5. Which youth demographic populations lean left and which lean right? Why did these numbers lead Kristen Soltis Anderson, a Republican pollster, to conclude that “Republicans are in trouble”?
6. The article concludes:
Young people are not likely to forget the activism they’re learning now, said Ella Robinson, a 16-year-old in Silver Spring, Md. The Trump era has taught her and her fellow students political savvy, she said, as their spontaneous school walkouts have been replaced by organized protests, with permits and tailored messages around issues like gun control and climate change.
“People in my generation are very aware that walkouts can only go so far,” Ms. Robinson said. “Voting needs to happen.”
Do you agree with Ella? How has recent youth activism affected you and your political outlook?
Finally, tell us more about what you think:
— What did you learn from the article? What was most intriguing or surprising about the political views of your generation? How did your place on the political spectrum revealed in the quiz above compare with the views of other young people detailed in the article?
— Which of the teenagers interviewed and profiled did you most identify with and why? In what way are their lives, political views or personal journeys similar to or different from yours? What quotation or image stands out most and why?
— How important are politics to you? What issues matter to you most and why? How has growing up during the Trump presidency shaped your political outlook?
Further Research
Conduct your own surveys on the political views of young people at your school or in your neighborhood. How do your results compare with the findings in this article. What methods did you use and why?
Related Learning Network Resources
