A new survey from the Reason Foundation on the political views of young Americans has left commentators perplexed. Derek Thompson at the Atlanticsays millennials’ political views “don’t make any sense”; Dylan Matthews at Vox says they’re “totally incoherent.” It’s true that millennials don’t seem to fit on the traditional liberal-conservative spectrum, but before analysts throw up their hands, they should clean their glasses and take another look. What seems like a contradictory jumble of preferences is a rational response to a dysfunctional political, economic and social system.

The first thing to consider about this survey is the source: The study’s funders, Reason and the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation, are committed to advancing libertarian ideas. Even the reader who hadn’t been apprised of their leanings could read it in the survey questions. The authors are quick to associate merit with market outcomes, want to know if young people favor the legality of large sodas, and proudly present Rand Paul as the potential Republican candidate “least underwater” with millennials. Rhetorically, the survey report suggests that young Americans, with their tolerance on social issues and distrust of the government, are ripe for libertarian recruitment. There’s only one problem: Millennials are skeptical of capitalism.

In a 2011 poll centered around Occupy Wall Street, the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found that adults under 30 had a much more negative view of capitalism than other demographics. Under-30s had an overall negative impression of capitalism (46–47), matching liberal democrats and self-identified supporters of OWS. Even the Reason poll found 43 percent of respondents favoring socialism to capitalism. This would be less remarkable if the U.S. had a socialist party or an anti-capitalist culture, but it doesn’t. The closest experience of such things millennials have enjoyed is an unfunded hodgepodge sequence of park occupations. Capitalist ideology has close to zero competition in American politics, but it can just barely muster a majority among young people in a poll run by the free-market fan club.

It’s no surprise that millennials aren’t content with the way things are going. The rest of America feels the same way. Earlier this month, the Huffington Post announced the results of another public opinion survey with my favorite headline of the year: "American Dissatisfaction With Everything Is Reaching Historic Levels." The poll found nearly three-quarters of respondents “unsatisfied,” mostly related to a lackluster economy and an unresponsive political system. Things are so bad that the very legitimacy of American democracy is in dispute: 73 percent believe the government operates without the consent of the people and two-thirds believe they have no say. With 95 percent of the income gains since the recession ended accruing to the top 1 percent of earners, it isn’t cynicism for most people to feel unrepresented by our political and economic system, it’s common sense.

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