government and misrepresentation by decisions made continue to impact youth’s involvement, we have the power to supersede the mass of older people.
We are told again that our vote matters, and our voices are heard, but decision after decision feels the opposite in recent political outcomes. According to data by USAFacts, only 47.7% of Gen Z voted in the 2024 presidential election along with only 60.2% of Millennials.
If we want change to happen, we must use our frustration, anger, and sadness as a motivator to get our peers involved. What Baby Boomers believe in and vote on won’t fully impact them, because they are limited on time.
So why are we letting those generations choose our future outcomes?
Continuing to execute our right to protest, staying educated, voting, letting uncomfortable conversations happen and fighting for what we believe in will help get our generation to where we want to be.
Helping those in lower income households, marginalized groups of people and the younger generations be informed can get those percentages up. So can creating an atmosphere with less intimidation and more awareness when exercising their right to vote. Some groups of people need extra assistance, education, and representation to feel welcome to contribute to a system who can be seen working against them.
We must be the change we want to see; we must help those around us see that we can overcome the older generations.
