1. PPA 419 Aging Services Administration
Lecture 3b – Aging and political attitudes, 1948 – 2004

2. Source
The American National Election Studies ( THE ANES CUMULATIVE DATA FILE [dataset]. Stanford University and the University of Michigan [producers and distributors], 2005.

3. Problems with Cross-Sectional Studies
Influenced by unique circumstances at the time of the survey.
Cannot separate affects of age, cohort, and period.

4. Age, Cohort, and Period Age – Impact of maturation on individual.
Cohort – Generational effects caused by exposure to phenomena unique to birth period.
Period – Events affecting all cohorts and ages at a single time.

5. American National Election Studies
We can study political attitudes by examining cohorts and age groups over time.
Use ANES – 1948 – 2004.
1948, every two years from 1952 to Twenty-eight surveys in all. 47,438 cases.

6. Attitudes examined Party identification. Strength of partisanship.
Interest in the election.
Interest in public affairs.
External efficacy.
Government responsiveness.
Trust in government.
Political ideology.

7. Comparisons Age cohort. 1. 1975-Present 2. 1959-1974 3. 1943-1958
7. Before 1895

8. Comparisons Age groups. 1. 17-24 2. 25-34 3. 35-44 4. 45-54 5. 55-64
and over

9. Party identification by age cohort

10. Party identification by age group

11. Strength of partisanship by age cohort

12. Strength of partisanship by age group

13. Interest in the election by age cohort.

14. Interest in the election by age groups

15. Interest in public affairs by age cohort

16. Interest in public affairs by age groups

17. External efficacy by age cohorts

18. External efficacy by age groups

19. Government responsiveness by age cohorts

20. Government responsiveness by age groups

21. Trust in government by age cohorts

22. Trust in government by age groups

23. Conservatism by age cohort

24. Conservatism by age group