Millennials surprisingly support ISIS military fight
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (Christina Examiner) -- Survey results released by the Harvard Institute of Politics last month reveal that Millennials support sending troops to fight the Islamic State but yet at the same time distrust government.
The Harvard Youth Poll was conducted by a group of undergraduates from the Kennedy School of Government between March and April and overseen by John Della Volpe, IOP's director of polling.
The survey questioned 3,034 young adults ages 18 to 29 about current headlining political topics.
About 57 percent of Millennials support the United States initiating ground action against ISIS -- a level of support consistent with what Americans in general have expressed in other polls.
These young voters also showed a general disregard for potential Republican presidential candidates, giving none more than 10 percent support and indicating no front runner in the unfolding 2016 primary campaign.
More troubling for conservatives, the majority, or 55 percent, of those surveyed said they preferred to see a Democrat in the Oval Office.
Hillary Clinton, the only Democrat to declare so far, connected with 47 percent of young adults.
Elizabeth Warren was the choice among 11 percent in the survey followed by Joe Biden (8 percent), Martin O'Malley (3 percent), Jim Webb (2 percent) and Bernie Sanders (1 percent).
Importantly, the 18-29 year-olds were split, 49 percent to 49 percent, on the U.S. judicial system's ability to "fairly judge people without bias for race and ethnicity."
Yet racial bias appeared to exist within the group itself.
For example, as a whole they were evenly divided in their opinion about national "#BlackLivesMatter" campaigns, but significantly fewer whites than other demographic groups supported the protests seeking to protest police treatment of African-Americans (whites, 37 percent, Hispanics, 59 percent, African-Americans, 81 precent).
Larger institutions offered common ground for Millennials. According to the survey, whether Democrat or Republican, most-- or 83 percent--demonstrated no faith in Congress and did not trust the courts, police, military and the media.
"Millennials are on a completely different page than most politicians in Washington, D.C.," Della Volpe said in a statement released with the results. "This is a more cynical generation when it comes to political institutions."
Other key findings of the survey included the group's belief that global warming was fact, at least 20 percent say they have someone close to them who has experienced a sexual assault, but only 11 percent reported they themselves were assault victims.