A.Political Socialization is the process in which people acquire their political beliefs

B. Factors affecting socialization and voter behavior 1. ________________ is the strongest influence on socialization a. party affiliation of ________ is important b. today fairly equal influence of __________________________

2. Schools impart basic values to students a. ie: civic duty, patriotism b. colleges tend to have a “liberalizing” effects on students

3. Religion a. Protestant-generally more conservative emphasis on social issues b. Catholic-traditionally more liberal; recent lean toward conservative issues c. Jewish-strong liberal influence

4. Race a. Whites :slightly more conservative b. Blacks: very strong liberal influence -the most loyal democratic voters c. Hispanic-Americans: -Mexican, Puerto Rican more liberal -Cuban more conservative d. Asians: -lean conservative on economic issues

5. Income/Social Class -higher more conservative; lower liberal 6. Region a. Liberalism dominant in the Northeast, Midwest, and West Coast b. Conservatism dominant in the South, Great Plains, Rocky Mountains -including the “Bible Belt”

7. The “Gender Gap” a. recent move towards liberalism for women b. key issues (abortion, gun control) c. increased emphasis on safety -helicopter moms

8. The Coattail Effect- presence of an especially strong presidential candidate on a ticket 9. Political Party Affiliation -Very strong predictor of how one votes