Okay, maybe the Boomer Generation didn’t change the world the way we once thought it would. But as our exclusive survey reveals, this sleeping giant is now rousing itself to rock American politics like never before.
When they first came of age, it appeared certain that baby boomers were destined to change American politics forever. The long-haired teens who took to the streets to fight for civil rights and to protest the Vietnam War also won the right for 18-year-olds to vote starting in 1972. Many political veterans at the time predicted seismic upheavals in the years to follow, as the kids matured into activist adults.
As things turned out, boomers have transformed our culture and our economy, influencing everything from the beverages we drink to the television shows we watch to the medical procedures we undergo, but not so much our politics. Their elders, whom we revere as The Greatest Generation for their grit and heroism during the Great Depression and World War II, have been steadfastly engaged in setting the terms of public discourse and purpose. Meanwhile, materialism, an entrepreneurial bent—and a longstanding distrust of big government—have led the boomers away from mass action.
Until now.
