For this assignment, I’d like you to review the section in Chapter 5 that discusses “political socialization”. Political socialization is the fancy schmancy term we political scientists use to refer to the factors that influence the development of our individual political ideology. Babies aren’t born Democratic or Republican, liberal or conservative! Lots of things, from family to gender to race to religion to what part of the country you grow up in can influence you. After you read the material, think about your own political ideology, then write a short paper (2-3 pages) in which you:

Discuss 3 factors that you think have most influenced your political ideology (remember, some of these factors might lead a person to NOT have a clearly defined ideology!). Make sure you explain WHY and HOW these “agents of socialization” impacted you.
Indicate whether or not your experience is in alignment with what the textbook says – what does the textbook say, and does your experience fit with what is in the book? If not, why not?