The Growing Political Divide Between Young Men and Women

May 31, 2022

For much of the past two decades, young women and men have had similar political profiles. But the ideological differences between them grew rapidly over the past few years as young women became increasingly liberal. In 2021, 44 percent of young women consider themselves liberal, compared to only one quarter (25 percent) of young men, a nearly 20-point gender gap. A decade earlier, roughly similar numbers of young men (27 percent) and young women (30 percent) identified as liberal. These changes are also reflected in the diverging views about societal change. Young women stand out for their support for changing social norms in American society, including more women serving in the military, more children having gay or lesbian parents, and more men staying home with children. There are a few possible explanations for the expanding gender divide between young men and women. The growing disparity in educational attainment, distinct approaches to gender identity and sexual preferences, and even the visceral dislike of Donald Trump may contribute to the rapidly changing political orientations between the two groups.