In one of his early memoirs, Thomas Jefferson attributed to John Adams the quip that "a boy of 15 who is not a democrat is good for nothing, and he is no better who is a democrat at 20."  This could not be farther from the modern truth, given that most Millennials seem to perpetually express their discontentment with conservatism.  In an ABC Poll subsequent to the 2018 midterm elections, 31 percent of Millennials aged 18–29 voted Republican.  A 2018 Pew Research Center study suggests that the deficit between Millennial Republican voters and Millennial Democratic voters has increased from a 15-point disadvantage to a 27-point disadvantage.

To even further supply evidence of Millennials disinterest in conservatism, a Harvard study concluded that 26 percent of adults aged 18–29 support President Donald J. Trump, and 11 percent of Millennials were "sure to re-elect the President in 2020."  Catering to the Millennial vote has left the interests of the Republican Party.  As Millennials continue to be dormant in the workplace, yield the highest expenditures out of any generation, and be consumed by student debt, they are persistently pushing the radical left movement.  But a new demographic may soon be undecided at the polls, and that is Generation Z.

The Case for Courting Generation Z's Vote

Young people are becoming increasingly undecided in the voting process.  In a 2018 Midterm Election Tufts study, it was discovered that youth engagement in congressional elections has peaked at 31 percent.  The voting turnout among people aged 18–29 has increased by 9% from 2000, according to a Brookings study.  Youth affiliation with the independent party has been steadily increasing over the past presidential elections.  Tufts found that almost half (43.6 percent) of people aged 18–24 did not affiliate with a political party.  The younger demographic is growing larger and more contested by year.  It would be common sense for the GOP to invest time in outreaching to the unabating growth of this new youth demographic.

A Genetic Advantage to a New Generation: The Fertility Gap

Although Democrats are more liberal on sex and reproduction, the actual action of conceiving a child is dominated by conservative mothers.  This fact is derived from the (lack of) importance of the construct of marriage in the Democratic Party.  In a 2005 USA Today survey, it was said that "[o]f the 50 congressional districts with the lowest marriage rates, all are held by Democrats."  And given that 60% of American births occur inside wedlock, marriage is a consistent indicator for childbirth.

Conservative mothers are outpacing liberal mothers in births.  Arthur Brooks, a social scientist at Syracuse University, stated that "[t]he political Right is having a lot more kids than the political Left."  He elaborated that "the [fertility] gap is actually 41 percent."  It was studied that the ratio of children born from a conservative woman to those from a liberal woman is 2.08:1.47.  A CDC report gathered that the states with the largest fertility rates voted red in 2012, while all the states with the lowest fertility rates went blue.  In 2006, Brooks theorized that "[a] state that was split 50-50 between left and right in 2004 will tilt right by 2012, 54% to 46%.  By 2020, it will be certifiably right-wing."  Brooks's theory stands correct so far, at least for Ohio, which went red in the 2014 midterm elections, the 2016 presidential election, and the 2018 midterm elections.  As Democrats continue to get more abortions and pop their birth control pills, the political race is slowly turning red.  As Arthur Brooks comically concluded his study, "Democratic politicians may have no more babies left to kiss."

Generation Z Is More Conservative on Social Issues

Millennials have a notorious reputation for being the most liberal generation on paramount social issues, whereas Generation Z has taken a more conservative stance.  According to a survey by The Gild, 59 percent of Generation Z respondents stood as "in between 'conservative' and 'moderate'" on issues such as marijuana legalization and the transgender movement.  In comparison, 83 percent of Millennial respondents considered themselves "'quite' or 'very liberal'" on the same issues.

Generation Z also has a focus on freedom of speech and civil liberties, in contrast to the Millennials, who have institutionalized ideas such as "safe zones" and have endorsed conservative censorship on campus.  In a FIRE (Foundation of Individual Rights in Education) survey, it was found that 89 percent of college students "think it is important that their college or university encourages students to have a public voice and share their ideas openly," and 96 percent of students "think it is important that their civil rights or liberties are protected."  The study also found that 75 percent of students believe that they "should have the right to free speech on campus, even if what is being said offends others."

On abortion, Generation Z is taking an increasingly pro-life stance.  In a Gallup poll, it was found that youths aged 18–29 were most likely to think abortion should be "illegal under any circumstances" than any other generation (23 percent).  The youth's position on the morality of abortion has shifted drastically over the past two decades and has increased by 11 percent since the early '90s.  A Marist poll suggested that 47 percent of adults aged 18–29 think abortion "causes more harm than good" in a woman's life, against 37 percent of the age group thinking it benefits a woman's life.  Generation Z is generally in support of "banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy," with 44 percent thinking abortion after the 20-week mark is immoral, the largest number out of any age group.  In its few years of existence, Generation Z has veered away from the generational liberal youth standards, and statistics show that the generation's conservative voice is growing.

An Increasingly Connected Generation

The mainstream media have always been controlled by leftist establishmentarianism, and as liberal biased media outweigh conservative media at a ratio of 13:1, the leftist narrative has been disseminated throughout America's most prominent stories.  The rise of the internet has changed how many receive their news; instead of dialing in to CNN, MSNBC, or CBS, Americans have been increasingly viewing the news online.  Distrust of the mainstream media has grown among consumers, as data suggest that 77 percent of Republicans and 38 percent of Democrats "sometimes or never" trust the news.  Skepticism of the mainstream media and a consumer base flocking to an open-source platform will change the dynamic of how the public interprets the news.  The rise of more truthful, personable, and independent media sources could affect how Generation Z receives news.

Generation Z is the first generation to be completely exposed to modern technology.  It is the most interconnected generation, as almost everyone is associated with others through the services of social media, mobile phones, and instant messaging.  The internet is an extraordinary apparatus, remarkably capable of calling out the media's lies.  This allows a media consumer to have multiple different perspectives and conclude, by individual virtues and beliefs, which one is correct.  This simple action was non-existent in any other generation's youth.  Generation Z has more access to conservative voices and media than any other generation.

Those in Generation Z are rushing to the polls at an aggressive rate, proving themselves as devoted and involved citizens.  They are developing to become a contested demographic, as studies suggest that Generation Z has been affiliating as independents in large numbers.  Generation Z is becoming conservative on several key issues and is arguably the first generation that has conservative potential at the polls.  If the Republican Party wants to sustain its conservative voice through the next generation of voters, it is about time to court Generation Z's vote.