Even Gen Z is divided

But they appear to be more willing to listen to other ideas

Last week, I shared my reflections on the urgent need for civility in our politics — and the response from USTomorrow readers was largely positive and hopeful. Many of you wrote back not just about my due diligence in considering a run for office, but more importantly about the hope for leadership who listen first and fight less.

Naturally, I was further heartened when I finally got a chance to read an article by Nina Pasquini about Gen Z’s “Right Turn”. As a proud graduate of Harvard, I was encouraged to see our alumni magazine tackling this important shift in campus politics.

I recently chaired a conference on Bridging the Gap — focused on how community leaders can find common ground across divides.

It reminded me of my time at HKS when I was surrounded by classmates and faculty who spanned the spectrum — military officers, labor organizers, diplomats, entrepreneurs and lots of folks trying to “save the world.” We didn’t always agree, but we learned how to disagree without walking away. That experience shaped me. It’s also why I find the current generational divide so fascinating.

As the Harvard Magazine article reported, there are now “two Gen Zs.” Rachel Janfaza (author of TheUpAndUp on Subsack), who’s been crisscrossing the country with my friend John Della Volpe at the Institute of Politics, put it plainly:

“The pandemic bifurcated Gen Z…this cohort of young people who were either in high school or middle school during the pandemic grew really frustrated with authority.”

Those in college during the lockdown had roommates and classmates to lean on; those still in high school often felt deeply isolated. And as Janfaza notes today:

“When I ask young people what worries them most, so many say divisiveness. They’re frustrated that the two parties are so far apart. They want space for conversation in the middle.”

That echoes what so many of you told me last week.

And it’s not just one side saying it. Tenzin Gund-Morrow (’26), a progressive who co-leads the Institute of Politics, recently explained:

“It really doesn’t help anyone to shut someone else down. If you don’t listen thoughtfully and respond in kind, people just radicalize further.”

That’s the same lesson I carried from two decades in the Army: first reports are usually wrong, and rushing to judgment means you miss the bigger truth.

Even conservative voices at Harvard see the same trend. Michael Oved (’25), who helped grow the Republican Club’s ranks, said:

“There are more conservatives than meet the eye. The beauty of the Republican Party is the difference of opinions within it.”

Different sides. Different labels. But a common thread in this latest generation: the desire to be heard without being shouted down.

(As an aside, Harvard’s Republican Club is the oldest in the nation. In 2016, it refused to endorse Trump; by 2024, it issued a 2,000-word essay with 41 citations explaining its full-throated endorsement. You can read it here.)

That is what USTomorrow is about. It’s what civility looks like in practice. Harvard is at a fascinating inflection point in its nearly 400 year history.

And it’s why, whether or not I’m on the ballot, I’ll keep building spaces where people can put down the jerseys and pick up the problems.

So here’s my question to you this week: Where have you seen true listening — across divides, across generations — make a difference? Reply and share your story.

The center isn’t quiet because it’s empty — it’s quiet because its people are busy doing the work.

Take care,
Joseph

Co-founder of USTomorrow

I encourage you to click here for more on Linkedin , X-Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky, Medium, and Facebook.