Millennial Republicans Less Critical of Government, But Nearly as Skeptical of Social Safety Net % of Republicans and Repub lican leaning independents in each generation who Republicans say.
And younger Republicans are far less skeptical about government than are older Republicans. About six-in-ten (59%) Millennial Republicans think that “government is almost always wasteful and inefficient,” compared with roughly eight-in-ten of Republicans over age 33.
But there is little difference across generations within the GOP over social safety net programs: About three-quarters of those in older generations say the government can’t afford to do much more to help the needy, compared with 68% of Millennial Republicans.
Millennial Republicans Less Critical of Government,  | But Nearly as Skeptical of Social Safety Net  | % of Republicans and Repub lican leaning independents in each generation  | who Republicans say.  | Millennial  | Gen X  | Silent  | All Rep/RL  | Boo mer  | 84  | 79  | 79  | 76  | 75  | 74  | 74  | 73  | 68  | 59  | Gov't is almost always wasteful  | Gov't today can't afford to do  | and inefficient  | much more to help the needy  | Source: 2014 Political Polariza tion in the American Public (N=10 013).  | Based on Republicans and Republican leaning independents See topline for fullquestion  | wording  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 