Mark Tapscott of the Washington Examiner points to signs that the millennial generation might be open to a Republican message, if the GOP is smart enough to make the pitch.
The latest example of this accumulating evidence comes from a recent “The Future of Work” column by Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic on FastCompany.com.
“According to World Bank data, 30% of the global population may be working for themselves, and even strong economies — where job opportunities abound — are experiencing an increase in self-employment rates,” Chamorro-Premuzic said.
“Furthermore, this pattern will only be exacerbated in the near future, when more millennials leave college to enter the job market, and when those currently in employment give up working for someone else.” …
… Chamorro-Premuzic notes that millennials are more likely to highly value freedom and independence, and to overestimate their own talents and to underestimate the difficulties inherent in entrepreneurial endeavors.
The key here is millennials hate to be told what to do. They want to do things their way and be creative about it. Getting rich isn’t their first priority.
Interestingly, Silicon Valley no longer has the appeal it did to younger workers, according to Chamorro-Premuzic It is now seen among millennials as too big and greedy.
Regardless why millennials want to be independent, that desire could make them unusually receptive to a political message that emphasizes the importance of encouraging entrepreneurial freedom.
In addition, as Don Tapscott argued in his 2008 Grown Up Digital, millennials prize values like decentralization, integrity, collaboration, speed and innovation.
Such values are in marked contrast to the typically top-down, centralized, command economy solutions that make up Democratic orthodoxy.
“The distinction between bottom-up and top-down organizational structures is at the heart of the new generation,” Tapscott said.
