The Political Nature of the Aging Baby Boomer Generation

Introduction

As we transition into an era in which older adults make up an incredibly large percentage of the global population, it is critical that we understand the various societal implications of this population shift. Among the most important societal implications of this phenomenon is its potential impact on politics. The environment and direction of politics depends a great deal on the demographic composition of the people involved. This is  especially true in democracies where these demographics often lead to predictable voting patterns that change the outcomes of elections. Consequently,  there is an increasing amount of academic research dedicated to understanding the political ideologies and patterns of the Baby Boomer generation and predicting the incredibly significant impact this will have on the political futures of communities around the world. The purpose of this literature review is to summarize and analyze the current state of research about the political nature of the Baby Boomer generation.

Literature Review Process

The primary method of article search utilized for this literature review was that of UCLA-provided academic databases. After a preliminary search through Academic Search Complete, Sociological Abstracts, PubMed, and PsycINFO, I saw that most of the subject-related articles I saw on other databases were also present on Academic Search Complete. I determined that Academic Search Complete was the most comprehensive and customizable database to use for my research. The two search keywords I used were “Baby Boomers” and “Politics”. To get the greatest possible quantity of articles, I chose all the databases that are searchable within Ebscohost and applied filters for them separately. The filters I applied selected for journal articles or periodicals. In addition, I selected for scholarly or peer reviewed articles when that option was available. I did not apply a date or time filter in case there would not be enough articles within the 10-year time frame. The search generated 30 results pages, or about 360 articles. I restricted my review to the first five pages of results because the articles beyond those pages were increasingly irrelevant to my topic. I selected around 20 articles that were most specific to the subject of study narrowed the list down to five articles that were from scholarly peer-reviewed journals, were limited to the appropriate time frame, and were most relevant to the topic of this literature review.

Summary of Articles 

Chauvel, L., & Smits, F. (2015). The Endless Baby Boomer Generation. European Societies, 17(2), 242-278. doi:10.1080/14616696.2015.1006133

“The Endless Baby Boomer Generation” is a study that compares the political participation of different cohorts in Europe. The study focuses on nine European countries (France, Belgium, the Netherlands, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Denmark, Ireland, and Great Britain) and specifies data collection to the thirty-two year period from 1976 to 2008. The authors identify two primary aims for the research study: the first is to analyze differences between cohorts while the second is to determine individual factors that lead to these cohort differences. The study is an expansion on the 

Eurobarometer cross-sectional data sets conducted between 1976 and 2008 and attempts to reanalyze the the data using recent improvements of the age–period–cohort (APC) methodology. The distinctive methodology that makes this study unique from previous studies is the use of an updated APCD (Age Period Cohort – Detrended) statistical model that prevents the confounding of age factors and period factors and isolates for the effects of cohort factors alone. The primary experimental variable of the study is an individual’s birth cohort as indicated by their year of birth. For the purpose of this study, the Baby Boomer cohort is defined as the group of individuals born in any time between 1945 to 1955. The study design relies upon a usage of mixed methods with a combination of surveys undertaken by the Mannheim Eurobarometer Trend File and quantitative statistical analysis of the survey responses. The study lists two major findings. First, the study observes a peak in political discussion for individuals born in the late 1940s and early 1950s that is common to all countries in which the experiment was conducted. Second, there was a relapse in political activity for generations following the baby boomers despite an increase in education, contradicting the belief that education leads to greater political activity. The study concludes that the reason for cohort differences lies in the advantages of cohort size and economic situation at the time of entry into adulthood. The study further determines that the rate of political participation is a cohort-related measure rather than an age-related one, predicting that younger generation will not increase their political activity as they age and will instead be overshadowed by the continual political fervor of the baby boomers. The only limitation mentioned was the desire to analyze a logistic regression that could not be created due to the constraints of the linear model in the Stata program.

Coleman, R., & McCombs, M. (2007). The Young and Agenda-less? Exploring Age-Related Differences in Agenda Setting on the Youngest Generation, Baby Boomers, and the Civic Generation. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 84(3), 495-508.

This study seeks to answer the question of how media usage patterns affect the agenda-setting activities of the youngest generation, baby boomers, and the civic generation. The primary experimental variable is an individual’s generation of birth and the primary data measures are media usage and political participation. The study is designed as a cross-sectional public opinion survey and was completed in the states of Louisiana and North Carolina. The study defines agenda setting as the process through which mass media sources influence public opinion of the importance of issues. The authors make a distinction between traditional forms of media and non-traditional forms of media by defining traditional sources to be newspapers and mainstream television channels, while non-traditional sources are defined as alternative or entertainment media and the Internet. The data analysis is quantitative in nature, with the technique of linear regression being employed to correlate media-reported issues with the issues important to individuals of the three generations. The hypothesis that the younger generation would use traditional media at a lower frequency than the older generations was supported with the finding that the 18-34 year-olds utilized television and newspaper sources less frequently than both the Baby Boomers and the Civic Generation. The hypothesis that the younger generation will have greater internet use was partially supported with the 18-34 year-olds spending more hours online per day but with Baby Boomers more likely to use the internet for political and governmental news purposes. A significant finding was that both the Baby Boomers and the Civic Generation’s ranking of media issues was perfectly correlated with that of the media (an r value of 1.0), while the youngest generation only partially correlated with the media with an r value of 0.8. The study also showed that greater internet usage correlated positively with less correlation with traditional media agendas. This finding implied that internet usage was the primary reason from younger generations to turn away from mainstream media influence. Regardless of all these differences, the study concludes that there is great consensus between the generations and thus has am optimistic view of the future of American political discussion. The study mentions no limitations.

Hudson, R. B., & Gonyea, J. G. (2012). Baby Boomers and the Shifting Political Construction of Old Age. Gerontologist, 52(2), 272-282.

This study outlines a theoretical framework for understanding the shifting power dynamics and agendas that will impact the politics of the Baby Boomer generation. The study utilizes qualitative categorizations and and a longitudinal framework. The study utilizes a fourfold typology utilized by previous researchers. There are two qualitative axes of Power and Constructions, with Power being defined as how politically influential a target group is perceived to be and Constructions being defined as the the social constructions that surround a target group and characterize the importance of the group’s needs. The four categories are: Deviant (weak Power and negative Constructions), Dependents (weak Power and positive Constructions), Advantaged (strong Power and positive Constructions), and Contenders (strong Power and negative Constructions). This applied theory technique is credited to researchers Schneider and Ingram.The study finds that older adults were considered Dependents until the later half of the 20th Century. Their weak Power was a result of relatively small size as well as shifting family structures and economics. However, their Constructions was positive due to public sympathy regarding job loss, diminished family resources, and elder poverty. The authors hypothesize that in the post World War II era, elders become members of the Advantaged category. This is due to improvements in social and economic well-being as well as the establishment of Social Security. The authors observe that this increase in Power can be reflected in the numerous legislations that targeted elder issues at the time, including the Older Americans Act and Disability Insurance. When looking at the present and near-future political atmosphere, the study characterizes the ascending generation of elders, the Baby Boomers, as Contenders. The study observes an increasing desire by the media and the public to shift the blame of societal and fiscal issues on to the Baby Boomer generation. Therefore, there is a corresponding shift towards negative Constructions which decreases the importance and legitimacy of Baby Boomer issues in the mainstream political agenda. The major limitation of the study is the natural tendency to generalize large demographic groups when utilizing broad qualitative categories.

Towner, T. L., & Muñoz, C. L. (2018). Baby Boom or Bust? the New Media Effect on Political Participation. Journal Of Political Marketing, 17(1), 32. doi:10.1080/15377857.2016.1153561

This research study explores the relationship between media consumption and political participation through the lens of generational cohorts. Using a survey design, the study observes the online and offline political participation of Baby Boomers during the 2012 presidential campaign. The study is therefore cross-sectional in nature and primarily quantitative in its analysis. The authors are consistent with other research studies in its definition of Baby Boomers as the generation of individual born between 1946 and 1964. One of many findings of the study was that Baby Boomers were more likely to utilize offline news sources compared to online sources. Baby Boomers also showed a greater proclivity towards traditional forms of online and offline participation as high percentages of Boomers said they engaged in acts such as political emails, web petitions, and contacting government officials. Using the statistical technique of linear regression it was found that Boomer’s attention to traditional sources of news is not positively associated with offline political participation. In fact, the best predictor of offline political participation was Boomer’s attention to presidential campaign websites. An interesting finding is that most forms of social media do not correlate positively with offline political participation with the exception of Twitter. A positive correlation between Twitter usage and working for a candidate or donating to a political campaign were observed. The researchers addressed several limitations. The sample of Baby Boomers is a convenience sample that is self-selected which creates potential for sampling error. The authors also describe the cross-sectional nature of the study as a limitation because it may lead to confounded variables of age, period, and cohort.

Hudson, R. B. (2013). The Transformed Political World of Older Boomers. Journal Of Gerontological Social Work, 56(2), 85-89. doi:10.1080/01634372.2013.753825

This study attempts to categorize and predict the political present and political future of the Baby boomers using a fourfold theoretical framework. The study is qualitative in nature and uses a longitudinal and historical view of aging in America. The study utilizes the previously referenced applied theory of Schneider and Ingram in which the axes of Power and Constructions are used to outline the categories of Deviant (weak Power and negative Constructions), Dependents (weak Power and positive Constructions), Advantaged (strong Power and positive Constructions), and Contenders (strong Power and negative Constructions. The study finds that Boomers in the near future will fight to maintain existing older adult-centered programs rather than expanding them. This aligns with the hypothesis that most Baby Boomers will likely attain Contender status and face a marginalization of their political voices. The research further predicts that Baby Boomers will split as a political voting block on the lines of wealth, with more affluent Baby Boomers maintaining Contender Status and less affluent Baby Boomers becoming Dependents. The study does not mention any limitations.

Discussion

Due to the fact that the political tendencies of Baby Boomers are a relatively recent area of concern and significance, the corresponding academic research is also in its starting phase. Despite concluding with different findings,many of the studies have similar starting points and research questions. “The Young and Agenda-less?” (Coleman, 2007) and “Baby Boom or Bust?” (Towner, 2018) both look at the political participation of Baby Boomers through the lens of media usage. “Baby Boomers and the Shifting Political Construction of Old Age” (Gonyea, 2012) and “The Transformed Political World of Older Boomers” (Hudson, 2013) both use the Schneider and Ingram typology as the basis of their theoretical framework. When comparing articles that deal with similar knowledge areas, there seem to be no major contradictions. Rather, the studies simply take different directions and focus on a particular aspect of that topic. The majority of the studies are cross-sectional, while only the studies that are qualitative have a longitudinal framework. Most of the research in this area utilizes either a survey-based design or a qualitative theoretical framework. In future research, a greater variety of study methods would improve the legitimacy of these conclusions. As exploration of this area of study continues, there may also be an increase in longitudinal studies that will ultimately result in more statistically significant results. There seems to be a literature gap in the specific study of political party affiliation, voting patterns, and ideological leanings of Baby Boomers. This may be due to the more personal, sensitive nature of this aspect of politics. Overall, this relatively new area of research needs a larger variety of study methods as well as a more complete exploration of political sub-topics in order to become a sufficient source of academic information as the Baby Boomers move into old age. 

References

Chauvel, L., & Smits, F. (2015). The Endless Baby Boomer Generation. European Societies, 17(2), 242-278. doi:10.1080/14616696.2015.1006133

Coleman, R., & McCombs, M. (2007). The Young and Agenda-less? Exploring Age-Related Differences in Agenda Setting on the Youngest Generation, Baby Boomers, and the Civic Generation. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 84(3), 495-508.

Hudson, R. B., & Gonyea, J. G. (2012). Baby Boomers and the Shifting Political Construction of Old Age. Gerontologist, 52(2), 272-282.

Towner, T. L., & Muñoz, C. L. (2018). Baby Boom or Bust? the New Media Effect on Political Participation. Journal Of Political Marketing, 17(1), 32. doi:10.1080/15377857.2016.1153561

Hudson, R. B. (2013). The Transformed Political World of Older Boomers. Journal Of Gerontological Social Work, 56(2), 85-89. doi:10.1080/01634372.2013.753825