One in Five Millennials Describe Themselves as Libertarian

A new YouGov poll shows that 20 percent of millennials are describing themselves as "libertarian" and that they agree with libertarian ideals. Millennials are more likely than older generations to describe themselves as libertarian.

For purposes of the poll, "millennial" is defined as being under the age of 30.

YouGov's latest research shows that, overall, 15% of Americans say that they would describe themselves as a libertarian, while 53% would not. 32% aren't sure either way. Younger Americans, however, are much more likely to describe themselves as libertarian or to be unsure of whether or not they are libertarian. 20% of under-30s describe themselves as libertarian, while only 39% of the Millennial age group reject the label of libertarian.

I'm not shocked by these results in the slightest. Groups like Young Americans for Liberty and Students for Liberty have done an excellent job at promoting libertarian ideas on college campuses, and have grown exponentially in recent years. College campuses are generally regarded as hotbeds of leftism, so it's positive to see that groups are gaining traction promoting liberty.

It will be curious to see how millennials end up voting in the primary--in terms of which party (if any) and for which candidates. While Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is quite popular with small-"l" libertarians, many young people are not identified with a political party and may be unable to vote in a primary election if the state has closed primaries.