Young Americans want to feel listened to by an authentic and genuine political candidate, according to a new survey from American University’s Sine Institute of Policy & Politics, providing insight into the key voting demographic weeks out from the presidential election.
The results were unveiled at the Sept. 17 event “What’s America Thinking: Young Voters of Today, Political Leaders of Tomorrow,” hosted by The Hill and the Sine Institute, which included a discussion with lawmakers, researchers and human rights and voter organizations.
This is the Sine Institute’s third annual survey focused on young voters, with over 1,200 Americans ages 18-34 participating in this year’s survey and oversampling for Hispanic, Black and LGBTQ+ respondents.
The results show that 51 percent of young Americans value integrity and 47 percent value authenticity in a political candidate. Other important traits included inclusivity (46 percent), compassion (44 percent), compromise (40 percent), and idealism (36 percent).