Political Socialization

POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION

Definition of Political Socialization

Political socialization is the process by which individuals acquire the political values, attitudes, and beliefs necessary to support their political system.

Agents of Political Socialization

Key influences include family, educational institutions, media, faith, race, and gender.

Citizens' View of Their Political Systems

• Political Legitimacy: Belief in the integrity of the political system.

• Political Efficacy: Perception of one's ability to influence the political process.

Political Culture

Refers to the collective attitudes and beliefs shaping political behavior within a society.

Political Participation

Voter demographics, particularly for 18-29-year-olds, reveal variations in turnout based on race (e.g., Caucasian and African American youth often had higher turnout in some elections), gender (young women generally vote more than young men), and education (college-educated individuals consistently show significantly higher turnout).

Social Media as an Agent of Political Socialization

Social media effectively alters political engagement. Roughly three-in-ten younger men ($18\%$ for ages 18-29) have changed their political views due to social media, with Hispanic and Black individuals showing higher rates of change than White individuals. A majority of U.S. adult social media users find it important for finding similar views ($67\%$), getting involved in issues ($63\%$), and expressing opinions ($56\%$). Hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter exemplify modern digital political engagement, having been used nearly $30$ million times by May 2018.

Perception of Social Media

Americans have conflicted views: $64\%$ believe it empowers underrepresented groups, but $77\%$ feel it distracts from significant issues, and $71\%$ agree it gives a false sense of making a difference.

Global Internet Freedom

The internet and social media challenge state control over information by providing global access, though non-democratic states attempt to restrict it. Negative aspects of social media's political influence also exist.

Filter Bubbles & Political Polarization

• Filter Bubble: Algorithms that limit users' perspectives by showing only information aligning with preexisting beliefs.

• Political Polarization: The increasing divergence of political attitudes towards ideological extremes.

Fake News

False stories spread significantly faster than true ones, reaching $1,500$ people six times quicker, with political fake news demonstrating the highest engagement and spread.