ABSTRACT
The generational divide in terms of ideological preferences and voting behavior today is unprecedented. For the second half of the twentieth century, there was remarkably modest political disparity between generational cohorts. This lack of an age divide in American ideological and partisan preferences led the field of political science to generally focus on demographic gaps in American politics other than generational differences. The entry of Millennials into the electorate, however, has completely changed the generational dynamics of American politics. After the Millennial Generation first entered the electorate at the turn of the century there has been a considerable generational gap in American politics. Looking at the generations from both a partisan and an ideological perspective, it is evident that Millennials have emerged as a generation that identifies themselves as both considerably more liberal and more Democratic than the rest of the contemporary American population, and in Gen Z’s first presidential election they have followed in the Millennials’ footsteps. The Silent Generation, on the other hand, has become by a significant margin the generation most likely to identify as conservative and Republican.
