POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION & VOTING Process in which people acquire their political beliefs and how groups vote.

Family Strongest. Correlation between parent's party affiliation and child's party affiliation. Less of a correlation on civil liberties and racial issues. Fairly equal influence of mother and father. When parents differ, child tends to associate w/beliefs of parent with whom he/she more closely identifies

Schools Impart basic values, e.g., civic duty, patriotism. High school government classes apparently do not change political orientation of students. College students tend to be more liberal than general population. College students at most prestigious schools tend to be the most liberal. College students in social sciences more liberal than those in natural/physical sciences

Religion Protestant. Generally more conservative. Evangelicals, esp., are most conservative on social issues. Catholic. Traditionally more liberal. Jewish: liberal influence, strong support for the Democratic Party

Race Whites: more conservative, greater support for Republicans. Blacks: more liberal, strongest supporters of Democratic Party (>80% Democratic in recent presidential elections). Hispanics: Mexican-Americans and Puerto Ricans more liberal and supportive of Democrats, Cubans more conservative and supportive of Republicans. Asians: more conservative and supportive of Republicans

Gender Gender gap of recent years. "Year of the Woman" in 1992: many more women elected to Congress. Clinton's appeal to "soccer moms." Sex-sensitive issues (e.g., abortion, pornography, gun control) provoke different views among the sexes. Million Mom March of 2000 to demonstrate for stricter gun control laws

Higher Education…… Most unpredictable factor More education you have the more likely you are to vote Democratic. Post-graduate degrees (Master’s & Phd) are even more likely to vote for the Democrats Elite Schools, (Prestige) Democratic

Other factors Income those with higher incomes —> more conservative and supportive of Republicans those with lower incomes —> more liberal and supportive of Democrats.

Opinion Leaders: People with pull…. Opinion leaders: those people that influence how people vote. Personal/family (aunts uncles, grandparents Local (ministers, community leaders) National (Union, Religious, Civil Rights. Mass media

Other factors (continued) Cross pressure: when people vote on the basis of one issue that belongs typically to party they do not usually support. A person that votes typically for the Republican party but will vote Democratic because of their stand on a recent issue.