With all the chaos surrounding the upcoming presidential election, it has become apparent that not only party lines have divided our nation. There’s a generation gap between millennials and their parents, and most political candidates haven’t tailored their campaigns to reach both groups. America’s leaders are starting to recognize the power millennials have in politics, which was obvious when many young people “felt the Bern” earlier this year. Our generation wants to be passionate about politics, but the problem arises when our future leaders can’t get us excited about their cause.
Millennials are making decisions differently than other age groups, but we still want to be involved in choosing the people who will shape our future. Here are a few reasons why my generation votes differently, and a few tips on how to capture our attention. Politicians, help us help you change the world -- give us a cause to believe in.
In order to be inspired, we need to see a leader who is respected. We’re not fooled by someone who wants to be our friend or tries to prove they are cool. It’s not professional, and it’s not impressive. Rather than pretending to relate to us with pop culture references or funny catch phrases, we need to see a candidate who has character and integrity. These candidates have to prove that they are trustworthy and consistent in their beliefs. They also have to show us they can make tough or even unpopular choices and take responsibility for their actions. When we respect a candidate as a strong leader and we believe in his or her personal ability to guide our nation, that’s when we can fully support a campaign, and that’s when we can appreciate a Pokémon Go reference.
We need a leader who shares our view on foreign policy. As millennials, we’re more likely to see other nations as friends and allies. We travel more than the generations before us; we stay in hostels with young people from all over the world and realize we’re not so different after all. Candidates who demonize entire people groups and try to turn us against other nations by employing fear tactics do not impress us.
On the other hand, we’re not impressed when important foreign policy issues are downplayed or avoided. We care about justice, and we don’t want to see our leaders capitulate to countries who threaten us or remove sanctions from nations that commit human rights atrocities. As a group, we’re more likely to choose the option which involves negotiation and diplomacy rather than a military operation, but we also recognize that not everyone is reasonable. We’ve seen enough conflict in our lifetime to know that sometimes it is inevitable, but the destruction it leaves proves that negotiation is always a necessary first step and a preferable option.
To gain our trust, candidates need to tell the truth. Millennials are sick of listening to government leaders conceal the whole truth of their actions and even blatantly lie about their decisions. With the rise of social media and the development of technology, every statement leaders make is analyzed and broadcasted around the world instantly. This makes it easy to compare the candidates' current views to all of their previous statements, so inconsistencies will come to light quickly. Millennials have grown up in a world where politicians can’t be trusted, and this has made us disillusioned with the political process itself. We desperately need transparency and a little sincerity from the people who are supposed to set an example for us.
We need to see merit in each candidate as an individual because we’re not tied to political parties. Millennials make decisions based on ideas; we won’t vote based simply on the party we’re registered with. If we see a candidate on the other side who seems to have better ideas, then we’ll have little hesitation about giving our vote that candidate. This means that in the future, candidates can’t rely on the support of their party if they are mediocre. We’re looking for the best option, not just a victory for our side. If we vote blindly based on party loyalties then everyone loses since we most likely will not be making an informed decision about who has the most leadership potential.
Lastly, we need someone who has a clear and meaningful plan for the future. We know empty promises when we hear them, so we need to see a candidate actively pursuing positive change. Successful candidates should give us a track record of accomplishments and show us their consistent support of important issues. We are always told that we are the future, so we want to know that under their leadership our country would move toward a future we can be proud of.
Today’s leaders should make us excited to follow in their footsteps and eager to carry the torch they’ll pass on. We know that soon it will be our peers standing on those podiums, and we want to know that it’s possible to use positions of power for good.
Before spending a summer in D.C., I would never have written an article like this because I wasn’t sure that politicians with these lofty ideals existed. After hearing from many inspiring leaders during my time in Washington, I know there are people who have gone into politics for the right reasons and who truly want to change the United States for the better.
As millennials, we need to do our research in order to make sure we place people like this in positions of power and use our passion to support their cause. Together we have a voice that can’t be drowned out, and we can turn our desperation for change into actions which build a better future for the generations to come.
