As life becomes more unaffordable for young people, socialism becomes more appealing.
According to a new set of polls exclusively targeting young likely voters, nearly three-in-four Americans aged 18 to 39 think the cost of housing has reached a crisis level, only about two-in-10 think they will be better off than their parents, and approximately six-in-10 want a nationwide rent freeze and government-run grocery stores in every town.
The polls, conducted by Rasmussen Reports and The Heartland Institute, also found that a solid majority of young likely voters want a democratic socialist to win the White House in 2028, including more than four-in-10 self-identified conservatives and two-thirds of those earning more than $200,000 per year.
Clearly, young people are very disillusioned.
Before you dismiss the disenchantment expressed by a large portion of America’s youth, it is vital to understand why such a big chunk of young people feel that the American dream is unreachable.
Although people have different definitions of the American dream, it generally refers to the concept that if you put your nose to the grindstone, you should reap the reward of being able to afford a comfortable place to live, along with the bare necessities like groceries, while also having the capacity to save for the future.
For some, the American dream is synonymous with home ownership. For others, it is about upward economic mobility and the notion that every generation should enjoy a better life than the previous one.
However you portray it, the common denominator of the American dream has been that if you work hard and play by the rules, you should prosper.
For more than two centuries, the American dream has been alive and well. It has inspired millions to come to the United States so that they can pursue happiness on their terms.
Since the dawn of the 21st century, the ability to pursue one’s happiness and the likelihood of achieving the American dream have dwindled primarily due to increased government meddling in core economic fields.
As we’ve seen government intervene more in areas like housing, education, health care, and energy, we’ve also witnessed the end of the invisible hand and the abandonment of free-market principles. We now live in an economy sick from decades of crony capitalist infiltration.
Never forget, crony capitalism breeds corruption, which fosters resentment among those who believe they cannot fully participate in the rigged system.
Unsurprisingly, we’ve also seen the cost of these essential items exceed the rate of inflation. The housing situation is particularly problematic. Consider these statistics: “Home prices have increased twice as much as overall inflation since 2013,” and “Millennials pay nearly twice as much as baby boomers did for homes in 1985.”
Amid this turmoil and frustration, young people are increasingly vulnerable to a socialist-infused American dream because they feel that the system has been rigged against them.
Unlike the traditional American dream, which emphasized personal responsibility and hard work, a new American dream is taking shape that puts government and the collective, not the individual, front and center.
Under the democratic socialist American dream, the government will ensure that all needs are met. Instead of promoting an equal playing field, the government will promote equal outcomes.
This is highly dangerous because it is anathema to the very principles that made America the land of opportunity, the world’s beacon of freedom, and the most prosperous nation in human history.
Young Americans need to learn that every time the government has tried to engineer equal outcomes, it has led to more poverty, envy, dependence, and many more awful consequences. Inevitably, it requires repression, coercion, and brute force because nearly all humans would rather be left to their own devices than become mere automatons in a socialist system.
The American dream is precious and unique because it puts the onus of responsibility on the individual, not the government. If young people really want to revive the American dream and make life affordable, they should reject big government socialism and demand a return to the free-market principles that made the American dream generally attainable for hard-working young people not that long ago.
Chris Talgo (ctalgo@heartland.org) is editorial director at The Heartland Institute.