A headline in Foreign Policy made the point succinctly, with just the right touch of hyperbole: "Leftists for Life - Why the Great Recession's 'lost generation' may be lost to the right wing — forever." ![iStock 000029604202Small]()
The question of whether the experience of living through tough economic times will impact the belief systems, emotional state and political leanings of millions of young people worldwide has intrigued UCLA Anderson assistant professor Paola Giuliano and her colleague, Antonio Spilimbergo of the International Monetary Fund, for awhile.
The question of whether the experience of living through tough economic times will impact the belief systems, emotional state and political leanings of millions of young people worldwide has intrigued UCLA Anderson assistant professor Paola Giuliano and her colleague, Antonio Spilimbergo of the International Monetary Fund, for awhile.They have been researching the impact of recessions on political views for a number of years. In their 2009 working paper, "Growing Up In The Recession: Beliefs and the Macroeconomy," they looked at the relationship between recessions and beliefs, identified the effect of recessions on beliefs and demonstrated that individuals who grow up during recessions tend to believe that success in life depends more on luck than on effort, support more government redistribution, but have less confidence in public institutions.
In their latest study, accepted by the Review of Economic Studies in October 2013, Giuliano and Spilimbergo found that persons who were ages 18 to 25 during a severe economic crisis (defined as GDP growth of -3%) formed strong affiliations with liberal politics and parties, such as the Democrats in the United States. The paper analyzed citizens in 40 countries and found such associations were consistent across the international board.
Digging deeper, the research showed that those experiencing recessions as impressionable 18 to 25-year-olds formed left-leaning opinions and alliances permanently; those who were younger than 18 or over 25 demonstrated that such beliefs were a bit more fleeting, and the affects disappeared after two years. ![Paolo-Giuliano]()
"Eighteen to 25 are the impressionable years and the most important for forming economic beliefs," Giuliano said. 'Before that age you are too young, and after that age your network is formed. Also, neuroscientists will tell you that after 25, we have less 'gray matter.'"
"Eighteen to 25 are the impressionable years and the most important for forming economic beliefs," Giuliano said. 'Before that age you are too young, and after that age your network is formed. Also, neuroscientists will tell you that after 25, we have less 'gray matter.'"Giuliano said that the research did not show that the reverse phenomena were true. In other words, 18 to 25-year-olds who experienced economic "booms" did not form similar relations to right-leaning views or parties such as the U.S. Republicans. She also said that education levels did not impact the results.
"Young people who grew up in a recession have a different preference for government intervention," Giuliano said. Their latest research echoed earlier research they did in that those who experienced recessions in these formative years are more likely to believe that economic success is a result of luck, rather than hard work.
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This was adapted from a story that is running on the UCLA Anderson blog.