Concept and early research
Hyman (1959) located the roots of political behavior in childhood learning and established the term political socialization. Easton and Dennis (1969) argued that children develop trust and support for the political system through authority figures such as the president and police. This work developed alongside the Michigan model's emphasis on early formation of party identification.
Family and political events
Surveying high school students and their parents, Jennings and Niemi (1968) found that party identification is transmitted relatively well, while specific issue attitudes are not. Using a long-term panel, Jennings and colleagues (2009) confirmed that transmission is stronger when parents are politically active and consistent. Sears and Valentino (1997) showed that political events such as presidential campaigns catalyze adolescents' attitude formation.
The life cycle and new challenges
Alwin and Krosnick (1991) provided evidence for the impressionable-years hypothesis, which holds that attitudes change most easily in young adulthood and then stabilize. Alford and colleagues (2005) used twin studies to argue that political orientations are partly genetic, challenging views focused solely on social learning. Today an integrated view in which genes, family and events operate together is debated.
FAQ
- What is political socialization in simple terms?
- It is how people learn political views and leanings as they grow up, through family, school, friends, news and events.
- Do children simply inherit their parents' politics?
- Party loyalty is passed on fairly well, specific issue opinions less so, and transmission is stronger when parents are politically engaged and consistent.
Sources reviewed: 2026-10-26
References
- Hyman, H. H. (1959). Political socialization: A study in the psychology of political behavior. Free Press. The book that established the term.
- Easton, D., & Dennis, J. (1969). Children in the political system: Origins of political legitimacy. McGraw-Hill. Children's support for the political system.
- Jennings, M. K., & Niemi, R. G. (1968). The transmission of political values from parent to child. American Political Science Review, 62(1), 169–184. Classic parent–child transmission study.
- Jennings, M. K., Stoker, L., & Bowers, J. (2009). Politics across generations: Family transmission reexamined. The Journal of Politics, 71(3), 782–799. Panel re-examination of family transmission.
- Sears, D. O., & Valentino, N. A. (1997). Politics matters: Political events as catalysts for preadult socialization. American Political Science Review, 91(1), 45–65. Political events as socialization catalysts.
- Alwin, D. F., & Krosnick, J. A. (1991). Aging, cohorts, and the stability of sociopolitical orientations over the life span. American Journal of Sociology, 97(1), 169–195. Tests the impressionable-years hypothesis.
- Alford, J. R., Funk, C. L., & Hibbing, J. R. (2005). Are political orientations genetically transmitted? American Political Science Review, 99(2), 153–167. Twin study raising genetic transmission.