Are Millennials the Answer to Partisanship?
Clay Williams • June 9, 2014
Guest post by Steven Olikara
Achieve asked me why, in an age when politics seems to be more partisan than ever before, I think the next generation can be collaborative and forward thinking.
Like every generation, Millennials will view the world based on the values they were brought up with. Millennials have grown up in a hyper-connected society: A world where unanswered questions are solved by Googling and anyone with Internet access can crowdfund money for charities or spread a global message through a viral YouTube video.
This innate desire Millennials have to connect and leverage networks for a greater purpose demonstrates our ability to be collaborative over common goals.
Even more, new leaders in politics are less beholden to the entrenched interests that protect the status quo, allowing for more future-focused, innovative policymaking.
With a decade of institutional failures before us, this generation is suited to bring a fresh spirit of forward thinking and progress to the local, state and federal governments that we serve.
Steven Olikara
is co-founder and president of the Millennial Action Project (MAP), a national organization dedicated to revitalizing American politics by advancing next-gen, post-partisan leadership. He engages rising Millennial policymakers nationwide to model innovative, collaborative governance on future-oriented issues. The driving force behind the nation’s first Millennial-led caucus in Congress, he’s spearheading a network of state Future Caucuses. At MCON14, Steven will moderate a discussion among political experts on the influence of Millennials in politics.
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