POLS 3513 Final Exam Study Set (Weeks
11-15)
Political socialization
The process by which people learn about politics and develop political opinions
Socializing agents
-Sources of political learning or political opinions; individuals or institutions that
foster learning or development of opinions
-E.g., schools, peers, parents, or media
-Parents generally thought to be the strongest socializing agents
Why is socialization important for democracy?
-Socialization is important to govts because it's how people transmit key political
values and norms from one generation to the next
-E.g., democratic ideals, trust in government
Democratic elitists and political socialization
Democratic elites see it as good if it encourages masses to support elites
Pluralists and political socialization
Pluralists see it as good if it encourages political identities with groups such as
political parties
Participatory democrats and political socialization
Participatory democrats see it as good if it encourages participation
Childhood socialization
-A key issue concerning the capabilities of children
-At what ages can children think about political ideas that are abstract
,-Researchers ask children their thoughts on political leaders because they are
least abstract
Benevolent leader image
Viewing political leaders in highly positive terms; children believe leaders do good
deeds
Fred Greenstein's (1958) study on children's evaluations of political leaders
-Found kids had almost universal positive evaluation of POTUS; saw political
leaders as doing good deeds
-Today, children are less positive than in 1958, but still overwhelmingly positive
-Some difference in views of individuals leaders (president themselves) and
position (office of the president) - greater decline in views of individuals
Why do kids have positive views of political leaders?
-Transfer views about other authority figures (teachers/parents) to political
leaders
-Parents sugar coat views when speaking around children
-Schools foster patriotism and following authority
Age variations in the benevolent leader image
As kids age, they are better able to make evaluations and become less positive
(particularly as it relates to personal traits)
Geographical variations in the benevolent leader image
A study done by Jaros, Hirsch, and Foeron (1967) found that Appalachian
children had Malevolent Leader imagery (i.e., viewed leaders more negatively)
Racial variations in the benevolent leader image
-Non white children have lower levels of trust, efficacy, and benevolent imagery
-Non white children have lower levels of sense of civic duty
,Political reality explanation for racial variations in the benevolent leader image
-The view that political attitudes are based on real political phenomena
-Political discussions affect kids' views
-White, middle class parents more likely to talk politics and discuss in favorably
Parents as agents of socialization
-Parents are believed to be one of the main agents of political socialization
-Based on research that compares parents' attitudes with childrens' attitudes
Jennings and Niemi's (1965) study on political socialization of parents
-Interviewed HS seniors (⅓ of their mothers; ⅓ fathers; ⅓ both)
-Used cluster sampling and interviewed across the nation
-Did panel studies (interviewed in 1965, 1967, 1973, 1982, and 1997)
Jennings and Niemi's (1965) findings
-Found that strongest correlation b/w parents and children was PID (about 59%
the same)
-Children were more likely to be Independents
-Children were more cynical
-Overall, they expected a stronger relationship b/w parent and children political
views
-In high school, peers were more important than parents
-Found variations among families (greater transmission in political families and
those whose parents have stable attitudes)
-Found that political attitudes were more similar to the mother's than the father's
(unless the father spent more time with the children than the mother)
Schools as agents of socialization
-Either specific classes or effects of teachers
-Taking civics classes does not affect ideology but increases political knowledge
, -Going to school generally (at least some amount of time in school) increases
participation and support for democratic principles
-Teachers do not transmit their political views to their students
Peers as agents of socialization
-Friends/peers affect attitudes of issues of relevance to a generation
-Classic study: Bennington college study from 1930s
-Women from conservative backgrounds became more liberal in college because
of liberal contacts
-Found that when they went home, they became more conservative; those who
didn't go home stayed liberal
Jennings and Niemi's findings on stability of pre-adult attitudes
Jennings and Niemi found support for the impressionable years model, a type of
life-cycle effect
Impressionable years model
Perspective viewing political attitudes as changing during late adolescence and
early adulthood, then remaining more stable throughout the rest of the life span
(similar to generational effects)
Life cycle effect model
-Effects that occur when people's political attitudes are strongly influenced by
their age rather than developing only when they are young
-Children whose attitudes corresponded with their parents had more stable views
during early adulthood
-If parents and child shared PID, the child's PID was more stable than if they
didn't
-However, if they came from a highly political family, opinions are more likely to
change (more likely to get new info and change opinion)
Generational effects model
11-15)
Political socialization
The process by which people learn about politics and develop political opinions
Socializing agents
-Sources of political learning or political opinions; individuals or institutions that
foster learning or development of opinions
-E.g., schools, peers, parents, or media
-Parents generally thought to be the strongest socializing agents
Why is socialization important for democracy?
-Socialization is important to govts because it's how people transmit key political
values and norms from one generation to the next
-E.g., democratic ideals, trust in government
Democratic elitists and political socialization
Democratic elites see it as good if it encourages masses to support elites
Pluralists and political socialization
Pluralists see it as good if it encourages political identities with groups such as
political parties
Participatory democrats and political socialization
Participatory democrats see it as good if it encourages participation
Childhood socialization
-A key issue concerning the capabilities of children
-At what ages can children think about political ideas that are abstract
,-Researchers ask children their thoughts on political leaders because they are
least abstract
Benevolent leader image
Viewing political leaders in highly positive terms; children believe leaders do good
deeds
Fred Greenstein's (1958) study on children's evaluations of political leaders
-Found kids had almost universal positive evaluation of POTUS; saw political
leaders as doing good deeds
-Today, children are less positive than in 1958, but still overwhelmingly positive
-Some difference in views of individuals leaders (president themselves) and
position (office of the president) - greater decline in views of individuals
Why do kids have positive views of political leaders?
-Transfer views about other authority figures (teachers/parents) to political
leaders
-Parents sugar coat views when speaking around children
-Schools foster patriotism and following authority
Age variations in the benevolent leader image
As kids age, they are better able to make evaluations and become less positive
(particularly as it relates to personal traits)
Geographical variations in the benevolent leader image
A study done by Jaros, Hirsch, and Foeron (1967) found that Appalachian
children had Malevolent Leader imagery (i.e., viewed leaders more negatively)
Racial variations in the benevolent leader image
-Non white children have lower levels of trust, efficacy, and benevolent imagery
-Non white children have lower levels of sense of civic duty
,Political reality explanation for racial variations in the benevolent leader image
-The view that political attitudes are based on real political phenomena
-Political discussions affect kids' views
-White, middle class parents more likely to talk politics and discuss in favorably
Parents as agents of socialization
-Parents are believed to be one of the main agents of political socialization
-Based on research that compares parents' attitudes with childrens' attitudes
Jennings and Niemi's (1965) study on political socialization of parents
-Interviewed HS seniors (⅓ of their mothers; ⅓ fathers; ⅓ both)
-Used cluster sampling and interviewed across the nation
-Did panel studies (interviewed in 1965, 1967, 1973, 1982, and 1997)
Jennings and Niemi's (1965) findings
-Found that strongest correlation b/w parents and children was PID (about 59%
the same)
-Children were more likely to be Independents
-Children were more cynical
-Overall, they expected a stronger relationship b/w parent and children political
views
-In high school, peers were more important than parents
-Found variations among families (greater transmission in political families and
those whose parents have stable attitudes)
-Found that political attitudes were more similar to the mother's than the father's
(unless the father spent more time with the children than the mother)
Schools as agents of socialization
-Either specific classes or effects of teachers
-Taking civics classes does not affect ideology but increases political knowledge
, -Going to school generally (at least some amount of time in school) increases
participation and support for democratic principles
-Teachers do not transmit their political views to their students
Peers as agents of socialization
-Friends/peers affect attitudes of issues of relevance to a generation
-Classic study: Bennington college study from 1930s
-Women from conservative backgrounds became more liberal in college because
of liberal contacts
-Found that when they went home, they became more conservative; those who
didn't go home stayed liberal
Jennings and Niemi's findings on stability of pre-adult attitudes
Jennings and Niemi found support for the impressionable years model, a type of
life-cycle effect
Impressionable years model
Perspective viewing political attitudes as changing during late adolescence and
early adulthood, then remaining more stable throughout the rest of the life span
(similar to generational effects)
Life cycle effect model
-Effects that occur when people's political attitudes are strongly influenced by
their age rather than developing only when they are young
-Children whose attitudes corresponded with their parents had more stable views
during early adulthood
-If parents and child shared PID, the child's PID was more stable than if they
didn't
-However, if they came from a highly political family, opinions are more likely to
change (more likely to get new info and change opinion)
Generational effects model
