Majority of young Americans want expanded government services, single-payer health care: poll

A majority of young Americans support single-payer health care and other expanded government services, according to a new poll.

The survey released Wednesday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and MTV found that 69 percent of Americans between the ages of 15 and 34 are in favor of a single-payer health-care program.

{mosads}A wide majority of young Democrats — 88 percent — said they support such a program, as did about two-thirds of young independents and 40 percent of young Republicans, the poll found.

Single-payer health care has recently gained traction as a number of prominent Democrats have said they support Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vt.) “Medicare for all” bill, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Kamala Harris (Calif.) and Cory Booker (N.J.).

Under a single-payer program, the government would cover health care costs for all residents.

The AP poll found that a majority of young Americans are also in support of other expanded government services, such as free tuition for public college. The poll found that 66 percent of young respondents support that idea, including 79 percent of Democrats and 72 percent of independents. Nearly 40 percent of young Republicans also support free tuition for public college, according to the poll.

The poll’s results were based on interviews with 1,052 Americans aged 15 to 34 from Sept. 20 to Oct. 8. The poll has a margin of error of 4.3 percentage points.