Are younger voters losing hope in the two-party system?

DES MOINES, Iowa – Younger voters seem to be losing faith in the two-party system, as some say they believe it contributes to the perception that America is divided.

Some members of Gen Z generation say they are hesitant to vote this year because they are displeased with candidate options, and were looking for alternatives to former President Donald Trump or current President Joe Biden.

Jack Campbell, a registered Republican and a student at Simpson College in suburban Des Moines, said he wonders if the two-party system has led to the hesitancy to vote, as younger participants claim they feel as though their votes don’t make a difference.

“I think not just recently but in the past couple of years, I have not been a fan of the two party system and I think that we’re seeing the downsides of it right now,” Campbell said.

“They’re worried about how much control they can get, and if they have an R or a D next to their name, and that’s pretty much it. I don’t think that we’re getting the best leaders because of the two-party system,” Campbell said.

Jake Sweeten, another Simpson student, believes the two-party system is necessary but could use some improvements.

“I feel like people are definitely a lot more divided,” Sweeten said. “I would say I don’t think people are really looking for an alternative because I don’t think anyone really has faith that a third party would win, but I think people are extremely fed up with whichever side they’re on.”

While the Caucus continues to draw voters’ attention, Gen Z proceeds to play a pivotal role in this election. As they focus on topics such as abortion, gun violence, climate change, and international policies, Gen Z is still looking for a strong leader to elect.

“It always takes a lot of work to get people to vote, just like for everybody else, you do have to earn their (Gen Z) vote,” said Michael Mitchell, a junior at Drake University. “I feel like a lot of Young Democrats, they will turn out. And I mean, for me, I’m excited to vote.”

Mitchell is the Chair of Drake Dems, a student organization on campus that supports young Democrats. While the organization has about 100 active members, they are hoping the Iowa Caucus sparks a flame in young voters.

“You see a lot of people our age who are more liberal leaning talking about how they don’t want to support Biden or the Democratic Party in November, but they also don’t like Trump either,” Mitchell said. “I think that there’s a good amount of people our age who seem like maybe the system isn’t working for them.”

As classes resume this week, campus organizations across Iowa are looking for ways to get students more involved in politics. Even though some members of Gen Z do not feel thrilled about their choice of candidates, they still understand the importance of voting.

“It really comes down to just people not being interested and their friends not doing it,” Campbell said. “I think it takes strong leaders, strong Gen Z leaders to get other people to vote.”

Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more stories by Gaylord News go to GaylordNews.net.