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Course: AP®︎/College US Government and Politics > Unit 4
Lesson 2: Political socializationPolitical socialization: lesson overview
A high-level overview of the processes by which individuals develop political values and beliefs.
Political scientists measure how US political behavior, attitudes, and ideologies are shaped by a number of factors over time. Individuals acquire political beliefs due to cultural factors, including their demographic characteristics and their experiences with family, friends, school, religion, and the media.
Key terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| demographic characteristics | Socioeconomic characteristics of a population, including age, race, gender, religion, marital status, occupation, education level, and more. These characteristics influence how individuals tend to vote and whether they identify with a political party, |
| globalization | The growth of an interconnected world economy and culture, fueled by lowered trade barriers between nations and advances in communications technology. Globalization has influenced American politics by increasing the extent to which the United States influences, and is influenced by, the values of other countries, |
| party identification | An individual’s sense of loyalty to a specific political party. |
| political socialization | The process by which a person develops political values and beliefs, including through interactions with family, friends, school, religious and civic groups, and the media. |
Influence of demographic factors on party identification
| Characteristic | Statistically more likely to identify as a Democrat | Statistically more likely to identify as a Republican |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | Women | Men |
| Income level | Low-income individuals | High-income individuals |
| Marital status | Single, divorced or widowed individuals | Married individuals |
| Employment | Blue-collar workers | White collar workers, women who work in the home |
| Race | African Americans and Hispanic Americans | Whites |
| Religion | Jews, those unaffiliated with a religion | Protestants, Catholics |
| Region | Northeasterners, Westerners | Midwesterners, Southerners |
| Age | Younger and older Americans | Middle-aged Americans |
| Union membership | Union members | Non-union members |
| Parental politics | Parents strongly aligned with Democratic Party | Parents strongly aligned with Republican Party |
Review questions
Why are certain demographic groups more likely to align with the Democratic or Republican Party?
How do individuals form their political beliefs? What are the major factors that affect beliefs?
Want to join the conversation?
Quite a lot has shifted since this data seemed to have been collected. We are witnessing a shift to the Republicans amongst rural communities and older folks and a shift to the Democrats in the suburbs and white-collar white folks.(5 votes)
Additionally, Hispanic and blue collar individuals are shifting far more Republican in recent years.(4 votes)
It says that blue collared workers are more likely to be affiliated with the Democratic party, and it says that the Southern region is more Republican. But, in the South there is a high majority of blue collared workers?(4 votes)- This is a pretty outdated look at the demographics of each party. The GOP is now quite a bit more populist and it's garnering a lot of support from blue-collar workers. White-collar workers are increasingly Democrat-leaning.(4 votes)
Q2: Major Factors that Affect Political Ideology
An individuals political ideology is formed by things such as their background, and views in their home. Their own personal struggles in life can also lead to their alignment with a political party, as many have different parties have different views on certain issues affecting the public.(5 votes)- What would happen if both parents had two different political ideologies for example- MOM- Democrat and Dad - Republican? What is the probability of the child becoming a strong democrat or strong republican?(3 votes)
- There isn't very good available data on this (as this is a very specific situation), but younger people are much more likely to lean liberal and thus towards the Democrat party.(3 votes)
can these political beliefs be made but can be stolen if suggested by the opposite sex(Woman suggests man takes idea as his own)?(0 votes)
depends on the situation and if the other sex is open minded(3 votes)