Political Socialization
Unit 3
AP Government
Many people
+
Many
opinions
=
Many
viewpoints
Political Ideology
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
What we believe and why…
Political Ideology Definitions
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
A comprehensive, integrated set
of views about government and
politics
A coherent set of ideas of on
how people should live together
A plan of action for applying
these ideas
1. Our Ideology Comes from
Our…
Political Culture
 Political Culture is the
widely shared beliefs,
values and norms
concerning the
relationship of citizens to
government and to one
another.

Name some of the
beliefs shared by most
Americans….
Did you name these?
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Liberty
Democracy
Political Equality
Individualism
Justice and the Rule of Law
Capitalism and Free Enterprise
Nationalism, optimism, and idealism

“The American Dream”
2. Our Ideology Comes from our… Political
 Political Socialization:
Socialization
The process by which we are taught
and develop our individual and
collective political beliefs
 A lifelong process by which people
form their ideas about politics and
acquire political values. The family,
educational system, peer groups,
and the mass media all play a role.
While family and school are
important early in life, what our
peers think and what we read in the
newspaper and see on television
have more influence on our political
attitudes as adults.
Name some factors that influence our
Political Socialization…


Did you name these?
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Family***
Peers
Race and ethnic differences
Religious differences
Gender
Social and economic differences (SES)
Sectional/regional differences
Education Level
Age
 Can be linked to Historical events (e.g., Pearl
Harbor, Vietnam, Watergate, September 11 and
War on Terror)
Media influences
Political ID Card
Due 9/15
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Place yourself on the classic spectrum!
Make an ID Card that represents YOU!
You’ll need:
 1-3 3x5 index card
 Creativity!!
Family
 What
do we mean???
 How important??
Family

Our first political ideas are shaped within the family.
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Parents seldom “talk politics” with their young children
directly, but casual remarks made around the dinner table
or while helping with homework can have an impact.
Family tradition is particularly a factor in party
identification, as indicated by the phrases “lifelong
Republican” and “lifelong Democrat.”
The family may be losing its power as an agent of
socialization, however, as institutions take over more
of child care and parents perform less of it.
Compare the Child’s Party with
the Parents’ Party
Child's party
Parent
Democrat
Parent
Independent
Parent
Republican
Democrat
66%
29%
13%
Independent
27%
53%
36%
Republican
7%
17%
51%
Peers
 What
do we mean???
 How important??
Peers

Although peer pressure certainly affects
teenagers' lifestyles, it is less evident in
developing their political values.

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Exceptions are issues that directly affect them,
such as the Vietnam War during the 1960s.
Later, if peers are defined in terms of
occupation, then the group does exert an
influence on how its members think
politically.

For example, professionals such as teachers or
bankers often have similar political opinions,
particularly on matters related to their careers.
Race and Ethnic Differences
 What
do we mean???
 How important??
Race and Ethnic Differences
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Self-interest plays a significant role in attitudes on racial policies.
 Racial and ethnic minorities tend to favor affirmative action
programs, designed to equalize income, education,
professional opportunity, and the receipt of government
contracts.
 Because such policies make it easier for members of minority
groups, such as African Americans and Hispanics, to get good jobs
and become affluent, group members naturally support them at a
high rate.
Polls taken before and after the verdict in the O.J. Simpson criminal
trial showed that an overwhelming majority of African Americans
believed that the former football star was innocent, while whites felt
he was guilty by a similar majority.
 These results reflect deep differences between the two groups in
their perceptions of the judicial system and the role of the police in
society.
Race and Ethnic Differences


Supporters defend affirmative action as a way to
eliminate ongoing racial discrimination, make up for
historical discrimination, and/or increase diversity in
businesses and institutions.
Americans of European, Asian, or Middle Eastern
descent, by contrast, are much more likely to see
such programs as reverse discrimination that
punishes them for their ethnic backgrounds.
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A similar pattern is seen in political party affiliation.
Beginning with the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt,
African Americans switched their allegiance from the
Republicans, the “party of Lincoln,” to the Democrats
Religion
 What
do we mean???
 How important??
Religion
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The concept of the separation of church and state does
not prevent religion from acting as a force in American
politics.
Strongly held beliefs affect the stand individuals take on
issues such as public school prayer and state aid to
private or parochial schools.
Religion can also determine attitudes on abortion and
gay and lesbian rights, irrespective of other factors.
It is important to recognize, however, that the major
religious groups in the United States—Protestant,
Catholic, and Jewish as well as the growing Islamic—
have their own liberal and conservative wings that
frequently oppose each other on political issues.
Gender
 What
do we mean???
 How important??
Gender

Gender gap, a term that refers to the varying political
opinions men and women hold, is a recent addition to
the American political lexicon.
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Unmarried women hold political views distinct from those of
men and married women, views that lead them to support
the Democratic party at a disproportionate rate.
Studies indicate that more women than men approve of
gun control, want stronger environmental laws, oppose
the death penalty, and support spending on social
programs.
These “compassion” issues are usually identified with the
Democratic party.
SES
 What
do we mean???
 How important??
Social/Economic Differences (SES) and
Education Level
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All Americans generally favor a limited
government and emphasize the ability of
everyone to succeed through hard work.
But, low-income Americans tend to endorse
a stronger economic role for the federal
government than do wealthier Americans,
particularly by supporting programs such as
welfare and increases in the minimum
wage.
SES/Education Level
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Wealthier Americans are the ones who mostly
pay for social programs, and they naturally
want to hold down their tax burden.
Nevertheless, even low-income Americans
are less likely to consider redistribution of
wealth a valid governmental task than are
adults socialized in other industrialized
countries (such as European nations).
This belief in individual responsibility may
overcome a worker's self-interest in endorsing
large social programs.
Section/Region
 What
do we mean???
 How important??
Section/Region

The region of the country a person lives in can affect
political attitudes.
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The Southern states tend to support a strong defense
policy, a preference reinforced by the presence of many
military installations in the region.
The South's traditional conservatism was recognized in
Richard Nixon's so-called Southern strategy, which began
the process of strengthening the Republican party in the
region.
Moreover, issues that are vital in one particular region
generate little interest in others—agricultural price supports
in the Midwest or water rights and access to public
lands in the West, for example.
Questions about Social Security and Medicare have an
added importance in the Sunbelt states with their high
percentage of older adults.
Education
 What
do we mean???
 How important??
Education

Children are introduced to elections and voting when
they choose class officers, and the more
sophisticated elections in high school and college
teach the rudiments of campaigning.
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Political facts are learned through courses in American
history and government, and schools, at their best,
encourage students to critically examine government
institutions.
Schools themselves are involved in politics; issues such as
curriculum reform, funding, and government support for
private schools often spark a debate that involves students,
teachers, parents, and the larger community.
Age
 What
do we mean???
 How important??
Age
•Think of the different views between a 25 year
old father and a 70 year old grandfather!
•Elderly tend to oppose increases in public
school spending while supporting Social
Security & Medicare increases.
•Strong political lobby in the AARP
•While some younger people concerned that
Social Security won’t be around when they
retire, favor changes, public school financing,
etc. many are apathetic and disconnected
Events
 What
do we mean???
 How important??
Events
•Events like Watergate, the Vietnam
War, Iran/Contra affair, Whitewater,
and assorted corruption within
Washington has led to a distrust of those
in Washington among some age groups.
•Recently events like 9-11 and the War
on Terror have had an effect on political
beliefs.
Media
 What
do we mean???
 How important??
Media Influences
•Much of our political information comes from the
mass media: newspapers, magazines, radio, and
television, Internet.
•The amount of time the average American family
watches TV makes it the dominant information
source.
•TV not only helps shape public opinion by
providing news and analysis, but also its
entertainment programming addresses important
contemporary issues that are in the political arena,
such as drug use, abortion, and crime.
Much more to come in Unit 3!