Political Socialization

The American population’s view on political issues is constantly changing as different circumstances arise each day. There are two sides of the political spectrum that people tend to fall between: liberal and conservative. In order to accurately place oneself on this political spectrum, an individual should be socially aware and always gaining insight on the latest political policies and how they came to be. This is called “political socialization”. Political socialization has three main agents-- family, education, and environment. These three agents have influenced me to fall more toward the liberal side of the political spectrum. I have experienced the instabilities of a single-parent household, the insufficiencies of public schools, and

the conservative views of the southern United States.

My mother raised me by herself for 17 years. Our lives were full of uncertainty-- some days we did not know where we were going to sleep, and other days we did not know what we were going to eat. My mom wanted to create a better life for us, so that is what she did. We moved in with my grandmother, and my mom began working a full time job while attending school at an online university. Eventually, we were on government assistance, receiving food stamps, and building a Habitat for Humanity home. My mother could finally save up to buy my school supplies that I needed, because she did not have to buy groceries. We could pay my grandma rent because she did not have to buy groceries. I believe that we are all entitled to having our basic needs met, such as housing, food, and health care. Without government assistance, I would have still been living in a world of unknowns-- homeless, hungry, and poor. I would not have been accepted into North Carolina State University, and I would not have beaten the poverty odds that loomed over my head. Cutting government assistance would decrease opportunity for other families to benefit as mine did.

Based on my schooling experience, I know that the public education system is broken.

Not every student is the same, but the system treats them like so. The public education program needs to be redefined so that it focuses on the individual rather than the overall student population. There is no way to grow in the current education system; today’s students do not learn the material because they want to, but rather memorize the material because they have to. Public school is a web of memorization and standardized tests-- students retain information from the classroom long enough to regurgitate it onto a scantron when it is time to measure their learning. To me, the public education system is based on the ideology that the students won’t go anywhere or make anything of themselves. Why should students truly find benefit in the information they are learning? Aren’t they just going to settle for a minimum wage job? The current public education system is ignoring the fact that there are students being drug through the ropes of memorization and scantrons who want to be more than a minimum wage job. Some of these students are going to need help, and some of these students will need to be redirected, but it is clear that they want to work hard to better themselves. These students are our future leaders, hard-workers, and agents of change-- they deserve to be treated as

such.

Despite leaning more toward the liberal side of the political spectrum, I have been influenced by conservative views because of where I live.

My views have often been challenged, and I have grown in my argument skills from defending myself. I am from Hendersonville, North Carolina. Hendersonville is town based on southern Christian values. Social issues such as gay rights, women’s rights, and civil rights are rarely dealt with in the manner that they should be in a majority of the southern states. Personally, I believe that the LGBT community should be given the right to wed; however, I have friends who grew up in a strictly conservative household, and they believe that this community should not be allowed to have the gift of marriage. Many of my conservative friends have said that they’d be fine with the LGBT community receiving all of the benefits of marriage, but calling it something different. Equal pay for both men and women is a heavy controversial topic amongst the people in my town. The right-wing conservatives generally believe that individuals should be paid based on the quality of the work-- if the women of the workplace cannot contribute as much as the men can, they will suffer a pay cut. I believe the total opposite. If men and women are working at the same place, under the same employer, then they should be receiving equal pay. The term “civil rights” is a tender subject for my hometown. Many of Hendersonville's residents are supporters of the Confederate flag.

When Governor Nikki Haley called for the flag to be removed from the South Carolina State Capitol, Hendersonville exploded with protests, marches, and displays of the Confederate flag. Due to this, there are two opposing views present throughout the town-- either the Confederate flag has nothing to do with slavery, or it is the definition of slavery. I believe that the flag memorializes the Confederate soldiers, and it does trace back to slavery. Even so, I respect those who choose to fly it, and I take no personal offense to the flag whatsoever.

My liberal views outweigh my conservative views significantly. I lean left for most issues, but I lean right for issues such as climate control. Climate change is a natural process that has been taking place since the earth was created. Science has not shown that we cannot affect permanent change to the earth’s natural heating and cooling. The proposed law to reduce carbon emissions will do nothing to aid the environment, but it will raise costs significantly. Aside from climate control, I lean toward the right for the issue of private property. I believe that private property should be just that-- private. The government should respect the ownership and rights of private property. When the government seizes some property from private owners, they are supposed to compensate them for their land. This is called eminent domain, and I think that it is a good compromise for the taking of the land. So, not everyone who considers themselves liberal only has left-wing views. I may label myself as a “liberal” or a “left-wing,” but I share some views with the right-wing conservatives. Labels do not always match beliefs, and it is beneficial to your growth as an informed citizen to look at and listen to beliefs other than your own. Branch out-- do not become so stuck monotony that you forget to think about the other side.