1. Political Socialization
And the Factors that Influence

2. Family Value of the Dinner Table
9% of high school seniors identify with a different party than their parents
71% identify with the party of their parents

3. Family
By the fifth grade more than half of school children identify with one party or the other
60% of adults still maintain the party identification of their parents

4. How does the family contribute to Political Socialization?
Religion
Religious differences shape political differences
Religion affects social issues more so than others
Eg. – abortion, gay marriage

5. How does the family contribute to Political Socialization?
Schooling, Education, Information
More schooling used to mean more political participation
Colleges used to make people more liberal
These ideas do not hold true anymore, WHY?

6. How does the family contribute to Political Socialization?
Gender
Gender Gap – differences in political beliefs between men and women
Generally men favor the (R) party and women favor the (D) party
Married women favor the (R) party more than their unmarried counterparts

7. Cleavages in Public Opinion

8. Cleavages in Public Opinion
Social Class – How can we define this?
Income, occupation, wealth, schooling, prestige, personality
Does social class have a huge influence on voting and public opinion?
Is it easy to define? Why or Why not?

9. Cleavages in Public Opinion
Race and Ethnicity
Much clearer differences than with social class
White and Black people feel differently on a number of issues

10. Cleavages in Public Opinion
Region
Does public opinion differ by region?
North vs. South
South is more accommodating to big business
North East is more accommodating to labor unions
White southerners are more conservative than white northerners