Abstract
The divide between youth and belief in democratic institutions widens and leaders are left scrambling to engage with Gen Zers. After analyzing the political campaigns of Mayor Mamdani and President Trump, the blueprint to succeed in reaching a younger voting demographic is clear. By focusing on issues that young people care about, talking to them through platforms they use, and creating community spaces to spread their message previously projected patterns of civic engagement for our generation are revitalized.
Recommended Citation
Barragan, Maria F., "The Engagement Gap: Rethinking How Campaigns Reach Gen Z" (2026). US Political Polarization. 6.
https://digitalcommons.salve.edu/uspp/6
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Generative artificial intelligence was not used in the creation of this work
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