Let's talk about the political power of Gen Z women
episodePreviously titled “The political power of Gen Z women” — renamed by the publisher on Aug 2, 2026
Transcript
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What is the main topic of this episode?
Hello, hello. I'm Brittany Luce, and you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR, a show about what's going on in culture and why it doesn't happen by accident. Hello. A quick note before we start today's show. You may have heard that President Trump has issued an executive order seeking to block all federal funding to NPR. This is the latest in a series of threats to media organizations across the country. Whatever changes this action brings, NPR's commitment to reporting the news without fear or favor will never change. Thank you. We are proud to do this work for you. and with you. This week, we're connecting the dots between Dobbs, the Manosphere, and Gallup. I know, I know. How are all of these things connected?
Well, we are going to find out with founder of the Up and Up newsletter, Rachel Janfaza, and New York Times reporter, Claire Kane Miller. Rachel, Claire, welcome to It's Been a Minute.
Thank you for having us.
How does Gen Z differ from Millennials?
It's great to be here. So you two, what do you think is the biggest difference between Gen Z women and millennial women?
Gen Z women hate skinny jeans and prefer middle parts to side parts. Wow.
I'm feeling very youthful right now. I feel as I sit here with my middle part that I've maintained for the past six or seven years because a Gen Z person got me together. Exactly.
What about you, Claire? I think millennial women are strivers. They are ambitious and they're about achieving a lot. And I think Gen Z women, not to say they're not ambitious, but they have more of a sense of a balance and self-care and this idea that work should not be their main thing and that they should be able to stand up for themselves in that way.
You know, I'm going to actually definitely second that one. That is something over the years I have learned a lot more about from Gen Z colleagues, I'll say. Well, if you haven't heard, there's another big difference in the headlines that's raising eyebrows. And that difference can be found... in their political views. Recent polling and survey data suggests that young women ages 18 to 29 have become increasingly liberal in their politics. And this isn't just a case of youngest generation being more liberal than their older peers. the data actually shows that Gen Z women in particular identify as even more liberal than older generations did at the same age.
Why are Gen Z women shifting left politically?
For example, Gallup's polling data says that 28% of women aged 18 to 29 self-described as liberal between 2001 and 2007. If you look at that same age range from the years 2017 to 2024, the number of young women self-identifying as liberal shoots up to 40%. No other cohort polled saw a change this dramatic. So that has me wondering, what is behind Gen Z women's apparent shift to the left? Why aren't other generations seeing a similar shift? And what should we make of the growing political gap between Gen Z men and Gen Z women? But first, just to like set a foundation for the conversation, why is it that younger generations tend to be more liberal in the first place? Claire, we'll hear from you first on this.
So in general, young people tend to be more liberal. And there's this idea that you get more conservative as you age when you start paying more income taxes and you have kids and want to move to the suburbs and start having these conservative ideas. On the other hand... You know, I think there's a significant amount of political science I've read that disputes that fact a little and suggests that what's happening politically when you come of age, when you're around 18, really affects your lifelong views. And so it might just be about this moment in time that these young women are living in.
Interesting. Interesting. And what do you think, Rachel? Why do you think that younger generations tend to be more liberal in the first place?
I mean, I think that young people are typically more idealistic. They have perhaps in past generations and maybe for a cohort of Gen Z have faced less turbulent times. And so therefore have more of a rosier outlook. But I actually think that has changed for Gen Z, given that this is the generation that came of age during the COVID-19 pandemic. And also just given the way that we think
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the main topic of this episode?
0:13–1:39
2
How does Gen Z differ from Millennials?
1:39–3:07
3
Why are Gen Z women shifting left politically?
3:07–5:25
4
What societal factors influence Gen Z's political views?
5:25–9:12
5
How does the political divide affect Gen Z's social dynamics?
9:12–11:00
6
What are the broader implications of Gen Z's political trends?
11:00–19:22