Neuroticism Is Linked With Liberal Ideology in Young, but not Old, People in the United States

ABSTRACT Polarization in the United States is partly due to a remarkable ideological divide between generations. Although substantial research has investigated why old people have become more conservative, less is known about why young people have become more liberal. The article investigates this by probing the role of neuroticism. It hypothesises that, compared to older cohorts, younger ones have grown up during a more competitive historical period that has led many to become more neurotic and, in turn, to support the left. This predicts that, in the United States, neuroticism is linked with liberal ideology in young, but not old, people. This prediction is supported in two studies. A third study found no such effect outside the United States, suggesting that the effect observed in the United States is not due to aging but to generational experiences. Overall, these findings highlight a potential role for neuroticism in explaining why young Americans have become more liberal.