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