Political Socialization: Learning Political Beliefs and Attitudes

The opinions and attitudes revealed by public opinion polls do not form in a vacuum. A number of important factors—among them families, schools, churches, the news media, and social groups with which individuals are most closely associated—significantly influence both our core beliefs and our political attitudes. Political scientists refer to the process by which individuals acquire these beliefs and attitudes as political socialization. The instruments by which beliefs and attitudes are conveyed to individuals in society (such as our families, schools, and so on) are called agents of socialization.

Political socialization is a lifetime process in the sense that people engage in political learning throughout the life-course.12 However, childhood and adolescence seem to be particularly important times for people’s incorporation of core beliefs and general outlooks about the political world, especially party identification, ideological leanings, and racial and ethnic identity, though scholars are beginning to believe that early adulthood is almost as important.13

The family plays a particularly important role in shaping the outlooks of children. It is in the family—whether in a traditional or nontraditional family—that children pick up their basic outlook on life and the world around them. It is mainly from their family, for example, that children learn to trust or distrust others, something that affects a wide range of political attitudes later in life. It is from the family, and the neighborhood where the family lives, that children learn about which ethnic or racial group, social class or income group, and religion they belong to and begin to pick up attitudes that are typical of these groups. In dinner table conversations and other encounters with parents, children start to acquire ideas about the country—ideas about patriotism, for example—and their first vague ideological ideas: whether government is a good or bad thing, whether taxes are a good or bad thing, and whether certain people and groups in society are to be admired or not (welfare recipients, rich people, corporations, and the like). Most importantly, because it represents the filter through which a great deal of future political learning takes place, many children adopt the political party identifications of their parents, especially if the parents share the same party identification. Although the relationship between parent and child party identification is weaker now than it was in the 1940s and 1950s, a majority of adult Americans still identify with the same party as their parents.

Schools are also important as agents of political socialization. In the early grades, through explicit lessons and the celebration of national symbols—such as the flag in the classroom, recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, pictures on the walls of famous presidents, patriotic pageants, and the like—schools convey lessons about American identity and patriotism. In the middle grades, schools teach children about the political process by sponsoring mock presidential elections and elections to student government. In the upper grades, most students in most school districts take courses in American history and American government and continue learning about participation through student government.

Children gain many of their initial ideas about how the American political system works in their school classrooms. In the early grades, children gain impressions about the nation, its most important symbols (such as the flag), and its most visible and well-known presidents. They also learn the rudiments of democracy. Here, elementary school students take part in a mock election. How might developing an entire generation of active participants change the face of American politics?

Popular culture—movies, music, and advertising—also shapes the budding political outlooks of young people.14 To be sure, most of the messages coming from the popular culture have more to do with style, fashion, and attitude. But much in popular culture conveys political messages. Many performers, such as U2, Bruce Springsteen, and Lady Gaga, for example, embed political messages in their songs. Many Hollywood movies come with a political message; themes of sleazy politicians and untrustworthy or corrupt elected officials are quite common.

Political socialization does not stop when children become adults. Substantial evidence shows that a college education affects people’s outlooks about public policies and the role of government. People with a college education, for example, are more likely to support government programs to protect the environment. We know, moreover, that people’s political outlooks are shaped by major events or developments that affect the country during their young adult years. In the past, such events have included the Great Depression, World War II, the civil rights movement and the countercultural revolution of the 1960s, the Reagan Revolution of the 1980s, and the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States. The recent Great Recession may similarly shape long-term outlooks as sustained economic troubles have derailed people’s hopes of attaining the American Dream.15 The effect of these events and developments seems most pronounced for young people who are just coming to have a sense of political awareness. Political scientists identify this phenomenon as a generational effect. Thus, young people coming of age politically during the 1960s turned out to be much more liberal throughout their lives than young people coming of age during the 1950s or during the Reagan years.

Finally, a number of socializing agents affect people’s attitudes and expressed political opinions throughout adulthood. Jobs and experiences at work can affect the confidence that people express about the future for themselves and their families. The news media affects people’s attitudes by how they select and frame the issues they cover. Getting married and buying a home—because they bring new concerns with things such as the quality of local schools and neighborhoods, interest rates on home mortgages, and more—cause many people to alter their positions on political parties, candidates, and issues. So too does retirement, which often brings a new sense of urgency about government support for retirement and health care benefits.