Michigan State University students describe a future clouded by weak entry-level job prospects, unaffordable housing, delayed adulthood, artificial intelligence and political violence. Frankie Llerandi, 21, has not secured an internship during three years at the university and will graduate in the spring with an economics degree and an interest in data analytics. Kira Saiti, 19, is distressed by images of violence in the Middle East and closer to home, while Julian Bautista, 20, says Trump administration cuts damaged environmental work and plans to seek employment in the Netherlands after graduation. Their concerns are helping progressive, antiestablishment Democratic candidates including Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official running for U.S. Senate, and Will Lawrence, who is challenging Republican congressman Tom Barrett in the swing district that includes the university. Young voters supported Donald Trump at an unusually high rate of 47% two years ago, according to AP VoteCast, but anxiety over artificial intelligence and the Iran war is now also helping disruptive candidates on the opposite end of the political spectrum. Economic indicators present a mixed picture: unemployment among people ages 22 to 27 is 7.2%, compared with 4.1% for the broader workforce, while unemployment among recent college graduates is 5.6%. A 2024 study found Generation Z is positioned to be wealthier than millennials, who are wealthier than the preceding generation, but economists point to high housing and essential-goods costs, delayed family formation and an uncertain career path. Gallup found young Americans' optimism about the job market has fallen since 2024, while an Associated Press-NORC poll found lower political engagement and less emphasis on voting. Students across the political spectrum say repeated changes between administrations make meaningful progress seem elusive, intensifying demand for larger political changes.