As the midterm elections approach, the ongoing war with Iran has created concerns about the financial impact of United States foreign policy, affecting college students who already struggle with higher costs of living and education.
While foreign policy is not usually a priority for young voters, University of Utah professors say the economic results of the war could impact how students approach the upcoming election. Claudio Holzner, a political science professor at the U, said college students are usually more concerned with domestic issues, including education, health care and the economy.
“To the extent the war in Iran is a politically salient issue is because students recognize the negative impact it is having on the U.S. economy,” Holzner told The Chronicle.
Brent Steele, another political science professor at the U who specializes in international relations, said the war has affected students in several ways, such as rising energy costs.
Steele pointed to the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, which has raised both gas and diesel prices, affecting students directly and indirectly. He added that students are interested in broader issues relating to the war, including nuclear weapons, alliances and the country’s military presence in the Middle East.
As students face greater tuition costs and inflation, the cost of foreign conflicts has become another issue to consider when evaluating candidates.
Holzner said college students may be especially affected by inflation because they have lower incomes while also managing the expenses associated with college. “They tend to earn relatively little and may have high expenses related to their education, so they feel the pinch of inflation more than other groups,” Holzner said.
Outside of inflation, Holzner said students are also experiencing questioning of their futures because of issues like artificial intelligence, climate change and student debt.
He added that the financial costs of war might cause students to question how the government is spending its money. “Many also are aware that these wars are enormously expensive, which makes them skeptical of arguments that issues like eliminating student debt and universal healthcare are too expensive,” Holzner said.
In his interview, Holzner said younger generations might approach foreign policy differently than older generations because of the international conflicts they experienced in their lives.
He referenced research from the Pew Research Center showing that younger Americans are less likely than older generations to support the U.S. playing an active role in world affairs. “From their perspective, forever wars are a real thing since they have not experienced a time when the U.S. has not been at war,” Holzner said.
Steele said generational differences are more complicated, especially as social media has changed how people get information and form opinions politically. He referenced the COVID-19 pandemic as something that could have shaped how college students understand international relations currently.
Candidates running for Utah’s CD1 have addressed how U.S. foreign policy decisions can affect the economy and involvement in international conflicts.
The race includes Democrat candidate Ben McAdams, Republican candidate Riley Owen, Libertarian candidate Jesse West and unaffiliated candidate Elias Henry Montgomery. Members of Congress have a direct role in federal foreign policy through decisions involving military funding, international aid and war powers.
McAdams, a former U.S. representative, criticized President Donald Trump’s military actions in Iran, arguing that the conflict means higher costs for Utah families. He said he would oppose both the war and tariffs, and that he would push Congress to use its constitutional authority to end the conflict.
Owen, a former naval reserve intelligence officer, also discussed the role of Congress in overseeing military decisions. He also said he would like to see less taxpayer money spent on overseas involvement and more funding toward domestic priorities.
West has taken an anti-war position, calling for reductions in U.S. military involvement overseas and federal spending on foreign conflicts.
Although the candidates have different approaches to foreign policy, both Holzner and Steele said domestic issues will likely remain central to how younger voters make choices.
Steele encouraged students that their participation in democracy goes beyond voting and that their actions can have an impact on the world around them. “If they draw the connections between foreign policy decisions and support or opposition for those to the candidates in question, the influence can be marked,” Steele said.
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