Harry Potter and the Millennials ─ Research Methods and the Politics of the Muggle Generation

Without a doubt, the Harry Potter series has had a powerful effect on the Millennial Generation. Millions of children grew up immersed in the world of the boy wizard—reading the books, dressing up in costume to attend midnight book release parties, watching the movies, even creating and competing in Quidditch tournaments. Beyond what we know of the popularity of the series, however, nothing has been published on the question of the Harry Potter effect on the politics of its young readers—now voting adults.

Looking to engage his students in exploring the connections between political opinion and popular culture, Anthony Gierzynski conducted a national survey of more than 1,100 college students. Harry Potter and the Millennials tells the fascinating story of how the team designed the study and gathered results, what conclusions can and cannot be drawn about Millennial politics, and the challenges social scientists face in studying political science, sociology, and mass communication.

Anthony Gierzynski is a professor of political science at the University of Vermont. He is author of Money Rules: Financing Elections in America; Legislative Party Campaign Committees in the American States; and Saving American Elections: A Diagnosis and Prescription for a Healthier Democracy. Kathryn Eddy is an artist and a writer for the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus.