The September 11th Generation
The National Security Beliefs of Voters Under 30
In 2004, voters under 30 turned out in numbers bigger than in any year since 18-year-olds were given the right to vote--in 10 years, voters under 30 will compose 25% of the electorate. These children of the baby boomers, whose searing political memories are the fall of the twin towers and the Iraq war, have an entirely new way of looking at national security. Theold dove-hawk, liberal-conservative dichotomies crafted during the Cold Wars and solidifed with the Vietnam generation are useless in describing today's young. Voters under 30 are simultaneously human rights crusaders and supporters of a strong military. They are concerned about traditional and non-traditional security threats and comfortable with the use of force--but adamant about working with alliances and maintaining the repect of other countries. They are the September 11th Generation, a generation that is quietly but powerfully helping to reshape our national security debate.
