Old for young: Cross-national examination of intergenerational political solidarity

Abstract

Socioecological crises, such as the climate crisis, place a heavy burden on young and future generations. However, these generations have less influence on political and economic decisions. Older generations will be less affected by most socioecological crises but have a greater impact in terms of contribution and resolution. Therefore, young and future generations depend on older generations to act in solidarity. In a preregistered online survey study, we examined the political solidarity of older adults with young people in three countries (US, N = 399; Germany, N = 401; and Brazil, N = 403). Results show that affinity with young people and legacy motivation directly explained intergenerational political solidarity in all three countries. In the US and Brazil, quantity and quality of intergenerational contact with young people indirectly explained political solidarity through affinity. These findings suggest that increasing the closeness between generations may be a promising lever for intergenerational solidarity.