Harvard poll finds millennials support sending troops to fight ISIS — just don’t send them
A solid majority of millennials support sending Americans to fight ISIS. As long as it’s, like, you know, other Americans.
Harvard’s Institute of Politics released a new national poll of 18- to 29-year-oldsand found that since the November 13 attacks in Paris, 60 percent support committing ground troops for a military campaign agaisnt the Islamic extremist militant group in Iraq and Syria.
However, only 16 percent of those surveyed said they would be inclined to serve if needed (2 percent said they already joined, 5 percent they would definitely join, and 9 percent said they would “strongly consider’’ joining).
The support for sending troops increased 12 percentage points compared to when Harvard asked the question before the Paris attacks, though it was just a 3-point increase from the respone — 57 percent support, 40 percent oppose — when the question was polled in March.
Despite their support for sending troops to fight ISIS, a majority of millennials favor the party less likely to support committing ground troops to the region. Fifty-six percent of millennials said they preferred that Democrats win the the presidency in 2016, compared to the 36 percent that favored the Republican Party. The Democratic Party’s leading candidates — Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders — have both said they oppose sending ground troops.
When it comes to the Democratic primary, Harvard found found that Sanders, who polled at 1 percent in the spring, now led Clinton among the 18- to 29-year-old subgroup, 41 percent to 35 percent.
Asked if the Vermont senator’s democratic socialist label affected their likelihood to vote for him, 66 percent said it made no difference. Twenty-four percent said the socialist label made them more likely to vote for Sanders, and just 9 percent said it made them less likely.
Sanders led Clinton by a particularly wide margin among those currently in college, 53 percent to 19 percent.
On the Republican side, Donald Trump (22 percent) and Ben Carson (20 percent) lead the way among America’s young adults. Next up are Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, both with 7 percent, and Rand Paul and Jeb Bush, both with 6 percent. Seventeen percent were still undecided.
Sixty-four percent of respondents said they were very or somewhat satisfied with the 2016 Republican field, while 36 percent said they were not very or not at all satisfied.
Finally, millennials are split, according to the poll, on if the idea of the American Dream is alive or dead. Forty-nine percent said it is alive, while 48 percent said the American Dream is dead.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com