Why Gen-Z Is The Most Pro-Family Generation In 50 Years

Why Gen-Z Is The Most Pro-Family Generation In 50 Years

By Carson Carpenter |

As an 18-year-old student graduating from Arizona State University this May, I constantly think about what is next. Many people in Gen-Z are often told, “After school, you need to find a good paying job” or “You should go to graduate school.” But I find it sad that there are so few people telling Gen-Z to “raise a young family and provide for them any way that you can.”

Generation Z has the moniker of being the social media generation. Because of that, many tend to think that the majority of my generation is made up of a bunch of degenerates. But the reality is quite the opposite.

Generation Z has a very high percentage of individuals who want to enhance their lives by placing family at the center. Vice Media Group reported, “73% [of Gen-Z] say that becoming a parent enhances who you already are as a person.” This is significant because it shows that Gen-Z recognizes the inherent value of starting and sustaining a family​.

The birth rate in America has been declining for some time now, and births out of wedlock are at an all-time high. Many often wonder what has gone wrong in America for this to happen. The truth is that the deconstruction of the nuclear family unit and a growing lack of faith have played a significant role. But despite all this, there is optimism. Between 2010 and 2020, births out of wedlock did not increase for the first time since the 1930s. Between 2020 and 2030, there are reasonable projections that this number will decrease for the first time. This can be attributed to Generation Z starting families and reverting to traditional values.

This brings me to the 2024 election. There is so much on the line for younger voters this November, and many of them will vote for candidates who will focus on the economy and homeland security. These hot-button issues directly affect the ability and environment to have a family. Many do not buy the claim that “their vote doesn’t count” because they have seen how the ability to start and keep a family has been much more difficult under the Biden administration’s policies.

Another important issue for Gen-Z is the value of faith in family life, and recent research backs this up, showing a resurgence in religious faith among Gen-Z. After the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health issues were at an all-time high, especially within my generation, and the return to normal life after crippling lockdown policies was extremely difficult for many. Due to this, Gen-Z began to wake up to faith and become believers. Of course, this is not a new concept. After the Black Death that crippled Europe, many people thought of religion in new ways, which eventually led to Protestantism and other forms of Christianity. Before COVID-19, faith started to decline in the United States, and many people were leaving it for atheism. But now that the pandemic is over and we move into the mid-2020s, we may be in the early stages of a religious revival that could prove to be similar to medieval Europe.

Generation Z has been shaped by a unique time period. We’ve seen family and religious values fall to dramatically low levels, and we’re starting to see what that can do to a society. When Rome and Greece abandoned these values, their empires fell into ruin. Now, Generation Z has the opportunity to keep us from this same fate by resurrecting this country to focus on family and faith once again.

Carson Carpenter is an Arizona State University student majoring in Political Science. He is the President of The College Republicans at ASU and is the National Committeeman to Arizona for The College Republicans of America. He has also interned for Reps. Gosar and Crane.

Arizona’s Minimum Wage Could Be $18 Per Hour Soon

Arizona’s Minimum Wage Could Be $18 Per Hour Soon

By Carson Carpenter |

Arizona’s minimum wage was $13.85 in 2023, up from $12.80 per hour in 2022. On January 1, 2024, minimum wage in State 48 will be raised another 50 cents to $14.35 per hour. This increase will happen despite the fact that Arizona’s inflation rate in 2023 was lower than the national average. That’s because Arizona is a state that raises minimum wage following the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index (CPI). This means that our state follows the inflation rate of the entire country instead of the localized state-level inflation rate. But now, a new group is pushing to ensure that Arizona’s minimum wage grows astronomically higher.

Back on November 7, 2022, a group named Raise the Wage AZ introduced a measure called The One Fair Wage Act. This state-initiated statute, which could be on the ballot in 2024, proposes raising the minimum wage to a staggering $18 per hour. Within this act, it explicitly states, “The One Fair Wage Act raises the minimum wage by $1 over cost of living increases in 2025 and 2026 and leaves cost of living increases in place thereafter.” By 2025 and 2026, the cost of living in Arizona could very well be one of the highest in the nation because of the Phoenix metro area.

Another part of the act is something that will leave many small business owners feeling extremely concerned. It states: “The Act gradually reduces the amount of the employer’s offset due to tips until the employer is required to pay the full minimum wage and employees keep all of their tips on top of that wage.” This will diminish profit margins directly for small businesses and therefore increase product costs to consumers.

It’s bad enough that small businesses have been left behind for the past three years because of mismanagement of fiscal policy and ignorance at the highest level within the federal government. They shouldn’t be expected to face another dramatic increase in minimum wage. Our state cannot fall into the same trap that California and New York fell into, letting large cities dominate secondary cities and smaller towns.

On top of this, the Biden Administration’s neglect of the southern border and immigration policy will leave people that are crossing illegally even more dependent on taxpayer-funded programs—pushing overall costs at a local level even higher. Now is not the time to raise minimum wage by such an extreme margin. This is an unfortunate initiative, because it fails to address any of these other concerns that will end up affecting Arizonans.

The reality is that The One Fair Wage Act is bad for Arizona. If this ballot initiative passes, rural Arizona will be left behind as prices increase dramatically. Small businesses will go dormant. Phoenix will become the Los Angeles of the desert. And the bar of entry to start a business in Arizona will continue to grow higher for everyday Arizonans.

Carson Carpenter is a student at Arizona State University, majoring in Political Science. He is the Vice President of ASU College Republicans and has interned for Reps. Gosar and Crane. You can follow him on Twitter here.

State 48 Is Up For Sale

State 48 Is Up For Sale

By Carson Carpenter |

Throughout history, wars have been fought over who can control land and what can be done upon the land that is seized. Nowadays, valuable land is often given to foreign adversary powers at the cost of Homeland Security and the good ole American dollar. Arizona is currently one of these battlefields, where foreign powers are trying to seize control within the United States and take away opportunities from domestic businesses.

In 2022, Arizona passed a law stating that China or Communist party officials cannot directly buy land in our state. However, SB 1342 failed to address that anyone who is not a Communist Party member from China can still buy land. While well-intentioned, this bill left a major loophole that can and will be exploited for years to come, especially with heightening tensions across the globe.

China currently has access to 26.2 million acres of Arizona farmland, some of it being close to major infrastructure and military installations. To be clear, all foreign investors from anywhere in China are under the complete and total control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Even if they don’t claim to be members of the CCP, they have access to buy up this land.

In 2021, China owned 30,119 acres within the state of Arizona. This land is held by Walton Industries Group, a company that denied access to NPR about what they are doing with their land. The company also gives access to many other foreign nations to use this land right here in Arizona.

This is a glaring national security risk. These foreign investors’ tactics toward Arizona are not normal business operations. That’s why Arizona needs legislation put forth that will cut off foreign investor access to the farmland mentioned above.

Arizona can be on the cutting edge to put its people first through such legislation. It would be the first of its kind in the country. State Senator Wendy Rogers even advocated for this type of restriction within SB 1342, but unfortunately, it didn’t pass. Since then, the world and state of foreign affairs have changed, allowing for a perfect opportunity to pass this game-changing legislation.

A new bill could be introduced at the legislature, pass both the Arizona House and Senate, and put lots of political pressure on Governor Hobbs to sign. If she did, this legislation would give access to farmland across southern Arizona that would most certainly boost the state economy, especially for the lower and middle classes.

Arizona could be a breadbasket of growth based on a simple release of farmland that right now is open access for foreign investors. There has not been enough economic pressure put upon the Governor in the legislature. Now is the time for the state government to enact legislation before the next election to ensure that Arizona will be playing offense, rather than playing the “bend but don’t break” game that limits enacting effective legislation that helps everyday Arizonans.

Carson Carpenter is a student at Arizona State University, majoring in Political Science. He is the Vice President of ASU College Republicans and has interned for Reps. Gosar and Crane. You can follow him on Twitter here.