Nearly 6 in 10 young voters support bigger government — a worrisome statistic for conservatives who want to increase their presence on college campuses and among the under-30 crowd.

According to the Pew Research Center, 59 percent of young voters think the government should do more — something only 44 percent of all voters support. On government-run healthcare, the most popular policy preference among young voters was to expand it.

Young voters were also far more likely to identify as liberals and members of the Democratic Party than older generations.

For young conservative activists, making inroads on college campuses will be no easy task.

“The rise in young people embracing paternalistic government comes as no shock,” said Gabriella Hoffman, a field coordinator for the Leadership Institute, in an email to The Daily Caller News Foundation. “Most have developed contempt for free enterprise and limited government from their college professors who inject anti-free market, socialist and even Marxist views into their lectures.”

Students with non-liberal views need to fight back, or be drowned out entirely, she said.

“If students don’t expose this bias and bombard their campuses with alternative viewpoints, then more young people will become slaves to the government.”

The youth vote was instrumental in achieving President Barack Obama’s re-election, according to Pew. Obama beat Mitt Romney by 24 points among voters under 30 year of age.

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