On Wednesday, March 24th the Millennial Action Project (MAP) convened members of Congress and senior staffers for a briefing and roundtable discussion with pollster and media personality Kristen Soltis Anderson and the Walton Family Foundation.

The event, American Dream Briefing & Roundtable: Millennial and Gen Z Perspectives, explored recent research into young Americans' political and social attitudes and reflected on the unique duties of young members of Congress. 

The event kicked off with introductions from MAP Vice President of Programs, Reginald Darby, and MAP Executive Director and COO, Layla Zaidane. Zaidane framed the convening as a testament to the power of young legislators and of the Future Caucus ecosystem. Addressing the legislators and staff in the room she shared,"This is a network that connects more than 1600 young legislators from across the country… [and] the one thing I have seen time and time again, despite different backgrounds, [is that] there really is a shared understanding that you will need to live with the decisions you are making… it is quite personal that the future is in your hands."

Continuing introductions, Zaidane passed the floor to Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-CA-53), one of the youngest members of Congress, and Co-Chair of the CFC in the 117th Congress. Rep. Jacobs stated,"I'm super excited to be serving as one of the Co-Chairs [of the CFC] this session because I think we have the opportunity to do a lot of amazing work together to improve the lives of young Americans… our generation is the one that will be dealing with the consequences of the decisions being made."

Kristen Soltis Anderson provided an in-depth briefing on young Americans' prospects and self-understanding. Major takeaways from the briefing included an overriding sense of optimism amongst Millennial and Gen Z Americans for their generations’ futures, despite unprecedented economic and social disruptions in their young lives. 

Furthermore, many young Americans share a strong sense of agency, both generationally and individually. Most young Americans believe they have the power to change their life circumstances and make impactful changes to American political and social conditions. From this perspective, the American dream remains alive and attainable in the minds of many young people.

Nonetheless, the challenges to young Americans' prosperity are widespread and commonly held by many Millennial and Gen Z respondents. Intractable issues, some that have noticeably worsened in recent years, stymie our generations' hope for the future: affordable housing, access to higher education, a clean and sustainable environment, and increased equity in the criminal justice system top the list of obstacles. Despite these obstacles, young Americans’ spirits are buoyed by the underlying sense of opportunity they still see in the United States. Notably, more than 70 percent of respondents said they planned to start a business someday, reflecting the young generations’ entrepreneurial spirit for problem solving and improvement.  

Following the briefing, the attendees shared stories of their own experiences facing the very same obstacles. While the members of Congress have undoubtedly overcome many challenges to become some of the youngest lawmakers in the House of Representatives, their reflections conveyed a sense of familiarity and frustration for their peers, but also understanding for the optimism reported.

The members and staff attendees all belong to a new generation of leaders focused on transcending difference to address collective challenges. This group of policymakers is carrying the entrepreneurial spirit of their generation to the halls of Congress and building a movement that prioritizes opportunity and improvement over partisanship.