Date of Award
5-2025
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Political Science
First Advisor
Dr. Sean Richey
Second Advisor
Dr. Toby Bolsen
Third Advisor
Dr. Kevin Sparrow
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Jongwoo Jeong
Abstract
The 2020 U.S. General Election marked the highest voter turnout in the nation’s history. Voter turnout is correlated with age, with older Americans voting at much higher rates than younger Americans. Gen Z were more engaged in posting political content on social media platforms like Twitter and Reddit compared to Boomers, contributing to a decline in voter turnout amongst young voters. The objective of this research is to build upon existing research examining generational differences in previous national elections, using data from the 2020 ANES (American National Election Studies) Time Series. I examined the correlation between two forms of political participation, voter turnout and online political posting, independently across generations from Gen Z to Baby Boomers. I posit that Gen Z exhibited higher online engagement, but lower voter turnout compared to Boomers. To test this, I conducted probit regression and ordinarily least square regression models in Stata (statistical software).
Recommended Citation
Williams, Nicolas, "From Baby Boomers To Gen Z: A Correlational Analysis On Voter Turnout And Social Media Engagement In The 2020 U.S. General Election." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2025.
https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/political_science_theses/107
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