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Tracing Baby Boomer Attitudes Then and Now: A Comparative Look at the Attitudes of Baby Boomers in the 1970s and 2002

To examine the beliefs and perspectives of leading edge baby boomers and see how they and their perceptions may - or may not - have changed over the past 30 years, we gathered attitudinal surveys conducted in the early to mid 1970s, when these leading edge baby boomers were in their 20s. We then asked the same questions of this same group today, now that they are in their 50s.

Perhaps the most startling finding from our comparison is the fact that many very important social indicators have not changed. With the exception of greater confidence in the Executive Branch, boomer impressions of government and business were mostly negative in the 1970s and remain so today. And although international circumstances have changed in the past 30 years, boomers still have doubts about the role and power of the U.S. on the global stage.

With data collected and prepared by AARP and Knowledge Networks, the report was written by Curt Davies and Jeff Love of AARP Knowledge Management. For further information, please contact Curt Davies at 202/434-6295.