American Youth Rage Grows: Neither Party Listens, Both Parties Fail

Paul Riverbank, 12/5/2025Young Americans face economic stress, distrust both parties, and demand real change from national leaders.

This isn’t some sudden-onset pessimism. One year ago, a little over half of young adults already felt the country was off course; now, it’s closer to sixty percent. These figures don’t just drift, they escalate—a signal that disillusionment keeps mounting, not evaporating.

What’s fueling this unease? Money, mostly. Ask young people how they feel about their financial future, and most will meet your eye with a shrug—or something close to resignation. The poll spells it out clearly: only three in ten believe they’ll surpass their parents’ financial standing. That’s not just a poll number, it’s a generational pulse-check. One young respondent summed it up simply, “I’m struggling, or just getting by with limited financial security.” Nearly half of those surveyed echoed the same feeling.

The economic malaise isn’t abstract. Inflation routinely tops the list of concerns for young adults, outpacing even health care and taxes. Gallup’s recent survey adds another layer to the story: across all ages, just 21 percent describe the U.S. economy as “excellent” or “good”—the lowest in over a year. Americans’ confidence isn’t just slipping; for many, it’s already bottomed out.

Disappointment with the economy naturally spills over into how young people view national leadership. President Trump’s approval rating among the 18-to-29 crowd stands at 29 percent—lower still for his handling of the economy. Congress doesn’t fare any better, with Democrats and Republicans separated by barely a percentage point in the Harvard poll, each scraping by in the mid-twenties.

But these low marks aren’t evidence of disengagement. Far from it. Young Americans care, perhaps painfully so. They see institutions that seem unwilling or unable to support them, systems that feel distant rather than protective. John Della Volpe, who oversees polls at Harvard, notes that what’s fraying isn’t youthful idealism, but faith in the very idea that democracy and the economy can serve their generation’s needs.

Interestingly, the mistrust runs across party divides. Among young Democrats, a striking 84 percent now say the country is on the wrong track. Republican optimism, never sky-high, has also eroded—down from 43 percent to 27 percent in just six months. Independent-minded young people, meanwhile, fall somewhere in the middle, but the point holds: faith in American direction is eroding everywhere you look.

Despite the gloom, there are some oddities. Young voters, disenchanted though many are with both major parties, still favor Democrats by a healthy margin for the upcoming 2026 midterms—46 percent to the GOP’s 29 among registered young voters. But pollsters caution that this is hardly a ringing endorsement. Most of these voters describe their choice as pragmatic, not passionate: they simply don’t see a better option.

Of course, numbers only tell part of the story. Talk to a handful of young people over coffee shops or in campus corridors, and you’ll find a sense of wariness that’s hard to pin to headlines alone. Some look to Washington for answers—President Trump recently declared himself the “affordability president,” promising relief on day-to-day living costs. Yet, watching from afar, many young people remain unconvinced, waiting for actions that transcend slogans.

The latest polling, based on responses from just over two thousand young Americans, comes with the usual margin of error. But the broader message is unmistakable: this generation is not apathetic—they’re restless, urgent, and hungry to be heard. If the country’s leaders are paying attention, they should read this as a call, not a complaint. In times as unsettled as these, young Americans aren’t simply losing faith—they’re challenging the nation to do better.

At first glance, it’s easy to chalk up young Americans’ growing frustration to the usual election-cycle grumbling. But look closer, and their anxiety runs much deeper than partisan complaints or fleeting economic worries. A fresh poll from Harvard’s Institute of Politics brings the picture into sharp relief: out of every hundred adults aged 18 to 29, barely thirteen now believe the United States is headed in a direction they can support.This isn’t some sudden-onset pessimism. One year ago, a little over half of young adults already felt the country was off course; now, it’s closer to sixty percent. These figures don’t just drift, they escalate—a signal that disillusionment keeps mounting, not evaporating.What’s fueling this unease? Money, mostly. Ask young people how they feel about their financial future, and most will meet your eye with a shrug—or something close to resignation. The poll spells it out clearly: only three in ten believe they’ll surpass their parents’ financial standing. That’s not just a poll number, it’s a generational pulse-check. One young respondent summed it up simply, “I’m struggling, or just getting by with limited financial security.” Nearly half of those surveyed echoed the same feeling.The economic malaise isn’t abstract. Inflation routinely tops the list of concerns for young adults, outpacing even health care and taxes. Gallup’s recent survey adds another layer to the story: across all ages, just 21 percent describe the U.S. economy as “excellent” or “good”—the lowest in over a year. Americans’ confidence isn’t just slipping; for many, it’s already bottomed out.Disappointment with the economy naturally spills over into how young people view national leadership. President Trump’s approval rating among the 18-to-29 crowd stands at 29 percent—lower still for his handling of the economy. Congress doesn’t fare any better, with Democrats and Republicans separated by barely a percentage point in the Harvard poll, each scraping by in the mid-twenties.But these low marks aren’t evidence of disengagement. Far from it. Young Americans care, perhaps painfully so. They see institutions that seem unwilling or unable to support them, systems that feel distant rather than protective. John Della Volpe, who oversees polls at Harvard, notes that what’s fraying isn’t youthful idealism, but faith in the very idea that democracy and the economy can serve their generation’s needs.Interestingly, the mistrust runs across party divides. Among young Democrats, a striking 84 percent now say the country is on the wrong track. Republican optimism, never sky-high, has also eroded—down from 43 percent to 27 percent in just six months. Independent-minded young people, meanwhile, fall somewhere in the middle, but the point holds: faith in American direction is eroding everywhere you look.Despite the gloom, there are some oddities. Young voters, disenchanted though many are with both major parties, still favor Democrats by a healthy margin for the upcoming 2026 midterms—46 percent to the GOP’s 29 among registered young voters. But pollsters caution that this is hardly a ringing endorsement. Most of these voters describe their choice as pragmatic, not passionate: they simply don’t see a better option.Of course, numbers only tell part of the story. Talk to a handful of young people over coffee shops or in campus corridors, and you’ll find a sense of wariness that’s hard to pin to headlines alone. Some look to Washington for answers—President Trump recently declared himself the “affordability president,” promising relief on day-to-day living costs. Yet, watching from afar, many young people remain unconvinced, waiting for actions that transcend slogans.The latest polling, based on responses from just over two thousand young Americans, comes with the usual margin of error. But the broader message is unmistakable: this generation is not apathetic—they’re restless, urgent, and hungry to be heard. If the country’s leaders are paying attention, they should read this as a call, not a complaint. In times as unsettled as these, young Americans aren’t simply losing faith—they’re challenging the nation to do better.