By David Ludden, Psychology Today, September 8, 2020
The political divide between conservatives and liberals in America seems to be widening day by day. But where do our political orientations come from? Research on this question points to early childhood experiences.
For instance, adults often adopt the political leanings of their parents. Nevertheless, there are plenty of exceptions to this tendency, and we’ve all experienced family gatherings that turned into fierce political debates.
Likewise, the region where you grew up is a strong predictor of your political orientation in adulthood, but again there are plenty of exceptions. If you were raised in rural Georgia or Arkansas, you’re likely quite conservative, and yet these regions also produced two Democratic presidents—Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Likewise, New Yorkers are notoriously liberal, yet our current Republican president hails from the Big Apple.
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