Young adults approaching voting age in the U.S. are doing so in a political climate unlike any other.
Over the past four years, growing party polarization and hot-button issues have been the topic of conversation as young adults in the country are finding their political and social identity.
In swing states like Arizona, where issues related to the border and immigration mirror the national debate, the political climate is almost a microcosm of the country.
The question is how do these factors impact a person’s political position? More specifically, how do they impact young people from marginalized groups like Latinos and Native American populations in Arizona?
That’s what Nilda Flores-Gonzalez wanted to find out.
Flores-Gonzalez is leading a study titled, “Youth Vote and Political Engagement in Unsettled Times.” The research project examines how the social and political identities of young adults develop amid political turmoil and shape their political attitudes and behaviors in 2024.
Arizona State University researcher Flores-Gonzalez, who is the principal investigator, and co-principal investigators Angela Gonzales, Nathan Martin and Emir Estrada are being supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the Russell Sage Foundation.
“We want to look at how young people develop their political views and what leads them to certain political ideologies and affiliations,” said Flores-Gonzalez, a professor in the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics. “What drives some of them to follow Trump and makes others follow Harris?”
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