WHERE DID I GET THAT IDEA FROM?

 BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON POLITICAL AFFILIATION.  AMONG HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS ONLY 9% BELONG TO THE OPPOSITE PARTY OF THEIR PARENTS.  IN ADULTS 60% ARE THE SAME PARTY AS THEIR FAMILY AND MOST OF THE REST ARE INDEPENDENTS  ONE MAJOR DIFFERENCE OCCURS IN POLICY AREAS –-- RACE AND CIVIL LIBERTIES AMONGST THE YOUTH  IF FAMILY IS HIGHLY POLITICAL THEN THE COMMUNICATION OF THOSE NORMS IS MORE EFFECTIVE AND LONGSTANDING

 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – GIVE SENSE OF NATIONAL PRIDE, IDEALIZED NOTION OF GOV’T, INTRODUCTION OF AUTHORITY FIGURES OUTSIDE FAMILY, GOV’T OFTEN SEEN AS THE PRESIDENT.  HIGH SCHOOL – GREATER KNOWLEDGE OF SYSTEM, CAN SEE EROSION IN TRUST OF GOV’T (ESPECIALLY IN URBAN YOUTH), MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT CURRENT EVENTS THAN PAST HISTORY  THEN THERE IS COLLEGE

 25% OF PEOPLE RECEIVE COLLEGE DEGREES.  STUDENTS USUALLY BECOME MORE LIBERAL – LONGER THEY ARE IN COLLEGE THE MORE LIBERAL THEY BECOME. WHY?  PEOPLE WHO GO TO COLLEGE ARE PRONE TO LIBERALISM  PEOPLE ARE EXPOSED TO A WIDER VARIETY OF MATERIALS (POSSIBILY PRODUCED BY THE A LIBERAL CULTURAL ELITE)  COLLEGE TEACHES LIBERALISM (BECAUSE OF A BELIEF IN CONSISTENT IDEALISM THAT LEADS TO CONTEMPT FOR PRAGMATIC COMPROMISES, INSTITUTIONS, AND PUBLIC OPINION)

 THERE IS AN EXECPTION: THE HIGHER THE EDUCATION LEVEL=MORE SOCIALLY LIBERAL (PERSONAL FREEDOM, BUT MORE FISCIALLY CONSERVATIVE (ECONOMIC FREEDOM) – POSSIBLY A REFLECTION IN CLASS  COLLEGE KIDS TODAY ARE SLIGHTLY MORE CONSERVATIVE THAN THOSE WHO ENTERED IN THE 60’S AND 70’S  HOW LONG WILL I BE LIBERAL? IT DEPENDS ON:  DID YOU MARRY LIBERAL? ARE YOUR FRIENDS LIBERAL? LEVEL OF EDUCATION? LEVEL OF ACTIVISM IN COLLEGE

 WE USUALLY HAVE SEEN BLUE COLLAR, OR UNSKILLED WORKERS EMBRACE DEMOCRATIC AND LIBERAL VIEWS ON ECONOMIC POLICY.  PROFESSIONALS TEND TO BE MORE CONSERVATIVE ON ECONOMIC POLICY.  BUT THE DIVIDE IS CLOSING  MANY MORE PEOPLD VOTE ON SOCIAL, MORAL, AND FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES AND NOT ON ECONOMIC ISSUES  EDUCATION IS LIBERALIZING

 AFRICAN-AMERICANS ARE HEAVILY DEMOCRATIC (78%) (THOUGH YOUNGER BLACKS MAY BE WILLING TO VOTE MORE REPUBLICAN)  HISPANIC ARE MOSTLY DEMOCRATIC (54%), BUT THERE IS CROSSOVER (JORGE W. BUSH AS GOV. OF TEXAS)  MEXICAN-AMERICAN = DEMOCRATIC  CUBAN-AMERICAN = REPUBLICAN

 ASIAN AMERICANS HAVE A SLIM MAJORITY WHO VOTE REPUBLICAN (38% - R, 35% - D)  JAPANESE = MORE CONSERVATIVE  KOREAN = MORE LIBERAL  WHITE  MORE LIKELY TO BE REPUBLICAN THAN BLACK OR HISPANIC (BUT NOT ASIAN)  35% REPUBLICAN, 37 % DEMOCRATIC

 SINCE THE 1960’s MORE MEN HAVE BEEN BECOMING REPUBLICANS CREATING A HUGE GENDER GAP. (PATTERN IS SEEN THROUGHOUT THE WORLD)  MAIN REASON SEEMS TO BE MEN’S CONSERVATISM ON SOCIAL ISSUES LIKE GAY RIGHTS, ABORTION, GUN CONTROL, AND SIZE OF GOVERNMENT  WOMEN IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS DEMOCRATS 58% OF THE TIME.

 GENERALLY PROTESTANTS ARE MORE CONSERVATIVE THAN CATHOLICS WHO ARE MORE CONSERVATIVE THAN JEWS  THE DIFFERENCE IS FADING WITH TIME.  WHY?  CLASS – JEWS AND CATHOLICS WERE IMMIGRANTS WHO SAW MORE SUPPORT WITH LIBERALS  RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS – PROTESTANTS – INDIVIDUAL SALVATION, JEWS – SOCIAL JUSTICE  ONCE AGAIN SOCIAL ISSUES AND NOT ECONOMIC ISSUES.

 ECONOMICS DOES NOT PLAY A BIG DIFFERENCE.  SOUTH – MORE CONSERVATIVE SOCIALLY  NORTHEAST – MORE LIBERAL SOCIALLY  MIDWEST – MORE CONSERVATIVE SOCIALLY  WEST – MORE LIBERAL SOCIALLY