Harvard Youth Poll Finds a Generation Under Pressure — and Losing Faith in the System

Topline Results / Crosstabs

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (April 23, 2026) — A new national poll from the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School finds young Americans under intense economic pressure and increasingly losing faith in the political system. The 52nd Harvard Youth Poll shows that for many 18- to 29-year-olds, the cost of living — especially inflation and housing — defines what they see as a true crisis, while trust in government, elections, and national leadership remains strikingly low. Even as young voters lean Democratic, uneven turnout, low enthusiasm, and widespread skepticism about the fairness of elections suggest that participation in the 2026 midterms may be shaped as much by doubt as by political preference.

Compared with our poll ahead of President Trump’s first midterm election in 2018, the most defining shift among young Americans is a loss of perceived agency — a growing belief that what they do no longer shapes what happens next. Half now say people like them have no real say in government. Trust in the federal government has fallen to 15 percent, and confidence in the military has dropped sharply, from 51 percent to 39 percent.

Political engagement is still present, but its meaning is changing. Fewer young Americans believe participation delivers results, and most see elected officials as driven by self-interest. What once converted concern into action is becoming something more conditional — a generation still paying attention, still showing up, but increasingly unsure that their voice carries weight.

Among the key findings:

• Economic pressure defines this moment for young Americans: Inflation (50% impacted “a lot”) and housing (41%) drive both lived experience and urgency, alongside widespread financial strain and a sharp decline in long-term optimism.
• Military action in Iran is seen as not in the best interests of Americans: A majority say military action is not in the U.S. interest, with 72% worried about escalation and 71% about economic impact.
• The country feels off track: Only 13% say the U.S. is headed in the right direction, while 59% say it’s on the wrong track, and approval remains low for President Trump (25%) and both parties in Congress (26% Democrats, 25% Republicans).
• Young voters favor Democrats: Democrats lead 45% to 26% among young registered voters in the generic ballot. While Democrats say they are more likely than Republicans to vote in November (Democrats 55%, Republicans 35%, Independents 25%), a plurality remain cynical about the system as a whole.
• Trust in the system is weak: Just 33% of young Americans say they trust the 2026 elections will be conducted fairly, while 43% do not and 21% are unsure, highlighting deep uncertainty about the integrity of the process.

Since 2000, the Harvard Public Opinion Project has provided the most comprehensive look at young Americans' political opinions and voting trends. It provides essential insight into their concerns at a time when the nation is confronting numerous challenges at home and abroad. President Kennedy once said, “It is a time for a new generation of leadership to cope with new problems and new opportunities.” The IOP is preparing a new generation of political leaders to confront these very challenges and gain the ability to successfully lead in today's complicated political landscape. Identifying areas of concern through the Harvard Youth Poll lets tomorrow's political leaders get started on ideas, strategies, and solutions and allows them to decide today what the next generation of political leadership needs to look like.

The Spring 2026 Harvard Youth Poll surveyed 2,018 young Americans between 18 and 29 years old nationwide and was conducted between March 26 and April 3, 2026.

“The Harvard Youth Poll is a critical barometer for the attitudes and opinions of young Americans, and this year’s findings underscore a profound sense of unease,” said Beth Meyers and Ned Price, Interim Co-Directors of the IOP. “From a lack of trust in leaders, to deep-seated worries about the economy and military action in Iran, young people today have clear concerns about where our country is headed.”

“The economy is squeezing them. Iran is raising real fear. And too many young Americans feel invisible to the people in power — let alone represented by them,” said John Della Volpe, Director of Polling at the Institute of Politics. “In a democracy, that’s a signal leaders can’t afford to ignore.”

"A pervasive sense of threat is defining everyday life for young Americans, and they are increasingly losing faith in fundamental systems of democracy and political participation," said Sophia Robertson, Student Chair of the Harvard Public Opinion Project. "Young people have consistently felt unheard; now they feel unheard and actively in crisis."

Ten key findings from the 52nd poll in the biannual series are below.

1. Economic pressure is the defining crisis for young Americans.

Inflation and housing dominate both personal experience and perceptions of national urgency, while most other issues are seen as serious — but not urgent — or even overstated.

• Roughly half of young Americans say that they are personally affected “a lot” by inflation (50%) and rising housing prices (41%), and nearly as many define these issues as urgent national crises (46% and 40%, respectively).
• Beyond the economy, urgency drops off sharply: while 52% say health care affects them at least somewhat (29% “a lot”), 38% see it as an urgent national crisis.
• Overall, 45% of young Americans say they are struggling to make ends meet (10%) or getting by with little financial security (35%). Financial strain is even more pronounced among those without a college pathway: 57% of young Americans not enrolled in college and without a degree report financial vulnerability, including 52% who say they are struggling or just getting by.
• Over the last five years, young Americans’ belief that they will be better off financially than their parents has narrowed sharply. In 2021, optimism held a clear edge, with a +21-point gap between those who expected to be better off (38%) and worse off (17%). Today, that margin has tightened to just +3 points, with 29% saying they will be better off and 26% expecting to be worse off. Image

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2. Young Americans have little confidence in the direction of the country — or the leaders in charge.

Few believe the country is on the right track, and approval ratings for President Trump and both parties in Congress remain low and nearly indistinguishable — pointing to a broader collapse in confidence in political leadership.

• Just 13% of young Americans say the country is on the right track, while a majority (59%) say it is on the wrong track and 26% remain unsure — showing little movement since Fall 2025.
• Approval of national leadership remains uniformly low: 25% approve of President Trump’s job performance, down from 29% in Fall 2025 and identical to Spring 2018.
• Congressional Democrats (26%) and Republicans (25%) receive nearly identical approval ratings. In Spring 2018, approval of Congressional Democrats was 41% while Republican approval was 24%.

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3. Young Americans favor Democrats in the midterms — but lack confidence in the system itself.

A clear Democratic advantage is offset by weak trust in election fairness and uneven enthusiasm, raising early questions about turnout in 2026.

• Democrats lead the generic congressional ballot among young Americans, 36% to 22%. Among registered voters, that advantage widens to 45% to 26%, with double-digit leads across nearly every major subgroup — including men, women, both age cohorts, and independents — and especially large margins among Black (+49) and Hispanic (+29) voters.
• Confidence in the system is limited: just 33% say they trust the 2026 midterms will be conducted fairly, while 43% do not and 21% are unsure. This matters — those with lower trust are significantly less likely to say they plan to vote.
• Intent to vote is steady but uneven: 35% say they will “definitely” vote, in line with 2018 (37%) and 2022 (36%), but with a wide partisan gap — 55% of Democrats compared to 35% of Republicans and 25% of independents.
• Even with a clear partisan preference, enthusiasm remains constrained: just 12% say they feel motivated and ready to participate. Larger shares describe a more muted posture — 26% of Democrats and 30% of independents say they feel cynical, while 25% of Republicans say they are paying attention but not strongly engaged — pointing to an electorate shaped more by skepticism than energy.

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4. Young voters feel disconnected from both parties — and are looking for a new generation of leadership.

While Democrats hold an advantage, majorities of young voters believe both parties prioritize elites over people like them, fueling demand for candidates who are younger and more aligned with their values.

• Young Americans say both political parties care more about elites than people like them, including a +41-point margin for Republicans and +11 for Democrats, underscoring broad disconnection even as Democrats perform somewhat better.
• This frustration translates into a clear demand for change: the ideal age for a congressional candidate is just 39, far younger than the current makeup of Congress.
• What matters most is alignment however, not identity: 37% say a candidate who shares their values is the most important attribute — more than double the share who prioritize independence from special interests (17%).
• All other characteristics — including age, outsider status, and demographic background — rank at 5% or lower, reinforcing that young voters are driven less by labels and more by whether candidates genuinely reflect their beliefs.

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5. Young Americans experience safety in two distinct ways — grounded confidence in their own lives, and rising concern about the country overall.

While most young Americans say they feel safe in their own communities, women consistently report lower levels of personal safety than men — a gap that is most pronounced at night, where differences in lived experience are clearest.

• Strong majorities of young Americans say they feel safe in their community during the day (85%) and at night (66%), but women are significantly less likely than men to feel safe — particularly after dark (74% of men vs. 59% of women).
• At the same time, many young Americans believe safety is declining nationwide, even as their own experiences remain relatively stable. A plurality (38%) say the country is becoming less safe, compared to 10% who say it is becoming safer and 35% who say it is about the same.
• Young Americans bring a clear lens to how policy shapes safety, and immigration enforcement stands out as a defining example. By more than a three-to-one margin, young Americans say regularly conducted ICE enforcement actions in their communities would make them feel less safe (47%) rather than more safe (13%).
• Pluralities across racial groups share this view, including 44% of white, 44% of Black, and 50% of Hispanic young Americans who say ICE enforcement would make their communities less safe.

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6. Young Americans are wary of expanding presidential power — even in times of crisis.

While many young Americans recognize the need for government action during emergencies, they express clear limits on how much power leaders should have. There is broad concern that emergency powers could be overused or abused, reflecting deep skepticism about unchecked authority.

• A majority of young Americans (53%) say it would be unacceptable for a president to bypass Congress after declaring a national emergency. Just 22% say such action would be acceptable (11% of Democrats, 40% of Republicans, and 19% of independents), while 20% are unsure.
• Clear majorities also reject other expansions of executive power, including 62% who say it is unacceptable for a president to defy or ignore a court order. A majority (56%) say it would be unacceptable to revoke a person’s citizenship or legal status during a national emergency -- and roughly half (51%) say it would be unacceptable for a president to override decisions made by state or local authorities.

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7. "National emergency" rhetoric is less credible when it comes from President Trump.

Young Americans are significantly less likely to interpret an issue as a true emergency when the language comes from President Trump rather than a neutral national leader. More broadly, they apply the label of “national emergency” selectively, reserving it primarily for economic pressures and a small number of other issues that directly affect their daily lives.

• When a neutral national leader declares something a national emergency, 28% of young Americans interpret it as an urgent crisis requiring immediate action — more than double the share (12%) who say the same when the statement comes from President Trump. By contrast, 39% say a “national emergency” declaration from President Trump is mostly a political exaggeration, compared to 23% who say the same when the phrase is used by a national leader.
• Rising prices and inflation (46%) and the cost of housing (40%) are the only issues that large shares of young Americans consider urgent national crises, far outpacing other issues tested.
• Other challenges — including health care (38%), climate change (35%), fentanyl (31%), and crime (25%) — are more likely to be seen as serious issues, but not emergencies, while immigration (27%) is among the most likely to be viewed as politically exaggerated.
• Thirty-six percent (36%) of young Americans report that the ongoing U.S. military actions in Iran constitute an urgent crisis with another 21% saying it's a serious issue, but not necessarily an emergency.

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8. Young Americans do not believe military action in Iran is in the best interest of the country — and they see it as a direct risk to their lives.

Rather than viewing the Iran conflict as protective of U.S. interests, young Americans are overwhelmingly concerned about escalation, economic fallout, and the risk of broader instability — including at home.

• A majority (55%) of young Americans say military action in Iran is not in the best interest of the American people, reflecting deep skepticism toward U.S. involvement. Less than one-in-five (18%) believe it is in the best interests of the people -- while 24% are unsure.
• Strong majorities express concern about the consequences of the conflict, including:
  • 72% worry it could escalate into a much larger war
  • 71% are concerned about the impact on the cost of living
  • 71% fear attacks on U.S. troops, embassies, or interests
  • 68% say they are concerned about not knowing what information is accurate
  • 63% are uneasy about military action taken without congressional approval
  • 61% worry about a direct attack on the U.S. homeland
• While most young Americans disapprove of the current military action in Iran, still a majority (55%) believe that Iran poses a threat to America (unchanged since 2017) placing it alongside Russia (59%), China (54%) and North Korea (51%). In the survey, only international terrorist organizations (67%) and drug cartels (69%) are seen as greater threats.

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9. Young Americans draw clear lines between alliances that benefit the U.S. and those they see as costly.

While partnerships with neighboring countries and economic allies are widely viewed as beneficial, relationships tied to military conflict are far more likely to be seen as burdens. 

• Young Americans say relationships with Canada (53% benefit, 9% burden), Mexico (40% benefit, 20% burden), and the European Union (45% benefit, 14% burden), are a benefit to the United States.
• By contrast, they are far more likely to see relationships with Israel (16% benefit, 46% burden) and Ukraine (21% benefit, 31% burden) as burdens rather than benefits.
• The gaps are stark: Canada is seen as a net benefit by +44 points, while Israel is seen as a net burden by –30 points, highlighting how sharply young Americans distinguish between alliances.

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10. Majority of Young Americans Now Say “People Like Me Don't Have Any Say”

Young Americans are caught between political awareness and political powerlessness, with trust in the federal government at an all-time low of 15% and nearly three-quarters calling elected officials selfish

• Half of young Americans (50%) now agree that “people like me don't have any say about what the government does” — up 15 points from 2017. The sentiment crosses party lines: 53% of Democrats, 52% of Independents, and 48% of Republicans all feel voiceless, even as the Republican Party controls the White House and Congress.
• Only 15% of young Americans trust the federal government to do the right thing all or most of the time — the lowest level recorded — while 68% say elected officials are motivated by selfish reasons, with the share who strongly agree increasing from 26% in 2017 to 39% today.
• Just 26% of young Americans feel hopeful about the future of America — down from 55% in 2021. The collapse cuts across parties. Hope among young Democrats has fallen from 78 percent to 12 percent in five years. Among young Republicans — whose party controls Washington — it has dropped by ten points in the past year, from 67% to 57%.

Methodology

This poll of 2,018 18-to-29-year-olds was organized with undergraduate students from the Harvard Public Opinion Project (HPOP) and supervised by John Della Volpe, Director of Polling. Data were collected by Ipsos Public Affairs using the KnowledgePanel. KnowledgePanel provides probability-based samples with an "organic" representation of the study population for measurement of public opinions, attitudes, and behaviors. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish between March 26 and April 3, 2026. Design weights for all KnowledgePanel (KP) assignees were computed to reflect their selection probabilities. The design weights KP respondents were raked to align with the following geodemographic distributions of the aged 18 to 29 population. The needed benchmarks were obtained from the 2025 March Supplement of the Current Population Survey (CPS) and language proficiency benchmark was obtained from the 2024 American Community Survey (ACS). Additionally, party affiliation and 2024 presidential vote choice benchmarks were obtained from the 2025 Pew’s National Public Opinion Reference Survey (NPORS). The margin of error for the total sample is ±2.74%

Harvard Public Opinion Project (HPOP) Student Leadership:

• Sophia Robertson '28 (Student Chair)
• Andres De Marco '29 (Research Team Leader - Foreign Policy)
• Carter Umphress '28 (Research Team Leader - Elections)
• Jakob Usandivaras (Research Team Leader - Emergency Politics)
• Juan Wulff '29 (Research Team Leader - Crime & Public Safety)

HPOP Members
Maurits Acosta '29,Theresa Bartelme '29,Sydney Burns '29,Anil Cacodcar '26,Benjamin Chait '27,Brandon Cheng '29,Zachary Dyrlund '29, Rachael Dziaba'26,Scarlett Eldaief '28,Lucas Fang '29,Asia Foland '29,Soleei Guasp '27,Caroline Hennigan '28,Martina Jaramillo '29,Morgan Johnson '29,Tova Kaplan '26,Avery Kim '27, Liam Krol '29,Annika Krovi '28,John Kulow '26,Shayna Leng '27, James Miller '29,Kritika Nagappa '26,Henry Pahlow '28,Michelle Park '29,Husam Ramadan '29,Dylan Rhoton '28,Ella Ricketts '28, Jordan Schwartz '27,Grant Shadman '29,Jack Tueting '27,Kaitlyn Vu '27, andElla Witalec '29. 

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