With each passing generation, not only those within it, but those who govern, relate to, and operate around it are forced to undergo adaptations be they positive or negative. It is government’s charge to meet these changes with effective restructure and policy changes, though it is not always well-equipped to do so. With the “Silent” or “Traditionalist” generations, society/government was forced to react to extreme cautious behavior shaped by The Great Depression and the World Wars. For “Baby-Boomers” it was both the increasing population of the society and subsequent governmental provisioning issues, as well as the increased propensity to take risks, which has manifested in both social and economic ways. Generation X’ers are most commonly associated with general disappointment over governmental authority and Millennials extreme peer orientation and seeking instant gratification both of which has drastically shaped civic and political involvement. The driving differences for Millennials from past generations are their preferences, consumption patterns and the economic realities they face as young people – trends which will significantly impact government structure and delivery of services. The issue is, as with past generations, government is not presently prepared to meet the associated challenges.

The research paper “Governing Demographics” examines the significant sociocultural demographic shifts occurring among Millennials in the United States. Through our research, Deloitte and GovLab will provide a set of recommendations for governments and agencies to better understand and prepare for the impact of both occurring and emerging sociocultural demographics shifts, hence mitigating any adverse impacts. Impact statements and recommendations are based on characteristics, interactions and reactions (both public and private sectors) to past generational behaviors and thoughts on how society can better prepare for and restructure itself to accommodate current generational trend shifts.

Overview:

The research paper Governing Demographics will be constructed in several unique sections.

1. Establish the millennial Persona

Leveraging existing data, the team will forecast how current demographics trends and sociocultural shifts will manifest as the millennial generation ages.

2. Describe the Ideal Future State

The paper will describe the ways in which specific government entities and agencies will adjust to accommodate demographic shifts over the next twenty five years.

3. Establish Credibility/Make the Case for Change

The paper will then deconstruct the future scenario, establishing research that supports the trends in the three specific areas discussed above, and creating the case for necessary government changes.

4. Provide the Roadmap

We will issue a set of incremental recommendations to these government entities to help them prepare for the coming changes over the next five, ten and twenty-five years.

5. Conclude/Present the Alternative

The conclusion will provide a sense of urgency for government to begin making the adjustments laid out in our research.