By: Jennifer Wolak, 麻豆影院
Published: 21 May 2019
Abstract:
Why do young people choose to identify with a political party? While existing accounts emphasize the importance of political socialization, we propose that young people鈥檚 self-perceptions also influence the adoption of partisan identities. Using survey data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, we show that self-esteem plays an important role in the development of partisanship among young people, where those with higher self-esteem are more likely to adopt a partisan identity than those with low self-esteem. Using responses from the 2012鈥�2013 American National Election Study, we further show that the effects of self-esteem are concentrated among young adults, promoting the adoption of partisan identities during one鈥檚 impressionable years. By focusing on the inheritance of partisanship from one鈥檚 parents, scholars have underestimated the importance of young people鈥檚 traits in influencing the development of partisan identities.
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