By Lew Blank
Donald Trump’s victory in 2024 was punctuated by a particularly sharp shift rightward among young men.
While rising costs were voters’ top issue this past election, some have argued that the shift to Trump among young men — and a similar shift in Europe, where rising support for the far right has been most pronounced among young men — is driven by something deeper.
Social scientist Richard Reeves believes that young men are being driven rightward in part by feelings of unneededness in their work and communities, which are associated with increasing levels of social isolation and a perceived lack of purpose.
In a new survey, Data for Progress provided voters with two descriptions of America’s problems — one that was focused on affordability, and one that was focused on declines in meaning and community — and asked them which presents a bigger problem for the U.S.
Among voters overall, the economic message outperforms the meaning and community message by a substantial 67%-30% margin. However, among men who voted for Trump, the message about meaning and community (51%) slightly outperforms the economic message (47%). Women who voted for Trump, on the other hand, choose the economic message by a 65%-32% margin.
Young men aged 18-39 are more inclined than voters overall to select the message about meaning and community, although they still favor the economic message by a 54%-43% margin.