The baby boom generation has always defied categorization, refusing to conform to the values and traditions of their elders.
And that's proving no less true in their politics.
One might think that as they age, boomers as a group would drift to the right in their political values, as prior generations have tended to do.
But in reality, as a new study reveals, boomers remain independent thinkers, uncommitted to any one set of political values or beliefs, even as the nation as a whole increasingly divides along harsh ideological lines.
Indeed, boomers’ values remain highly variable and nearly impossible to label, according to a study by RoperASW for the AARP.
Boomers are far more likely than their predecessors to fragment along issue rather than party lines.
“When it comes to politics, boomers are very issue-sensitive,” says Jeffrey Love, research director of AARP.
“The generations before them tended to be party-loyal and follow their parents’ lead. But boomers want to see issues played out on their own terms, regardless of which party believes what.”
The survey was conducted from a pool of 1,804 Americans belonging to the Baby Boom generation (ages 40-57), the Silent Generation (58-69) and the GI Generation (70 and older).
It found that boomers tend to share a mix of political views simultaneously, being liberal on some issues while conservative on others.
For example, 74 percent are in favor of more environmental regulations, 57 percent support legal abortions, 55 percent are for stem cell research, and 26 percent support gay marriage.
At the same time, four in 10 boomers say they have become more politically conservative as they have aged, with 75 percent in favor of school prayer, 70 percent in support of the death penalty, and 65 percent agreeing that civil liberties should be curbed because of terrorism.
Boomers are also evenly split on what matters most in a political candidate, positions on key issues or personality.
But the survey did find some commonalities among boomers as well.
According to the results, boomers are increasingly disenchanted with the two-party political system and with the government in general, preferring to rely on their own judgment in making important social and economic decisions.
Fifty-six percent feel the country would benefit from a strong third party. Only 32 percent trust the government to do what is right all or most of the time.
Additionally, boomers are less likely than the GI generation to believe it is very important to serve in the military, pay taxes or pay attention to political issues.
These findings arrive in light of a recent study from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, which concludes that political polarization in the U.S. is now at a 20-year high.
According to the Pew study, which posed a series of social, economic and political questions to members of both parties, there was a 17-percent difference in political and party attitudes between Republicans and Democrats in 2003.
That’s up from 14 percent in 1999 and 11 percent in 1997.
So, in the face of such polarization, why is there such continued political unpredictability on the part of the world’s largest cohort?
At least two factors play a role.
One, according to Love, has to do with how boomers were raised.
“The boomer generation was doted on and placed in the spotlight because it was the first generation born after World War II,” he says.
“Boomers were given many more opportunities than their parents had, which added to their mystique as the ‘special’ generation, and has led them to be very concerned with their own self-interests.”
According to Love, this means that when considering politics on an issue-by-issue basis, Boomers are more likely than their parents or their children to ask, “How does this fit into my life?” and “How does it enhance my standing?”
Therefore, a particular issue does not have to be labeled “conservative” or “liberal” for a boomer to latch onto it. Rather, it must effectively serve a personal need or desire.
Another reason for such wide fluctuations in political values: the nature of the generation itself.
“The baby boomer cohort spans 18 years, meaning that you and your child could technically both be baby boomers,” says Robert Thompson, professor of media and popular culture at Syracuse University.
“Whenever you have such a wide array of people, you can expect the range of political views to be diverse.”
Regardless, Thompson sees this study as culturally significant.
“When someone says ‘baby boomer,’ you think of a former hippie who went to Woodstock and took recreational drugs,” he says. “The results of this study show that you really can’t make that kind of generalization.
“The cohort is just too dynamic for that.”
From : www.medialifemagazine.com
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