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This upcoming election is in the hands of millennial voters. Millennials are the second largest generation in America. But they have never voted in numbers representative of their population size. If they do vote in numbers, they will swing this election's direction.
So, as much as who will win, the question is: What will it mean for America's future if millennials vote?
2014 voters elected Republican Party majorities in both the House and Senate. This Republican majority Congress did not pass any milestone pieces of legislation. It was characterized by these two actions:
This generation thirsts for political change. They were the generation that fueled Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential primary run. Their Nov. 8 challenge will be to determine if either leading presidential candidate aligns with their quest for change.
But this generation still has little political power because they don't vote. If millennials vote in numbers representative of their population size, the Nov. 8 election could very well launch the millennial age in America.
However, if millennials repeat their behavior in 2014 and do not vote, our country will continue to be dominated by the boomer generation’s agenda.
The question that may be more telling than who wins is whether the millennial generation show up in numbers and vote.
Will this be the millennials' first election where they make the hard decision to vote for candidates who do not capture their enthusiasm but still offer more hope for change than the alternative? Or will millennials again choose “none of the above” and default on their future?
Either way, the future course of America, and the millennial generation, hangs in the balance on Nov. 8.
Image credit: Flickr/Theresa Thompson
Bill Roth is a cleantech business pioneer having led teams that developed the first hydrogen fueled Prius and a utility scale, non-thermal solar power plant. Using his CEO and senior officer experiences, Roth has coached hundreds of CEOs and business owners on how to develop and implement projects that win customers and cut costs while reducing environmental impacts. As a professional economist, Roth has written numerous books including his best selling The Secret Green Sauce (available on Amazon) that profiles proven sustainable best practices in pricing, marketing and operations. His most recent book, The Boomer Generation Diet (available on Amazon) profiles his humorous personal story on how he used sustainable best practices to lose 40 pounds and still enjoy Happy Hour!