What We’re Reading: CIRCLE Analysis of Trump & Young Voters
Exclusive Analysis: Donald Trump and Young Voters
CIRCLE has released a comprehensive analysis of Donald Trump’s level of support from young people during the 2016 primaries. It examines how Trump’s support from young voters stacks up with previous Republican nominees, as well as implications for the general election. Major findings include:
- Generally, Donald Trump received a lower level of support from youth than from older voters
- Trump received a slightly larger proportion of estimated youth votes in the primary season than previous Republican nominees McCain and Romney
- As a whole, young people view Trump unfavorably, with young women and youth of color viewing him even more unfavorably. Meanwhile, young people with less formal education showed greater levels of support for Trump in the primaries.
“With less than five months until Election Day, Mr. Trump’s campaign has both challenges and opportunities with young voters,” writes CIRCLE Director Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg. “On the one hand, the youth electorate has been very active this year, with youth participation in the GOP and Democratic contests more evenly split than in recent presidential cycles. On the other hand, youth of color and young women are currently the least likely groups to support Trump.”
Read more, and find all of CIRCLE’s political data and analysis at the CIRCLE 2016 Election Center.
Guest Posts on Youth Political Engagement Beyond Elections
CIRCLE’s current guest post series explores how youth electoral engagement can have broader goals, including connections to civic life and democracy more generally. Three recent posts by practitioners make valuable contributions to that conversation:
- Developing Youth Skills Before and After Election Day, by Mikva Challenge
- A Sense of Youth Agency beyond Elections, by The Roosevelt Institute
- The Local Chapter: A Model for Civic Engagement, by High School Democrats of America
Stay connected to CIRCLE on Facebook and Twitter to learn more.
AASCU's American Democracy Project 