What's the difference between millenial and Gen Z politics?

[Damocles]

It’s also important to note that Zoomers are the first generation not to remember a time before high-speed internet service was commonly available. It’s not unusual for a Zoomer to interact with people across the world, and to see their correspondents as equals. Zoomers also understand the world as a complicated and messy place riddled with ambiguities, and that it’s generally not wise to make judgments or pronouncements before you really know somebody.

At the same time, Zoomers also understand themselves as inheriting their parents’ and grandparents’ mistakes, as well as being burdened with the awesome responsibility of 1) stopping the rot and 2) forging more rational and sane policies. They saw the ineptitude and incompetence of the Trump administration’s handling of the Coronavirus, and believe that truth and respect and integrity are all things worth preserving and defending.

These diametrically opposed forces combine to create a generation of people who are cosmopolitan-minded, yet also firmly patriotic; who are hard-nosed and ruthless, while also calm and patient; who value individual conscience and development, while also valuing group solidarity and collective responsibilities; and who prize skill and competence and wisdom, while matching that with passion and love.

In other words, Boomers were the “f#%k around” generation, Zoomers are the “find out” generation.

[Damocles]

Another thing I've noticed is that there seems to be more gender equality in their social interactions and expectations of one another.  I feel like mixed gender friend groups are much more common than I remember from when I was the same age.  One thing that particularly struck me this year was that many of my sixth grade students were surprised to learn that Kamala Harris is the first woman ever to be VP.  They just sort of assumed at least some woman had been there before her.

Anecdotally, this is true! From my perspective, there are some women whom I’m friendly with, but not sexual or romantic with. I understand relationships as having many different components that can interlace, and it’s not a binary on-off switch. Relationships are more a dialogue between two people that evolves over time as each person contributes something. If there’s a break, you pick up where you last left off.

This is how some girls can be seen as “just one of the boys”, even if none of the guys in the group want anything sexual from her. Sure, that can and does happen, but it isn’t universal.

[Damocles]

On the contrary. Gen Z feels much more enthused to organize & be outspoken. Whether it's at the Floyd March or for a local campaign, I'm seeing much more 18-21 year olds taking public & leadership initiative. I'm really amazed and a little jealous how much more politically active my younger cohorts have been. 10 years later, my old high school now has a Young Democrats club. I never would've envisioned even 5 of my peers wanting to take time away from lunch to discuss campaigns.

Yes. Anecdotally, there has been a lot more interest in political ideology and orienting one’s self in the world. For all the memetic fracturing that does happen when becoming ideological, there are also many millions of Zoomers trying to learn the arts of rhetoric, speech, and relationship-building - all of which are critical to political candidacies.

There’s no reason that you, conceivably, couldn’t participate in party politics and maybe jump into the ring yourself. After all, that’s what Run For Something is for - it’s designed to help younger, Zoomer candidates learn the ropes of politics, and get the mentorship they need to occupy that position of power.