4.2 Political Socialization 

Citizen beliefs about government are shaped by the intersection of demographics, political culture, and dynamic social change.

 Explain how cultural factors influence political attitudes and socialization.

 Family, schools, peers, media, and social environments (including civic and religious organizations) contribute to the development of an individual’s political attitudes and values through the process of political socialization. 

As a result of globalization, U.S. political culture has both influenced and been influenced by the values of other countries. 

Political socialization is a particular type of political learning whereby people develop the attitudes, values, beliefs, opinions, and behaviors that are conducive to becoming good citizens in their country. Socialization is largely a one-way process through which young people gain an understanding of the political world through their interaction with adults and the media.  

Agents of socialization, which include parents, teachers, and the mass media, convey orientations to subjects, who are mostly passive. For example, parents who take an active role in politics and vote in every election often influence their children to do the same. Young people who see television coverage of their peers volunteering in the community may take cues from these depictions and engage in community service themselves. The circumstances under which political socialization can take place are almost limitless. Young people can be socialized to politics through dinner conversations with family members, watching television and movies, participating in a Facebook group, or texting with friends. The effects of these experiences are highly variable, as people can accept, reject, or ignore political messages.

Political beliefs can be categorized into labels that help organize and understand how citizens fit into our democratic system. Political scientists have long utilized a spectrum to clarify the implications of our civic views.

On the left side of this spectrum are liberals, represented in government by the Democratic Party. Liberals tend to embrace new ideas rather than cling to the past, preferring innovative policies. This perspective shapes their values, leading them to oppose government interference in personal choices, like a woman's right to choose abortion. However, they advocate for government action in economic matters and are often seen as the "tax and spend" party, supporting wealth redistribution.

Conversely, conservatives occupy the right side of the spectrum, represented by the Republican Party. Conservatives often look back to what they consider the better days of the past and hold traditional moral values. They support government intervention to uphold these values, such as opposing abortion and drug use, but resist government involvement in business. Their policies usually favor small businesses and lower taxes.

Family has a significant impact on political views, but political scientists also identify demographics that shape beliefs and values.

Gender plays a key role, with men typically leaning conservative and supporting Republicans, while women are generally more liberal and aligned with Democrats. Age is another factor, with older individuals more likely to be conservative.

Religion significantly influences political alignment. Those who actively practice their faith tend to be more conservative, with Protestantism being the most conservative branch. Many base Republican voters are evangelical Protestants. Although Catholics often hold conservative views on social matters, they lean towards the left, with a slim majority voting Democratic. Historically, Jewish voters have strongly supported liberal Democrats, while those with no religious affiliation often align with other Democrats on the left.

Race also affects political affiliation. Caucasians typically lean towards the right, while African-Americans are a reliable voting block for Democrats, with around ninety percent supporting the party. Citizens from the Pacific Rim usually align with the Republican Party due to their cultural and religious values.

Education. Just 36% of registered voters have a four-year college degree or more education; a sizable majority (64%) have not completed college. Democrats increasingly dominate in party identification among white college graduates Educational attainment has risen dramatically in the United States. But the Republican Party has remained dominated by white voters without college degrees. The Democratic coalition has changed dramatically: a majority of Bill Clinton’s voters in 1992 were white voters without college degrees, but now they account for less than a quarter of the Democratic coalition. This increasing education divide between the parties also means citizens hold opposing views as to who is better able to make policy decisions, with Democrats preferring credentialed experts. At the same time, Republican voters have increasingly held populist views and show skepticism toward supposed experts, including teachers, scientists, journalists, universities, nonprofit organizations and even corporations. This divergence of views is contributing to an electorate that is becoming more divided. 

Labor unions, although declining in numbers, remain reliable supporters of the left however working class white men are increasingly Republican.

Republicans hold wide advantages in party identification among several groups of voters, including white men without a college degree, people living in rural communities in the South and those who frequently attend religious services.

Democrats hold formidable advantages among a contrasting set of voters, such as black women, residents of urban communities in the Northeast and people with no religious affiliation.

Democrats typically perform better in cities, whereas Republicans find more support in suburban and rural regions. The Northeast is predominantly liberal, while the South remains firmly conservative and Republican. The West Coast has shifted significantly towards liberalism, although the Great Plains are mainly conservative. Many key political battlegrounds are located in the Midwest.

However, what happens when demographic factors conflict? For example, if someone's religion leans right but their race leans left, where do they fit in? These conflicting influences are known as crosscutting cleavages. Navigating these cleavages in politics isn’t straightforward, but some factors, such as religion, race, and education, play a more significant role. While labels can provide insight into political beliefs, they do not determine them entirely. Ultimately, political opinions emerge not just from demographics but from individual life experiences. It has been suggested that where you live can shape your destiny. Although this idea isn’t entirely accurate, it serves as a useful perspective for understanding American politics.