New Data Shows Young People Are Angry, Anxious, and Frustrated by Current Political System

NextGen America’s Pulse Check Texts shows top priorities for 18-29-year-olds across the country

Washington, D.C. — NextGen America released today the complete results from their most recent listening campaign, or Pulse Check Texts. The peer-to-peer campaign conducted via text messaging aims to better understand young people across the country, both on and off college campuses, and their top issues.

The project is an expansion of NextGen America’s work from 2025, and includes outreach in Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. For the Pulse Check campaign, NextGen America’s digital organizing team and volunteers contacted over 1 million young people ages 18-29.

The young people NextGen America contacted named economy and affordability as their top issue (28%), rising fascism/threats to democracy second-most (19%), multiple issues third-most (13%), and foreign policy fourth (12%).

To access the complete results and analysis, check out NextGen America’s Substack, In Case You(th) Missed It.

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About NextGen America
NextGen America is a nationwide organization with a mission to educate and empower young people to organize, vote, and lead.