Section 2
Forming Public Opinion
By Boundless
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People form political values throughout their life cycle through different agents of political socialization, including family, media, and education.
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People learn political values and identities by interacting with other people and the media in a process called political socialization.
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Core American political values general fall in line with one of three political ideologies: liberalism, conservatism, or moderate.
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Political socialization experiences differ depending on group membership, such as socioeconomic status, gender, or geography.
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People that surround a child during his or her childhood are crucial to the child's development of political values and voting behaviors.
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Media can have an important affect on public opinion in several ways.
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An opinion leader is an active media user who interprets the meaning of media messages for those less informed about political events.
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Political socialization takes place throughout the life cycle, but major life or political events can also impact political values.
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Political knowledge, in addition to political socialization and major events, impact the formation of people's political values and opinions.