Young Americans, frustrated by what they see as a country heading in the wrong direction and an uncertain future, are deeply pessimistic about both major political parties and the state of the economy, according to a new national survey.
The 51st edition of the Harvard Youth Poll, released Thursday, shows that Americans aged 18–29 strongly disapprove of the job performance of President Donald Trump as well as Democrats and Republicans in Congress.
Support from younger voters was a key factor in recent Republican gains, helping the GOP reclaim the White House and the Senate and maintain its House majority in last year’s elections.
But the new poll is the latest in a series of warning signs for Republicans as they look to defend their congressional majorities in next year’s midterm contests. The findings also present a mixed picture for Democrats, who have been buoyed by a string of recent electoral wins.
According to the survey, conducted by the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School, Trump’s overall approval rating among young Americans is 29%, down two points from the last Harvard Youth Poll in the spring. Only 26% approve of his handling of the economy.
Members of Congress do not fare any better.
Just 27% of respondents approve of the job Democrats in Congress are doing, and only 26% say Republicans in Congress are performing well.
“Young Americans hold persistently low views of national leadership, reflecting a belief that political leaders are not responsive to the economic and technological pressures they face. Despite this widespread skepticism,” the poll’s release notes, underscoring a broad distrust of institutions.
The survey also highlights challenges within the Democratic Party: 48% of young Democrats use a negative term to describe their own party, while only about a quarter of young Republicans describe the GOP negatively.
Only 35% of Democratic respondents volunteered something positive about their party, compared with 46% of Republican respondents who offered positive comments about the GOP.
Even so, the numbers point to an advantage for Democrats heading into the 2026 congressional elections and a cautionary note for Republicans. Among registered voters in the poll, 46% say they would prefer Democratic control of Congress, while 29% want Republicans to remain in charge. Democrats hold an edge across nearly every major demographic group in the survey.
“Democrats maintain an advantage heading into 2026 — not because of heightened enthusiasm, but because many young voters view the alternative as less aligned with their priorities,” the survey summary explains.
The poll also captures the broader gloom shaping young Americans’ outlook. Only 13% say the country is headed in the right direction. Forty-three percent report they are struggling or just getting by with limited financial security, and only about three in ten believe they will be better off financially than their parents.
On top of that, young Americans worry that emerging technologies will shrink their opportunities: by more than a three-to-one margin, respondents say artificial intelligence is more likely to take away chances than create them.
“Young Americans are sending a clear message: the systems and institutions meant to support them no longer feel stable, fair, or responsive to this generation,” said John Della Volpe, Director of Polling at the Institute of Politics. “Their trust in democracy, the economy, and even each other is fraying — not because they are disengaged, but because they feel unheard and unprotected in a moment of profound uncertainty.”
The poll surveyed 2,040 U.S. residents aged 18–29 from Nov. 3–7. It was conducted in partnership with Ipsos Public Affairs and has an overall sampling error of plus or minus 2.94 percentage points.
