Millennials have been plagued by a series of unnecessary wars in our lifetime: wars on terror, wars on drugs, wars on sexuality and wars on civil liberties.
These wars brought major shifts from the political ideologies of the past, with libertarian philosophies coming to the forefront of American politics. Rather than identify as a Democrat or Republican, more millennials are identifying as politically independent, with growing distaste for both major parties.
According to a 2014 Reason-Rupe poll, 66 percent of millennials think government is wasteful and inefficient. The rise of Libertarianism in millennials could save our country by reducing government spending and advocating for social issues that should not be controlled by the government.
The poll confirms millennials are the most libertarian generation yet. Freedom is the central theme the millennial generation rallies behind, with most believing the government has no place dictating how we behave behind closed doors.
Jason Brennan, author of “Libertarianism: What Everyone Needs To Know,” defines Libertarianism as embracing economic and civil liberties and emphasizing social justice. The millennial population is nearing 30 percent of the electorate, according to a Pew Research poll. With this increase in political capital, they have the ability to shake up the electoral status quo.
While millennials are criticized for publicizing the intimate details of their lives on the Internet, they still maintain a certain expectation of privacy. Yes, we want the online world to know what we ate for lunch today, and we want our friends to know at what bar we’re watching the game.
But this does not mean we want our phone and Internet data surveyed by the government. We publish the details we want published, free from fear the government is watching our every move. We believe the government does not have the right to intrude on our personal privacy, even if it limits their ability to investigate terrorist activity.
The NSA spying on U.S. citizens is reminiscent of an Orwellian society where big brother is always watching, indicating surveillance reform will be a generational change much like marriage equality. The Snowden leaks caused Americans to question where the line exists between monitoring terrorist threats and invading personal privacy.
The poll also notes millennials are at the highest levels of political dissatisfaction in history. As they grow weary of the partisan establishments and become more detached from religion, millennials are more closely connected than any of their predecessors.
This generation finds fault with the values of both parties, seeking solace in the pro-freedom, small-government mentality of the Libertarian Party, although it can be said that some of the more “bleeding-heart” Libertarians are left green party shills.
On the Republican side, millennials are disenchanted with the invasiveness of the pro-life movement and the infringement on gay rights. On the Democratic side, millennials cannot process the idea of increasing already astronomical debt by condoning a wasteful and inefficient bureaucracy.
The growing abhorrence for big government is causing seismic shifts in the two-party system of politics.
The aging millennial population is making room for a possible third party to surge ahead. It may not come with the 2016 election, but it is not far off.
Young Libertarians are the group to watch. They are currently standing on the sidelines, pushing issues for the main political actors to enact. This could change with presidential candidate Rand Paul gaining traction in the 2016 election.
We are getting older and beginning to push out the politicians of yesteryear. Only time will tell what will become of our political system, but my money’s on the young Libertarians ushering in a new era for political discourse, an era emphasizing freedom and individual liberty, free from wasteful government spending and intervention.
Mariah Manuel is a 22-year-old mass communication senior from Lake Charles, Louisiana. You can reach her on Twitter
@mariah_manuel.