Where We Get Our Political Beliefs and Values

Most Americans acquire their political values early in life, and those values remain fairly stable through adulthood. The most dominant influences on childhood political socialization are the family, schools, churches, and the media. Of these, the family generally exerts the most significant and long-lasting influence on political attitudes, beliefs, and behavior. The older a child grows, however, especially as he or she moves into adulthood, the influences of the family become relatively less important. Even in adulthood, however, childhood experiences within a family unit can have a profound effect on political views and decisions. For example, there is a “high degree of correspondence” between the political party an individual prefers and the party that his or her parents preferred, especially if both parents preferred the same party.²²

Children acquire a wide range of attitudes and beliefs early in life, such as respect for authority, a sense of duty to obey the law and to participate in the political process. These beliefs, if carried into adulthood, tend to produce citizens that are supportive and active in the political system. However, as children grow older, their idealized views of government and politicians become more realistic, and sometimes cynical. To counter the cynicism and low participation rates among many adults, most elementary, high school, and even college students in America are required to take courses in “civics,” American history, and American government (this course being a prime example). It is generally accepted by policy makers, educators, and administrators that substantial efforts should be made to train children and adolescents to be effective, informed citizens, even though the political system (and perhaps the media) gives them reason to be pessimistic about politics.

Should we assume the best or the worst about the motives of other people when we enter a political debate? That is a difficult personal choice for each individual. However, the choice has a significant impact on the tone of the debate and your counterpart’s willingness to cooperate and compromise with you. Being well-informed and having a clear understanding of what you really believe and value will help you be effective in both cooperative as well as conflictual settings.

Beyond a general disposition to political dialogue and conflict, individuals have opinions about a wide variety of political questions, philosophies, laws, and policies. These opinions come from our family and other life experiences, our religious and cultural backgrounds, education, and media exposure. Opinion formulation is complicated, but we essentially form opinions early in life and generally use new information to reinforce those opinions (rather than change them). Almost everyone, for example, has a fairly well-developed opinion about abortion that they have held for some time. The older you get, the more true this will be for you about an increasingly wide variety of issues. When you listen to others speak, you generally evaluate them and the views they express through the inventory of opinions, values, and ideals you have established throughout your life.

When reporters or politicians speak about people’s opinions and beliefs, they usually refer to “public opinion,” which is simply the distribution of opinions and attitudes held by the public. By measuring opinions at the individual level and aggregating them, the proportions of the population with particular beliefs and preferences can be determined. When measuring public opinion, pollsters are not only concerned with the content of public opinion, that is, what it is that people think and believe, but also with the stability of people’s opinions over time. It is also useful to know how strongly the public holds particular opinions and the direction those opinions seem to be moving. The content, stability, intensity, and direction of public opinion are all important indicators of what the public wants and expects out of its government and political leaders. While popular opinion is not the only factor that determines public policy, it is generally the most important one.

^22.Angus Campbell, et al. "The Impact and Development of Party Identification," in Classics in Voting Behavior, Richard G. Niemi and Herbert Weisberg, eds. (CQ Press, 1992), 231-2.