Gen Z’s Democratic Crisis of Faith

As more and more of Gen Z look toward right-wing and authoritarian figures, their thoughts on democracy grow more fractured.

Is Gen Z having a crisis of faith in democracy? 

The young generation coming of age in the digital era has been demonstrating an increasing aversion to the democratic process: A recent article in The Guardian reveals that one in five members of Gen Z across Europe would prefer authoritarian rule over democracy, with the lowest levels of support for democracy observed in France, Spain, and Poland.Young people stateside are also losing trust in democracy: nearly two-thirds (64%) of young Americans, specified as ages 18 to 29, have more fear than hope about the future of democracy in America according to Harvard’s Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government. 

A Seat at the Table

In July, a group of students and young professionals from the United States, the Netherlands, and Germany met to discuss the topic of declining democratic faith. Organized by the European Academy on Religion & Society (EARS), a non-profit network devoted to understanding how theology plays a role in the present day, the roundtable convened these young participants to address clear questions: Is democracy in crisis in Europe and the U.S.? Why is democracy particularly unpopular among younger generations? And what role does and should religion play in democracy? Before the discussion began, Matthias Smalbrugge, founder of EARS and Professor of Theology at the Vrije Universiteit van Amsterdam, reflected on the meaning of democracy. He stated that “Democracy is indeed about power, and power is nothing immoral. It is the capability to realize one’s goals while accepting that others may not share them.”

Fractured Voting Patterns

During the roundtable, it turned out that indeed the lack of shared goals is becoming more prominent in Western democracies nowadays. This is particularly true for younger generations. For example, Gen Z is seeing a political divide along the lines of gender, with young women demonstrating support for left-leaning candidates, while young men increasingly backing far-right parties and figures. The 2024 U.S. presidential election saw men, especially men under 50, significantly back Trump in larger quantities, with those born in the 1990s and 2000s becoming more likely to vote for the ex-President between 2020 and 2024. This shift wasn’t just happening stateside: Both Europe and the U.S. are seeing a rise of young men “in crisis,” with women outpacing them in enrollment at elite universities and securing jobs, and increasing reports of isolation and suicidal ideation among men ages 18-32. President Trump and far-right “manosphere” influencers such as Andrew Tate appeal to this anger and isolation, calling for young men to take back what is “rightfully” theirs. 

Need for Speed

“There’s a growing sense that democracy isn’t keeping up with the pace of societal change,” one European student observed during the roundtable. “It’s becoming outdated while everything else speeds up.” This notion of “speeding up” democracy became a point of contention in the discussion: the American participants found themselves frustrated with the two-party system, acknowledging that it often misrepresents public sentiment and leads to highly polarized gridlock. Yet multi-party systems can also lead to similar feelings of disempowerment—and to the rise of more autocratic figures. 

Amongst the group of young professionals, populism was described as often arising in democracies where people feel unheard or left behind. Some viewed the rise of populism since 2015–2016 as a response to the perceived failure of democracy to deliver tangible results in times of high stress and isolation, such as the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris, the frequency of mass shootings in the U.S., the COVID-19 pandemic a few years later, and increasing economic instability. These factors may have led to an attitudinal shift, with more young people viewing  bureaucratic processes and the need for consensus as slowing down executive action. Further isolation and lack of exposure to different viewpoints as a result of quarantining during COVID-19, which was for many Gen Z a critical schooling age, also adds to this pressure. “Populism and authoritarianism thrive when education fails to cultivate critical thinking. Standardized systems teach obedience rather than creativity,” one American student added. 

The Role of Social Media

While there was a lot of consensus built around wanting to update and uphold democracy, there was dissent around a major player shaking up the information landscape: social media. “Social media is a double-edged sword—it spreads misinformation but also gives a voice to truths censored by mainstream media,” a participant offered. American students noted censorship around the Israel-Palestine conflict as a reason why they’ve turned to platforms such as Instagram and TikTok for information, unable to get accurate numbers around the death toll in Gaza from mainstream outlets like The New York Times. European young professionals, however, viewed social media more as a site of dissonance, citing Russia’s interference using bots in the 2016 American presidential election as an example of its power to spread misinformation. “We live in bubbles that strengthen our opinions and isolate us from those who disagree—social media has intensified this division,” another participant added. 

The Role of Religion

Where does that leave religion in this environment? According to NBC News, for the first time in modern American history, more young men are claiming religious affiliation. Hyperpresent in notable conflicts such as Israel-Palestine and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, religion remains a slippery topic: Is religion something personal, or a moral foundation from which people make decisions, or both? For those in the Netherlands and Germany, where explicitly religious political parties are integrated into the secular political landscape, the idea of separating the two is preposterous. American participants found themselves caught: the increasingly Christian affiliation and overtones of a second Trump presidency prove that religion, while officially, textually separated, is very much a force.  One participant called for taxation of religious organizations that participate in politics. Still, both groups agreed that “religion and politics are intertwined whether we like it or not—biases shape policies, and ignoring that is disingenuous.”

Where does that leave Gen Z then, in the middle of this Western democratic crisis? The roundtable participants felt strongly about education, providing youngsters with critical thinking skills. They also acknowledged that working against isolation and loneliness among youngsters is crucial. Finally, they concluded that the desired role of religion in today’s democracies should be explored further. “We can learn a lot about the collective part of caring for each other’s community, which traditionally is more found within religious communities,” one European student acknowledged.