Race to the White House: What Does the Youth Think?

By Ana Laura Macchiarella

Designed by Ana Laura Macchiarella

This year’s presidential race has been chaotic to say the least. I don’t only mean this because of the candidates themselves, or the actual events of the presidential race. I mean this because of the supporters the voters, the public. We’re living in an era where the U.S. could become a danger to itself; both the politicians and the people play a role in that. The insane division between democrats, republicans, and within the parties themselves has also played into the strange state of the current political scene. As someone who doesn’t live in the continental U.S., I may not be experiencing this first hand, but I have a lot of friends and family who are. It is a little disconcerting to watch, but with each election you are given the opportunity to make a decision for what, or better yet, who you believe will better the country. That’s why it’s important to stay informed on current events, the political landscape of where you live, and to use your right to vote. Not only this, but I thought it’d be interesting to see what people from my generation have to say. I sent out a form to some of my friends from where I live and around the U.S. to see what they think, and a total of 40 people answered. So let’s take a look at what the youth’s viewpoint is... 

To start off, I want you to look at some statistics I pulled from the form in regards to the demographic before we get into the actual meat of the form... 

The next part concerned knowledge on U.S. politics and the importance of it... 

Next, the phrase “This is the most important election in our lifetime” has been used over an over throughout the course of this presidential race, here you can see how many people agree or disagree with that statement.

Next, and probably the most important part of this form, I asked who everyone would vote for and why... 

Note: this form was made before RFK Jr. resigned from the race 

A few people who responded chose the “other” option. Here’s how they responded: “I agree with their policies, and I believe the other candidate would do tremendous harm to the country.”“Donald Trump is a threat to the foundation of our republic.”“It’s a mix of party affiliation and genuine belief in the individual and their policies”“She’s the most capable of the two candidates, also I lean left socially so she’d be my candidate unless she was just completely inept, which she isn’t.” 

Now for the final portion of the form was a free response question, “What do you think of the current political landscape in the U.S., particularly in your state?”. I loved reading through the responses, everyone was able to give their own insights, regardless of how brief or lengthy their answers were. It may sound cheesy, but it kind of gives me hope for my generation. Let’s take a look... 

“Voting feels pointless because of the electoral college.” 

“I think that the country is at a tipping point and I think that my state is too complacent and don't understand how impactful their vote still is...It will take more than just the executive branch to steer away from the dangerous MAGA rhetoric that is facing this country.” 

“It is very interesting to see the changes in political landscape just from moving town to town... I don’t discriminate against any political views and I don’t really dive too deep into politics, however it is interesting to watch the people who are huge into politics.” 

“I think we are on the cusp of the greatest political breakthrough our generation might experience.” 

“The Two-Party System needs to be brought to an end. It has only brought corruption and uninformed voters.” 

“The US political scene is making them look like clowns and they are losing power. While they may always be the USA there are other countries improving day by day leaving them behind. In regards to whether this is the most important election, they have been saying this for the past 4 elections...at the end of the day, the important thing here is the history being made by the female political candidates.” 

“It's an absolute mess. although i don't like to care that much about u.s. politics i am really concerned about the future...basically the general trend of the republican party is going far right in the political spectrum and irrational people on both sides of the spectrum are hurling childish insults at each other and they're not taking the time to hear actual arguments...i'm pretty sure there will be a large amount of people unhappy whoever gets elected” 

“The Republican Party is a party whose policies are based on whoever provides the most in lobbying...Other right-wing parties in Europe and Canada wouldn’t touch half the things the US actively tramples on with a ten-foot pole. The Democratic Party has values that aren’t bought and sold.” 

“The U.S. political landscape is highly polarized...This often leads to legislative gridlock and makes it challenging to address critical issues. The influence of populism and social media has further deepened these divides, creating a complex and contentious environment ahead of future elections.” 

“I feel as though at the moment it’s not really about who you want and believe in but more about who you don’t want in office. This election will effect me incredibly, considering i am an trans identifying teenager and i am bisexual and assigned female at birth...The separate layers are so hard to navigate and the constant spread of misinformation only fuel my personal anxiety and lead to me stepping away from that information and from researching politics.” 

“I think there’s a misconception that everyone here in Georgia is a Republican Trump supporter...Gerrymandering does make it a lot harder for those (democratic) views to be represented, and a lot of laws passed at the state level do scare me. I think remaining politically active and aware is incredibly important.” 

“Messed up and corrupted but that’s for the next political generation’s job bc older ones are using more beliefs than facts.” 

“I live in NY (long island specifically) so many of us are on a similar page about how this election needs to go. However, there are definitely more trump supporters than people would expect. Upstate NY is very different than NYC.” 

“I think that the country is at a tipping point and I think that my state is too complacent and don't understand how impactful their vote still is because we have been a historically progressive state. I also think that it's important to pay attention to elections other than the presidency because it will take more than just the executive branch to steer away from the dangerous MAGA rhetoric that is facing this country.” 

“Texas turning blue is evidence that the extremes of the far right are no longer well tolerated...It has exposed the deep entrenched financial divisions between the middle class and the very wealthy, and that’s the next step the next frontier for American politics in our lifetimes; a second new deal, a second great society, the end of the war on the poor and the hungry and and beginning of a war on poverty and hunger.” 

“Living in a more liberal side of Texas, I see a lot more people who are vocal and passionate about their individuality and protective rights, which I tend to agree with more. The current political state in which we live in is also a scary one, though, I feel like politics are always bound to get messy! There’s never going to be a person who is going to tend to the needs and wants of  every person in this country...it’s ultimately about picking the lesser of two evils to create a safer country.” 

While it is true that November is almost here, a lot could still happen. The volatile state of the world and the U.S. demands our attention and our dedication to make informed decisions on not only this election, but how we carry ourselves and our opinions. The country needs someone who will present the policies and ideas that will maintain us on the track to a brighter future. This is particularly important since the U.S. happens to be one of the most powerful countries worldwide, and that power can’t be given to just anyone. I strongly encourage all of you to go out and vote. If you can’t, because you’re underaged or don’t live in the United States per say, tell those you know to go out and vote. Freezing with fear will take the country nowhere, but acting and making a change, no matter how small, can have an impact more profound than you can imagine.