1. Political Socialization
Learning the community

2. How do we get our opinions?
Political socialization
The process of
Acquiring political attitudes, ideas & beliefs
Learning political information
Organizing political knowledge
Developing political values
Becoming a part of the body politic
The conscious and unconscious transmission of political culture and values from one generation to the next
Continuous process
Begins with our first exposure to the body politic in question
Does not end until we leave the body politic
Death
migration

3. Agents of political socialization
Family
School
Peers
Community
Religion
Media
Specific Events

4. What influences our opinions?
Economic factors
Income
Expenditures
Trade or Profession
‘class’
Geographic factors
Urban, Suburban, or Rural
Proximity to International Border
Coastal or Inland
North, South, East, or West
Ecology & Climate

5. What influences our opinions?
Demographic factors
Gender
Age
Life Cycle effect
Generational effect
Specific historical events
Generational culture
Race or ethnicity
Level of education
Religion
Political factors
Ideology
Partisanship
Salience of issues
Cues from acknowledged leaders