Olivia examines the leaflet from her local MP. This year, like many of her generation, she is eligible to vote in a general election for the first time. But who should she vote for? Or is it worth voting at all? Politicians seem so good at promising things, but so bad at delivering them. If only some would home in on the things she really cares about!

Olivia is the kind of person the National Centre for Social Research had in mind when it launched its latest survey. It carried out 5,578 interviews with British adults born since 1997 to see how their attitudes compare to those of older generations: for example, Generation X (people born between 1965 and 1980) and Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996).

The key findings were:

Law flaws. Generation Z are half as likely as other adults (16% as opposed to 32%) to believe that the law should always be obeyed, even if this is wrong. Just 57% (as opposed to 78%) think obeying the law is an important part of being a good citizen, and 43% would use civil disobedience to support their beliefs (as opposed to 33%).

Cracking crime. They generally do not support harsh, punitive policies, but 38% think the death penalty is the right punishment for some crimes. The figure for adults in general is almost the same: 41%.

Censorship sceptics. Only 25% believe that censoring films and magazines is necessary to support moral standards, compared to 39% of adults as a whole.  

Dope hope. 80% are in favour of legalising cannabis and 63% believe it should be sold through licensed shops; 17% think there should be no restrictions. But they are half as likely to use cannabis as their parents were at the same age.

Benefit benevolence. Just 6.8% consider themselves to be "anti-welfare", compared to 24% of Generation X and 22% of Millennials.

Unsparing caring. 59% think all adult social care should be paid for by the government. For every other generation the figure is less than 50%.

Health wealth. Though they would like the government to spend more on the NHS, only 40% are in favour of higher taxes to pay for this.

Property proprietors. 81% would buy a home if they could, compared to 93% of Millennials. But 78% expect the price of property in their local area to become even higher in the next decade.

The report defines liberals as "people who value individual freedom and personal choice over societal rules and norms". Conservatives prefer conformity and maintaining social order.

"Our data shows that Gen Z hold strong moral convictions, which they are willing to voice loudly and confidently," write the compilers.

"They are willing to break laws they don't agree with and make their voices heard through protests. They also take a liberal approach to personal freedoms on issues such as drug policy."

Are we getting more liberal?

Yes: An astonishing proportion of Generation Z support legalising cannabis and oppose censorship. They care passionately about the causes they support and are willing to break the law to further them.

No: A key issue for most liberals is capital punishment, and the fact that 38% of Generation Z support it shows that they have a strong conservative streak. So does their desire to be property owners.

Or... Even if Generation Z are liberal now, there is no telling what they will think when they become older. Many people start out by being left-wing, but then become more conservative as the years pass.