Are Millennials Giving Up on Democracy?

At age 39, the newly elected Emmanuel Macron is the youngest president in the history of France. He’s younger, in fact, than most of his voters: French Millennials, eager for radical change, were more likely to prefer either the far-left or far-right candidate to the centrist Macron. And they’re not alone. Across Europe and the United States, support for anti-establishment candidates is rising as young people’s attitudes toward liberal democ­racy and centrist candidates are souring and their trust in public institutions continues sliding. Though political disaffection has been growing among all age groups, there are real differences in how younger and older generations view politics that reflect their respective phases of life and divergent views of government—and point to a broad desire among Millennials for security and simplicity in all areas of their lives.

The election results in France point to a youth insurgency that has boosted parties and candidates at the political extremes around Europe. Although Macron defeated the far-right Marine Le Pen in every age group, Le Pen achieved solid support among younger voters. She secured 34 percent of the vote among 18- to 24-year-olds and 40 percent among 25- to 34-year-olds. By contrast, she won…