Rachel Lu of The Federalist looks into the libertarian moment among young people we keep hearing about.

If Millennials Want Liberty, They Need Virtue Too

It’s a libertarian meta-moment. Across the political spectrum pundits are asking: is libertarianism on the rise? If so, how long will it last? And is it a good thing?

Some writers, such as David Frum, see the relative prominence of libertarianism in contemporary conservatism as a sign of its intellectual exhaustion and moral decline. In his recent essay on the libertarian moment, Ben Domenech offers a more cheering interpretation , specifically examining libertarianism among Millennials.

The Millennial generation is still very much divided in its political outlook, but Domenech expresses a more positive hope: that “we could be on the cusp of an amazing resurgence of the very values that made America exceptional in the first place.” In young Americans who gravitate towards libertarian figures like Rand Paul, Domenech sees glimpses of that yearning for freedom that, in Tocqueville’s view, was once our most defining American trait.

Who is right, Domenech or Frum? Probably both to varying extents, and their insights may be more harmonious than they initially seem. As Domenech observes, both libertarianism and statism have some appeal for young people seeking meaning in an increasingly atomized society. But it’s also worth remembering that the political Left and Right have both over the last decade gone through periods of crushing disappointment, flagging enthusiasm, and identity crisis. This goes a long way towards explaining the Millennial generation’s aversion to mainstream politics.