Newt Gingrich and pollster Rich Baris examine what the data reveals about Generation Z, economic frustration, socialism, and the political battle to reach young Americans.
For years, political analysts have tried to determine whether younger Americans are becoming more liberal or more conservative. Rich Baris believes they are asking the wrong question. His polling suggests a generation increasingly skeptical of political labels, distrustful of institutions, and frustrated by an economic system they believe makes it harder to get ahead. With home prices and rents dramatically outpacing gains in real earnings, Baris argues that the economic experience of younger Americans is fundamentally shaping their political worldview.
On this episode of Newt’s World, Newt Gingrich talks with Rich Baris, director of Big Data Poll and co-author of Burn It Down: What the Polls Say Young Americans Really Want, about what that frustration could mean for the future of American politics. Their conversation explores the growing appeal of socialism among Democratic voters, Donald Trump’s success with younger voters, the danger of grievance-driven politics, and why Republicans may have to offer something more powerful than opposition to the left. Baris argues that the winning alternative is a politics centered on economic opportunity, national renewal, and a credible belief that Americans who work hard can still build a better life.

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