By Sarah Fortinsky - 09/17/24

The vast majority of young adults say they are worried about the state of U.S. democracy, according to a poll published Tuesday by the Sine Institute for Policy and Politics at American University.

The poll, conducted July 29 to Aug. 9, shows 83 percent of young adults say they either strongly agree (42 percent) or somewhat agree (41 percent) that they are “worried about the state of our democracy.” Another 17 percent strongly disagree (4 percent) or somewhat disagree (13 percent).

The poll provides a glimpse into how young adults, ages 18-34, view the world and the country’s future.

Three-quarters of respondents say they are “optimistic and hopeful” when they think of their future, including 30 percent who strongly agree with that statement and 45 percent who somewhat agree. Only 7 percent strongly disagree with the statement, while 18 percent somewhat disagree.

However, fewer young adults share that optimistic view of the United States’s future.

A slim majority (53 percent) say they are not optimistic or hopeful when they think about the country’s future, including 37 percent who “somewhat” share this view and 16 percent who “strongly” share this view.

Just less than half (47 percent) of young adults are optimistic and hopeful when they think about the country’s future, including 15 percent who strongly agree with that sentiment and 32 percent who somewhat agree.

Ahead of the 2024 election, a plurality (48 percent) of young adults support Vice President Harris, while 27 percent support former President Trump. Another 14 percent say they would vote for a third-party candidate if they appear on the ballot, while 11 percent say they are undecided.

Among the young adults who are also registered to vote, Harris’s performance improves. She gets 55 percent of registered young adults’ support, Trump gets 24 percent, third-party candidates get 11 percent, and 10 percent say they are undecided.

The total support for each candidate includes those who “lean” toward a specific candidate.

In a head-to-head matchup, Harris gets 55 percent of young adults, Trump gets 33 percent and 12 percent say they are undecided. Among young adults registered to vote, Harris gets 61 percent of support, Trump gets 29 percent, and 10 percent are undecided.

The survey was conducted by Generation Lab, including 1,214 online interviews with young adults.