The Generational Gap in American Politics

This book examines the history of the generational gap in American politics, with an emphasis on the remarkable contemporary gap.

Using data derived primarily from the American National Election Studies (ANES), 2020 National Election Pool, A.P VoteCast, and the Pew Research Center, Patrick Fisher argues that the political environment experienced by successive generations as they have come of age politically influences political attitudes throughout one’s life. The result is that different generations have distinct political leanings that they will maintain over their lifetimes. Fisher examines each generation from the Greatest Generation through to Generation Z, who have recently started to come of voting age. He cites the entry of the Millennial Generation and Generation Z into the electorate as completely changing the generational dynamics of American politics, through their distinct political leanings that are significantly to the left of older generations. As a result he concludes that demographically, politically, economically, socially, and technologically, the generations are more different from each other now than at any time in living memory.

The Generational Gap in American Politics will appeal to a scholarly and public audience interested in American politics in general and political behavior in particular.

Patrick Fisher is Professor of Political Science at Seton Hall University. Among the courses he teaches are U.S. Political Behavior, U.S. Elections, Congress, and the Presidency. Dr. Fisher is the author of Insufficient Representation: The Disconnect between Congress and Its Citizens (2018), Demographic Gaps in American Political Behavior (2014), The Politics of Taxing and Spending (2009), and Congressional Budgeting: A Representational Perspective (2005).