The newest Harvard Youth Poll, the 51st in its series, paints a picture that should trouble anyone who still believes the two major parties have a future with the under-30 crowd. Only 13 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds say the country is going in the right direction. Eighty-seven percent see things getting worse, and they are not sure anyone in power even notices.

President Trump’s approval rating with this group sits at 29 percent, down a couple of points from the spring survey. His marks on the economy are even lower—26 percent. Those numbers are bad, but Congress fares no better.

Republicans in Congress earn approval from just 26 percent of young adults. Democrats in Congress manage only 27 percent. In practical terms, the entire governing class is underwater with the people who will inherit the country.

The poll was conducted by the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics in partnership with Ipsos Public Affairs, surveying 2,040 Americans aged 18–29 between November 3 and November 7. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.94 points.

When young people are asked about their financial future, the answers are grim. Forty-three percent say they are either struggling or just getting by with limited security. Only three in ten believe they will end up better off than their parents.

Technology adds to the anxiety. By a margin of more than three to one, young Americans believe artificial intelligence will take remove jobs.

Inside the Democratic Party, the mood is particularly sour. Forty-eight percent of young Democrats used negative words when asked to describe their own party. Only 35 percent could come up with something positive to say. Young Republicans are noticeably more content: just one quarter offered negative descriptions, and 46 percent found something positive about the GOP.

That internal Democratic weakness is one of the few bright spots for Republicans in an otherwise difficult survey.

Yet when the question turns to the 2026 midterm elections, Democrats hold a commanding lead. Among registered voters in this age group, 46 percent say they want Democrats to control Congress after the next election, compared to 29 percent who prefer Republican control. The Democratic advantage shows up in almost every major demographic slice.

The poll’s authors put it plainly: “Democrats maintain an advantage heading into 2026 — not because of heightened enthusiasm, but because many young voters view the alternative as less aligned with their priorities.”

John Della Volpe, the Institute’s polling director, summed up the deeper message. “Young Americans are sending a clear message: the systems and institutions meant to support them no longer feel stable, fair, or responsive to this generation,” he said. “Their trust in democracy, the economy, and even each other is fraying — not because they are disengaged, but because they feel unheard and unprotected in a moment of profound uncertainty.”

The gains Republicans made with younger voters in 2024 helped deliver the White House and the Senate, but this survey is a reminder that nothing is locked in. A generation that feels abandoned by both parties is not going to stay loyal out of habit.

In the end, the Harvard Youth Poll is less about left versus right and more about up versus down. The kids see a system that works for the people at the top and leaves everyone else to fend for themselves. Until someone in Washington figures out how to speak to that reality, the distrust will only grow.

Do you think Republicans or Democrats can win over young voters for the midterms? Comment down below with your thoughts!