National Security vs Economic Security

Key Findings from the Rand Report

Survey data revealed some statistically significant differences in the attitudes of younger Americans toward economic and national security, along with some notable continuities with the views of older Americans.

  • In general, younger people reported being more worried about economic security and less worried about national security than older Americans.
  • They were also less likely than older Americans to report that living in a democracy is very important to them.
  • Millennials were the age group least concerned about illegal immigration, the federal budget deficit, or increasing the size of the U.S. Armed Forces as security issues.
  • They were also less concerned than their elders about protecting the United States against terrorist attack or halting the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).