[The Viewpoint of Dongki Kim] Is Mamdani the Hope of America's Millennial Generation?

The election of Zohran Mamdani as Mayor of New York on November 4 was a political shock. Most notably, Mamdani is affiliated with the progressive group Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

Mamdani's victory was driven by the enthusiastic support of young voters, particularly Millennials. About 75% of voters aged 18 to 29 cast their ballots for Mamdani. In addition, approximately 56% of New York City's poor and low-income residents supported him. People of color also joined this coalition. Mamdani's pledges to improve housing costs, living expenses, and social welfare-essentially to make New York a "livable city"-resonated with these groups. The economic difficulties faced by Millennials are reflected in their attitudes toward socialism.

In a survey conducted by the Cato Institute in May 2025, 62% of respondents aged 18 to 29 expressed a favorable view of socialism. Other studies have found that 40% to 50% of Millennials have a positive perception of socialism. This generation has experienced a surge in student loan debt, skyrocketing housing costs, the 2008 financial crisis and its aftermath, job insecurity due to irregular employment, soaring medical and educational expenses, and inflation since 2020.

There is a widespread belief among them that neoliberal capitalism does not offer opportunities. However, this does not mean that American Millennials prefer Soviet-style state socialism. Instead, they support universal healthcare, expanded public education, stronger corporate regulation, wealth taxes and controls on large corporations, responses to housing, labor, and climate crises, as well as investments in public transportation, public housing, and Green New Deal-style welfare state models.

Demographic analyst and author Neil Howe argued in his 1997 co-authored book "The Fourth Turning" that American history repeats in large cycles (saeculum) of about 80 to 100 years, each consisting of four historical phases. In his 2023 book "The Fourth Turning Is Here," Howe claims that the United States is currently in the fourth turning, characterized by severe political tribalism, deepening economic inequality, and government dysfunction. He also predicts that this era of crisis will reach its peak before the mid-2030s and, just as previous crises led to wars, revolutions, and the Great Depression, this crisis will also bring about structural conflicts across society, politics, the economy, and culture.

However, this crisis is also an opportunity to build a new society. Millennials and Gen Z will become the main agents in constructing a new society after the crisis. Howe refers to Millennials as the "Hero Generation." The Hero Generation prefers collective solutions over individualism, values cooperation and institutional approaches, and is sensitive to the public good, social safety nets, and fairness.

So, what kind of leader is needed during a turning point? According to Howe, it is a leader who can present a vision to unite a divided society, attempt structural resets by reforming existing institutions, and address economic inequality, the collapse of safety nets, and the concentration of wealth. Such a leader would embody the values and pragmatic activism of the Millennial generation. From Howe's perspective, progressive politicians like Mamdani can serve as catalysts to institutionalize the collective projects of Millennials.

However, it remains uncertain whether democratic socialism will become a winning vision for the entire United States. There are significant differences within the Millennial generation, so they do not constitute a single political bloc. Moreover, there is no guarantee that the great transformation following the crisis will necessarily result in a progressive realignment; a conservative or authoritarian shift is also possible. Nevertheless, how the political aspirations of Millennials, as partially revealed by Mamdani's election, unfold will determine the future of the United States and the world.

Kim Donggi, Author of "The Power of the Dollar" and Attorney