The Similarity of Political Values of Parents and College-age Youths

Studies of college students over the past decade have most ofteninferred a high rate of intergenerational continuity of politicalvalues. In contrast, political socialization studies have concludedthat parent-youth similarity is low to moderate except in thecase of party identification. Analysis of interviews with arepresentative national sample of seventeen- to twenty-three-years-olds,along with independent interviews with their parents, supportsthe political socialization tradition for nonstudents and studentsalike, including student activists and students at elite colleges.