Policy Brief Policy Brief: The Political Views of Young Californians By Eric McGhee, Jennifer Paluch, Dean Bonner, Stephanie Barton Mar 27, 2024 Younger Californians take a more liberal stance on policy issues and tend to lean more Democratic than older Californians. While young Republicans are more conservative than young Democrats or independents, they are also less conservative than older counterparts across a range of topics—making younger adults less polarized in their views.