Political Socialization

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In the U.S. there are two dominant political parties, the conservative Republican party, and the liberal Democratic party. Both parties are made up of members of the American population who have particular visions for how local, state, and federal government should be run, and participate in the political process accordingly. In order to associate themselves with their respective political viewpoints the members of the American population must first become socialized by the various agents of socialization present within the American political system and culture. Americans become politically socialized through interaction with Family, Peers, the educational system, and media sources. According to authors Richard E. Dawson and Kenneth Prewitt “People develop their political values, beliefs, and orientations through …show more content…

These socializing forces provide the individual with specific information regarding political issues and ideologies. For example an individual who is part of a wealthy and conservative family may have their individual convictions challenged and moved more towards a liberal point of view upon interacting with low income peers or a particularly influential teacher. A particularly influential and politically formative environment tends to be the collegiate environment. “The college classroom can be an environment for socializing young people to politics. Faculty and student exchanges can form, reinforce, or change evaluations of politics and government.” (Am. Govt., 6.2) Higher Education in particular tends to focus on the development of the political individual, resulting in drastically higher rates of political participation (through voting) amongst individuals who have achieved a college degree or at least attended college, as compared to those who possess only a High School Diploma. (File,

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