Children and Politics

Abstract

This chapter discusses the implications of the New Haven findings and, more generally, to a consideration of the tactics of inquiry which might be fruitful in studying political socialization. Political orientations which are important to adults are first learned by children because these are the orientations adults are most likely to display before children and to be able to explain to children. Differences in the political participation of adults of different social class backgrounds and of men and women are clearly presaged by similar differences among preadolescent children. The child’s first conception of political authority seems to have more affective than cognitive content. The affective response to political leaders is strikingly positive, more so than adult responses to leaders. The positive side of adult orientations toward political leaders is learned before attitudes of political cynicism are adopted; and these positive orientations seem to have more bearing on adult political behavior than do the negative orientations.