Gen Z is struggling to survive — and Republicans can't afford to look away |
Personal finance expert Dave Ramsey discusses America’s affordability crisis, rising Gen Z and millennial debt and what falling gas prices mean for family budgets.
Young Americans’ apathy toward the Republican Party is not ideological; it comes from the simple fact that they can no longer afford to dream. They were raised on a basic American covenant: work hard, graduate, land a good-paying job, buy a home and start a family. But the gateway to that dream is a stable income, and for millions, that’s no longer attainable. Youth unemployment is at 10.4% — more than double the national average — and housing costs have exploded by 47% since 2020. A generation that did everything we told them would lead to the American Dream now confronts an economy where the math does not add up.
For millions of Gen Z voters, economic participation is becoming aspirational rather than achievable. They are building advanced skills shaped by AI, working longer hours in a volatile labor market, yet facing stagnant wages and financial insecurity far worse than their predecessors. And the problem is not their work ethic; it’s the economic rules written in Washington.
The Republican Party is dead wrong if it assumes young voters are rejecting conservatism. They reject a system they believe is working against their ability to achieve the American Dream. Before the 2024 election, 58% of Gen Z and younger millennials were........