The New Vote: The Trends Reshaping America's Political Future with Kristen Soltis Anderson

Week Three (Oct 8): Family Matters: New Attitudes toward Gender, Sexuality, and Politics

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Politicians have long pointed to “family values” as a key driving force in their lives. But what do “family values” mean these days? Lots of data show older voters placing great importance on traditional family structure and gender roles, while younger voters are more open to same-sex marriage, postponing marriage and childbearing, new gender dynamics in household structure, and cohabitation. More homes have men who grocery shop and want to spend more time with their kids, while we also see more women who outearn their spouse and who value workplace flexibility. Corporate brands are starting to get it: Downy detergent ads target men raising daughters, Chevy Silverado ads target women who want to drive trucks. But with all the talk of the “war on women,” does either party really get what family and gender roles mean to a new generation? And given that married voters tend to be Republican and single voters tend to be Democrats, does the decline of marriage spell doom for the GOP?

***All study groups are off-the-record and not for media coverage***