America's Next Generation

What will the United States look like in 2030? How different will the face of the nation be in a quarter century? And how will that difference affect the country?

A recent Census report breaking down the nation’s demographics by age group suggests that the United States of 2030 will be one with a much higher percentage of minorities of voting age. As an aging white population is gradually replaced with a more diverse next generation, the country’s priorities are likely to shift to reflect the changing demographics.

In 2006, the American minority population topped 100 million for the first time. Today, nearly one in three Americans is Hispanic, African American, Asian, or from another minority group. However, for those under 19, minorities represent 42% of the country. Compare that to the 80% of Americans over the age of 60 who are white and it is clear that there is a racial generation gap that affects both the America we are and the America we will become.

Today, the older white population exercises a great deal of power and influence in both voting and setting the nation’s policy agenda. As Dr. Mark Mather of the Population Reference Bureau explains it, “There’s a fairly large homogenous population 60 and older that may not be sympathetic to the needs of a diverse, youthful population.” This disproportionate power of the homogenous older population can impact policy decisions for social programs and education, areas that impact more heterogeneous younger Americans more directly.

While the racial generation gap gives a great deal of power to the older, white population today, that will change as the percentage of minorities in America continues to grow over the next several decades. The result will be an electorate more attuned to issues that affect minority communities and minority voting blocks with greater power to pursue their own agendas. Even the next generation of white Americans, having been raised in a more heterogeneous environment, will draw from a more diverse perspective in making voting and policy decisions.

I think the generational shift that is on its way will help the country domestically and abroad. At home, greater attention should be paid to the social problems that disproportionately impact minorities – lack of health insurance, disparities in health care, gaps in educational achievement, crime. These are problems that chip away at the nation’s foundation and must be seriously addressed. With the increase in influence from the minority electorate, these problems should receive the attention they deserve.

Meanwhile, in the shrinking global community, this wealth of diversity will be an advantage for the United States. As is more apparent by the day, the ability for the United States to impact global affairs without international support is limited. The shifting demographics within American borders will only better prepare the nation to consider the perspectives of nations beyond those borders. A more humble and sensitive foreign policy, supported by a strong military, will better allow the United States to achieve the goals of security and economic growth.

Since its birth, the United States has successfully incorporated and gained strength from many different ethnic groups. As the next generation of Americans, the most ethnically diverse in history, rises in influence, it will add a new chapter to this history.