It is rare for this blog to promote anything related to the Adam Smith Institute, but there have to be exceptions to every rule. This week, they published new survey data on attitudes of young people towards authoritarianism and democracy.
As part of a series of polls into 18-30-year-olds, dubbed the Anxious Generation, Adam Smith Insights has explored young Britons' views of our political system.
The nationally representative poll of 18-30-year-olds reveals shocking levels of disillusionment with both political leaders and democratic institutions. The findings show that a significant number of young people no longer believe democracy is working and many would prefer a system where leaders can act without checks and balances.
According to the polling, a full third (33%) of 18-30 year olds say they would prefer an authoritarian system led by a decisive figure, even if it meant sacrificing some democratic freedoms. Just under half (48%) express clear support for the current democratic system.
Across all parties polled, young Labour and Conservative voters are on the same page. Over a third of 18-30-year-old voters from both parties say they would prefer an authoritarian system to our democratic one. But Reform voters are more adamant - half of them would prefer to sacrifice some freedoms for an authoritarian with fast decision-making ability.
It is unsurprising that so many young people feel disillusioned with the status quo. 59% of 18-30-year-olds believe politicians are not addressing the issues that matter most to them.
Their key findings are worth sharing:
A third of young people prefer authoritarianism over democracy
33% would prefer an authoritarian system with a strong leader who can act quickly, even at the cost of democratic freedoms.
48% still prefer the current democratic system, while 20% remain undecided.
Support for authoritarianism is strongest among young Reform voters
50% of 18-30-year-olds who voted for Reform in 2024 would prefer an authoritarian system with a leader who could make decisions quickly, even at the cost of some democratic freedoms.
Only 33% of 18-30-year-olds who voted Reform in 2024 prefer the current democratic system.
34% of 18-30-year-olds who voted Labour in 2024 and 39% of 18-30-year-olds who voted for the Conservatives would support an authoritarian system.
59% of 18–30-year-olds feel that politicians are not addressing the issues that matter most.
White 18-30-year-olds show the highest levels of disillusionment, with a 62% expressing dissatisfaction with politicians.
Black 18-30-year-olds show the highest levels of satisfaction with only 34% expressing dissatisfaction with politicians.
Among young people, this disillusionment is cross-party.
54% of 18-30-year-old Labour voters are dissatisfied with how politicians address key issues.
52% of 18-30-year-olds Conservative voters share this dissatisfaction.
66% of 18-30-year-olds Reform voters feel the same way.
At one level, I want to be shocked by these findings, but at another, I am not.
What is very apparent is that both the Tories, over a period of 14 years, and now Labour have treated the people of this country with complete indifference.
The wages of most people have, in fact, stagnated.
The cost of living, and most particularly that part which might be described as being imposed by extraction, has risen.
By extraction, I refer to the cost of housing, rent, mortgages, essential utilities, transport and food. All of these are areas where monopoly power has been used to exploit the majority of people to advance the interests of a few in society, and inequality has risen as a result.
Politicians appear to be in the pockets of those people who have gained. They appear to have no interest in those who have lost.
People are angry as a consequence.
They also feel profoundly unrepresented when we have a political system that can return to power a Labour Party that is supported by no more than 20% of the people in this country, but who act as if they think they have the right to do whatever they wish without ever taking into consideration the concerns of anyone else, and most particularly, those who are suffering the most as a result of the austerity that they are so dedicated to supplying.
In that case, of course, people are disenchanted and angry.
And, of course, they are looking for political alternatives.
If supposed democratic politicians, such as those leading Labour, cannot understand this, they are either authoritarian already, or they have abandoned both the interest of democracy and the people of this country.
It is this which really worries me. This poll shows that democracy is in very deep trouble in this country. But what is most worrying is that those with the power to restore democracy are choosing to ignore the action that this evidence requires of them. And that is unforgivable, but also leads to the very plausible conclusion that this might be precisely what Labour's current leadership intends.
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Perhaps we should make a similar poster to this for Starmer?
https://bsky.app/profile/noelreports.com/post/3lweki354os2s
This was reflected in a recent conversation I had with my 21-year-old son – he was surprisingly sceptical about ‘western democracy’, mainly on the grounds of its built-in-short-termism: politicians regularly voted out, and industries dominated by unstable share-trading, and therefore fixated on immediate profits at the expense of strategic investment. But he is very much a democrat – indeed more of a democrat – critical of the autocracy of business management, and the obvious limitations of merely ‘parliamentary democracy’.
Maybe the real problem is that our young people are educated beyond the limited purview of our older think-tankers ?
Interesting idea
Certainly true of my sons, as well
People who advocate for a “strong leader” often feel that way because they are sure that they will be in the in group and that the leaders “decisive actions” won’t effect them. They can’t stand that they often don’t get their own way or that others might disagree with them. Entitlement, pure and simple. Burn it all down if I can’t get what’s mine.
Hmm, maybe.
“This poll shows that democracy is in very deep trouble in this country”. Indeed & autocrats/dictators have “ALWAYS” delivered good results for the young.
My ex-wife (German)….. “Oncle Heinz” – 18 in 1939 – joined (as one does) – the Waffen SS rationale – better weapons. Post WW2: could not/did not fly (filled with metal) and could not go to the public swimming baths (SS blood group tatoo) . How the young are used, abused and then thrown away but .. Hitlers, Mussolinin’s, Putler and .. Fart-rage’s of this world. Why not just build an alter – come youth and sactifice yourselves here for an utterly pointless cause.
This is disturbing but not alas surprising. In 2010 a deliberate decision was taken to allow the costs of the financial crisis to fall on the young in the shape of higher student debt. Asset prices largely owned by the old were inflated by QE. Lower interest rates undermined saving so the virtuous circle in which the young borrowed to buy a house, the middle aged paid off the loans and then lent their savings in old age to the next generation was broken, because it became more profitable to buy another property at cheap rates, then rent it out at a far greater profit than building society interest rates. The young were shut out. Add to that the fact that far too little has been done to address climate change, which will affect younger generations far more than their boomer parents and the young have plenty of grounds for grievance. I would suggest that the older generation has done so well because they are in the habit of voting. That is why I support the reduction in the voting age. I hope it will be accompanied by a sustained programme of political education in schools so that a better educated populace can make more informed decisions and establish a habit of voting. Too little has been done to replace the influence of once dominant bodies in the lives of working class youth. In my youth , in a working class mining village in the North East moral and political guidance was provided by the unions, the labour party and the methodist church. Young people are now much more influenced by social media.
That said, there is a part of me that thinks these young people might have a point. The challenge of Climate Change is akin to, if not worse than a war. During WW2 elections were suspended and people accepted severe curtailment of their freedoms. We had a charismatic war leader who rallied the nation. Maybe the young people voting as they do are just longing for a sense of purpose and belonging and someone who will actually address the real threats to their well being.
Thanks
Young people were sent off to fight and die in the first war when many did not have the vote due to the property qualification that only removed (for men) in 1918. By 1928 it was removed for women too and the voting age was equalised at 21. So young people in their late teens and early twenties were fighting and dying in the second war (and in Korea and other twentieth century conflicts) without the vote until the age of 21. The voting age was only reduced to 18 in 1969!
While youngsters voting for the first time as they turn 18 will just have seen things getting progressively and inexplicable worse. Inequality rising, social and environmental justice declining and a sense of chaos deepening.
Correct
Should they not have been asked if they think that Starmer is authoritarian or democratic?
Thought 1:
What this polling really shows to me at least is that people crave order of some sort. This indicates and validates the concept of government, the state, to me. Some sort of ‘being in charge’ – refereeing life’s games. It affirms that humans beings in societies inherently expect it and authorise it; pre-consent to it. Crucially however, what we have seen is state retrenchment in our time and these results I think show a yearning for what has been lost (in the older cohorts) and what the rest have never known (at the younger end). They will be seeing what is happening to older relatives in the ‘care’ system etc; trying to find decent jobs and pay themselves. This is – as you point out – a poll about unmet need.
Thought 2: This generation polled seem ripe to go to war. I’m sure that this will be exploited in some way.
Thought 3: Maybe the ‘black’ cohort knows something us crackers haven’t cottoned onto yet? ‘Only’ 34% dissatisfied with politicians – around half of the whites dissatisfaction? My view – FWIW – is that I think most ‘blacks’ thought that the question was banal. Isn’t it obvious? Why bother answering? But it seems portrayed as a higher level of satisfaction than that of the whites?!! Hmmmm…………if I were in the black cohort I’d think that the implication was, was that I was being portrayed as stupid/gullible? Not on.
Thought 4: People want a form of democracy as well as form of rule – they want to be listened to, they do not see it as a one way street, they want a form of reciprocity with their rulers. This yearning is as old as people. It is good to see it. It is disgraceful that society has not provided it – yet.
This does not come as a surprise. As you may have gathered by some of my previous posts I do think our generation has really dealt younger generations some very poor hands and the cards are marked as well. The only difference that I have with your post is that I do not accept that the main parties have treated the people with “complete indifference” – it seems to me that “utter contempt” may be more appropriate! However this has been coming for some time. Peter Oborne wrote a very telling book “The Triumph of the Political Class” back in 2007 which analysed how this had developed over the last 25 years ( to 2007). Add to this the whole Iraq illegal invasion ( not just my view but also the view of the late Lord Bingham), the mythical Weapons of Mass Destruction ( and the dodgy dossier which some in Starmer’s government supported at the time and the despicable hasty and unseemly withdrawal from Afghanistan (and the abandonment to their fates of a host of locals who had assisted UK troops) is it any wonder that the public are getting angrier. I found the pensioners’ protest in support of the organisation that no one dare name a symbol of hope that all may not be lost. For what it is worth, my view is that the real problem is that there is not enough democracy. In fact there is too little and what there is focussed on that narrow elite in Westminster. I would like to see democracy devolved down to the lowest level possible. It would follow that the citizenry must then engage with it and be involved but if they knew that their efforts would make a difference then that may not be a problem. At the moment engaging with Westminster is like banging your head against a brick wall.
Much to agree with
At one time it would have seemed a way over the top conspiracy theory to characterise the UK political system as corrupt from top to bottom.
But it now clearly is.
Political parties funded by big business, billionaire Israeli lobbyists, fossil fuel, military/industrial interests, and are not mass membership organisations funded by their members subscriptions. So they are just institutionalised lobbyists for vested interests posing as democratic parties.
The polling, as Richard suggests has for years now indicated a decreasing trust in the democratic process. Fewer people voting, and election results which dont reflect the range of political views. It is impossible to deny that politicians are generally ‘in it for themselves’, ‘one law for them and one for us’.
‘MikeD’ on Twitter doing an excellent service just listing the payments individual leading Labour MP’s receive and from whom . Second jobs, cash for questions, cash for honours, cash for peerages…none of this shoudl be ‘within the rules’ as it now is.
We need a Commission on the Constitution COTC to get rid of all this.
The book ‘Parliament Ltd ‘- suggested there is absolutely no appetite in Labour or Tory to clean this up – it is too lucrative for all of them.
Richard muses that Starmer and co actually intend democracy to be destroyed – maybe they don’t, but they certainly don’t seem to care.
One real question is how to direct that anger, frustration and disillusionment towards positive change. At the moment the right is taking that and directing that anger at immigrants, disabled people and minorities generally, and away from the real culprits.
What we desperately need is a stronger voice for the forgotten, the down-trodden and the people being failed by modern politics, to shape a vision for change that lifts rather than divides.
Beyond that, we need a stronger voice for why those checks and balances are necessary. Unfortunately, even references to Nazi germany and its flavour of fascism are being ignored by those currently flocking to the right, despite the clear parallels. Some are realising the danger posed, but mainly when the attacks hit too close to home.
‘First They Came’ by Niemoller should be required reading at schools. It should be discussed, and perhaps a US alt-right version written to outline how this is playing out again in the modern world.
Sheila Berridge wrote above “Far too little has been done to address climate change.”
Only enough has been done to distract – or to give the impression that government has definitely begun to wonder whether it matters.
*Nothing* has been done to begin to arrest the worst impacts – and it is now too late to address those worst impacts.
Now that billions of lives are at risk, our politicians sometimes feign interest by making a speech that includes the words ‘climate’ or environment’.
Perhaps if young people in secondary school were taught a proper Civics course covering the history of how the UK evolved its current political system, is this an elective dictatorship, the alternative voting systems available , what happens in other countries.
This would be much better than the Tudors, origins of WWW 1 and 2 as taught in the English education system.
I wish schools were required to teach logic.
If current and recent governments cannot be trusted how would a more authoritarian leader improve matters? – they can’t be trusted AND they can’t be criticised or controlled!
An excellent suggestion, Cyndy Hodgson! I would also add ‘Philosophy’, which I understand continues to be compulsory in the French secondary school system, which develops skills in critical thinking.
Not only would it assist voters in deciding how or how not to vote, but also over time, we might even get politicians who would see the weakness or stupidity of their arguments.
Agreed
50% of 18-30-year-olds who voted for Reform in 2024 would prefer an authoritarian system with a leader who could make decisions quickly, even at the cost of some democratic freedoms.
Forgive me for saying, but I think we already have this? Starmer got elected on 20% of the vote, and he’s not averse to taking away freedoms either.
Or am I missing something!
And if the ones voting Reform think that Farage is the hard man to lead us back to the promised land, well, they haven’t been paying attention. These 18-30 year olds will be his sacrificial lambs. He ain’t doing nothing for young people. He’s fully in favour of Neoliberal extraction.
But these polls tell us that the system has failed, thanks to the Tories, Labour, Neoliberaism and FPTP.
The irony is that regardless of his vote share, he’s got a massive majority that could easily enable him to “act quickly” but he doesn’t – at least, not in terms of doing things that make the lives of most people any better.
I’m a bit confused although I am not shocked at the survey. The press, the Tories and Labour have been peddling authoritarianism for quite some time.
But I have a (serious/genuine) question.
What bits of “democracy” (actual or perceived) were/are preventing Starmer/Reeves (huge majority, beginning of their 5 year term, fiat currency, central bank, domestic peace, no EU constraints) taking better sovereign decisions on the economy and international affairs?
None are, except their own fear of acting.
The survey should have asked the YPs that question, then it might have been more useful to those who want to make the world a better place.
“33% would prefer an authoritarian system with a strong leader”
I don’t think they would for long, as they’d find their personal freedoms disappearing like mist off a lake.
What I think there is is a desire for some kind of meaning, which is obviously a world away from the platitudinous self-serving drivel about “change” from Starmer et al and the endless procession of PMs from Thatcher onwards. The young know perfectly well that society has – deliberately – been tilted away from them and towards rich asset-owners, which class they are increasingly unlikely to be able to join and they know that the democracy-parrots of modern Westminster have done this for their masters and for pay. This is going to engender some resentment, not surprisingly.
Indeed, there are now an increasing number of voices telling them they shouldn’t even bother trying to get an education – witness the increasingly absurd Simon Jenkins (Oxford, PPE) and his article on the uselessness of academic ambition in yesterday’s Guardian.
Good article from Richard in the National on Monday btw. As he might say – much to agree with!
Thanks Bill.
There won’t be one on Monday: I did GERS instead.
Thanks for sharing. I appreciate the breadth of reading you do. 🙂
Demos Kratos (the root Greek words of democracy) means people -demos; rule/ power -kratos.
Ironic isn’t it?
The younger generation know Demos Kratos is not true, because if it were, people would have power, they would have a home, decent work, and a sustainable planet.
Neoliberalism has turned everything to sh1t, ensured plutocrats rule, not people.
Chief architect of neoliberalism Friedman, approved of the brutal military dictatorship of Chile, turning Chileans into neoliberal lab rats, ‘the miracle of Chile’ said Friedman.
Wonder if the Tell You What to Think Tank Adam Smith Institute talked about neoliberalism as the driver of young people’s sense of disillusionment. Or did they frame their disengagement as emerging without any context?
I found the co founder Eamonn Butler, President of ASI never answered my question ‘who funds you’, nor responded to my comment about ‘the miracle of Chile’ issue. He is a member of the neoliberal Mont Perlin Society
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eamonn_Butler
Worrying!
Agreed
I admit to having no regard for Eamonn Butler
I have a feeling the sentiment is mutual
The fact is that young people don’t see consequences as they have a shorter life experience. That is why young people carry knives and steal cars. What the young people in the poll haven’t thought through is what if the strong leader has criminal tendencies? What if the strong leader is a racist or a paedophile? Their response to the poll question is not considered properly. The UK had a strong leader during WW11and so had Germany and The USSR.
These polls suggest many young people are still in the parenting process stage and want Daddy or Mummy to tell them what to do!
Chimes in with Alice Miller’s book “Thou Shalt Not Be Aware” to some extent.
I’ve just read through all of these replies….quite quickly I must admit…and haven’t seen one explicit mention of changing to PR voting. This to me is the very first hurdle in the way of change.
Maybe it’s just taken so much for granted these days …that we must change our crap voting system …that nobody is mentioning it.
I agree
How else do people feel they might be represented?
The Alternative Vote system was mentioned in one reply. It would be the simplest system to introduce and understand.
Retain the existing single member parliamentary constituencies and allow people to list their preferences amongst the candidates. Lowest voted for candidates have their second choice votes transfered to the remaining candidates until someone has an absolute majority.
Not perfect but at least the winner would have some support from a majority of voters.
It’s not PR
Let’s be clear.
It is useless.
Is this a new story because I heard something very similar months ago, possibly the start of this year. It turned out the questions themselves were a little bit misleading. People didn’t want a dictator, what they wanted was a strong leader with vision who could be free to get on with the job of fixing the country. In other words to not have to keep going through parliament, then to the lords, then back again and finally wait for royal ascent.
Which is rather strange because parliament has incredible amounts of power to do whatever it wants and is accountable to exactly no-one as demonstrated by the Rwanda bill that thankfully died from Labour getting in. What I don’t think many of my peers understand is that what is immediately and obviously right to them may not be to other people for a variety of reasons. They also can be wrong or face unforeseen consequences.
As the saying goes, the path to hell is paved with good intentions.
If a PM wants legislation fast, it can be done in a day.
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/fast-tracked-legislation-emergency-legislation
It is usually BAD legislation (Dangerous Dogs Act) but it can be done. If they WANT to do it.
[…] The young people of the UK might want to take note. […]
I teach 16-19 average kids. 80% have no knowledge of or interest in politics, but many got enthused by Farage on TikTok. They would repeat slogans, and about 30% would vote Reform. I use my Sociology class to educate on politics, but nothing much else in the school informs politics, and the only economics is of course neoclassical. The number of actually self informed kids can be enumerated on one hand.
I have taught in a selective grammar, 40% Asian origin students, where the preferred news is AlJazeera. Many students understood the political system so well, they intended to join in and get rich.
The longing for the good order, according to Huxley in his 1984 revisited book, fired by the stress of large connurbations, is what kindles the lobging for fascism. The result is a worl like the one in 1984, and we are well on the way.
But we don’t want to admit our beloved city living is causing a real problem.
I agree Richard its very worrying. However I also note the contrast to a piece you picked up on earlier made by John Harris that we are not the angry country that the impression caused by social media (and slewed reporting of minority actions) create. So we could do something about it..
This was my attempt to make sense of the conundrum.
https://brianfishhope.com/supplements/141-getting-it-wrong-on-purpose/604-getting-it-wrong-on-purpose
The sociocide debate is relevant here as well.
Thanks