GabrielleAponte

Mrs.Dunham
Period6
PoliticalSocializationPaper
4December2015
PoliticalProfile
Politicalsocializationistheprocessbywhichpeopleformtheirideasaboutpolitics.The
influencesonpoliticalsocializationarefamily,schoolsandpeergroups,churches,andthe
media.Personally,IbelieveIwasinfluencedbymyfamily,mypeers,andthemedia.My
socializationcouldbesimilarordifferentfromotherpeoplesdependingonwhothepersonis.
SomepeoplecouldhavebeenraisedwiththesamevaluesIwasandmyfriendsandIsharealot
ofthesameopinionsontopics.Otherpeoplemayhavebeenraiseddifferently,differentvalues
oradifferentenvironment,thesethingscouldbethecauseofsomeonespoliticalsocialization.
th
ThefirstpoliticalmemoryIhaveiswhenIwasinthe5
gradeandPresidentObamawas

givingaspeechforhispresidentialcampaign.ThememoryisverylittlebutIrememberit
becausewhatPresidentObamahadsaidrelatedtomeandmyfamily.Inhisaddresshesaidhe
plannedonbringingthetroopshome,atthetimeacousinofminewhoIwasveryclosetowasin
Afghanistan.IdidntknowexactlywhathehadmeantbutIheardbringthetroopshomeand
immediatelythoughtIwouldgettoseemycousinagain.Iwasa10yearoldwhowantedObama
tobePresidentbecauseofonesentence.Ivebecomealittlemoreenlightenedsincethen.
Mypoliticalviewsarestillchanging.Everyday,Imbeinginfluencedbymultiplethings.
Oneofthebiggestculpritsissocialmedia.I,alongwithmanypeoplemyage,goonsocialmedia

andbasetopicsoffofwhatIseeonthem.But,Imalittlesmartertoknowthatnoteverything
youseeonsocialmediaistrue.SoIalsogetinfluencedbyotherthingslikemymom,TV,and
myteachers.Everyonespoliticalsocializationdiffersfrompersontoperson,noonepersonis
thesame.
IalwaysconsideredmyselfaliberaljustbecauseIvoicemyopiniononjustabout
everything,anditsaverystrongopinion.Ofcourse,Ineverreallyknewwhatbeingaliberal
meant,Ijustknewbeingaliberalwasbeingliberalaboutalottopics.ButIdontnecessarily
identifymyselfasanyoneparty.Iamaffiliatedwiththeindependentparty.Accordingto
Gallup,39%ofAmericansidentifyasindependent,thisplacesmeinthemajority.
Menaremorelikelytobeintheindependentpartywith45%ofmenidentifyingas
independentand35%ofwomenidentifyingasindependent.Theracepercentageofthe
independentpartyrangesfrom40%ofWhitesto26%ofAfricanAmericansto44%Hispanic.
Thereisnotyetanypollsformyagegroupbuttheclosestgroupisapollofthe
Millennials(aging1836)with48%votingwiththeindependentparty.
Whenitcomesdowntoit,Iwouldvotebyissuebecausevotingdownapartylineislike
jumpingoffacliffbecauseeveryoneelseisdoingit.Youmayfeeladifferentwayonatopic
thanyourpartydoesandyoushouldbeabletovotefortheopinionyoudohave.Iassociate
myselfwiththeindependentparty.GoingovertheplatformsofallofthepartiesIfindthatI
agreemorewiththecorevaluesoftheindependentpartythananyotherparty.
Whenitcomestopeoplespoliticalopinions,oranyopinionforthatmatter,theresa
quotethatIagreeverystronglywith.Idonotagreewithwhatyouhavetosay,butIwilldefend
tothedeathyourrighttosayit.ThisquoteiswhattheFirstAmendmentis,freedomofspeech.

Youdonthavetoagreewithwhatsomeonesaysbuttheyhavearighttosayeverywordthey
canthinkof.Everyonehastherighttoexercisetheirrights,mostAmericanswouldagreeaswell.
Weholdverystrongtoourlibertiesandtherighttofreedomofspeechisonewetakevery
seriously.
Thegovernmentonlyhassomeofmytrust.37%ofthenationfeelsasIdo,wetrustthe
governmentbutnotcompletely.Thegovernmentiscorruptbutnotabsolutelycorrupt,butwhat
governmentisntcorrupt?Thegovernmentisrunbyhumansandifmenwereangels,no
governmentwouldbenecessary.Men,humans,arenotangels.Weareonlyhumanstryingto
runacountryandweregoingtomakemistakesbecausewearehuman.Ifeelthiswaybecause
everyoneissoharshonthegovernmentbuttheydontthinkabouthowthegovernmentisrunby
people.Politicalefficacyisacitizensbeliefthatheorshecanunderstandandinfluencepolitical
affairs.Mypoliticalefficacyisalongwiththemajorityofthenations.
ThetypologyIreceivedfromthequizwasasolidliberal.Thetypologysaidsolid
liberalsstronglysupportthesocialsafetynetandtakeveryliberalpositionsonvirtuallyall
issues.IagreethatIamaliberalbecauseasIhavesaid,IvealwaysthoughtIwasaliberal,Iwas
justnevercertainofwhatitmeant.NowthatIknowwhatbeingaliberalactuallymeans,Ican
saythatIunconditionallyagreethatthatsme.Thetypologyalsosaidliberalsareveryoptimistic
aboutthenation'sfutureandaremostlikelytosaythatAmericassuccessislinkedtoitsability
tochange.ThesearealsocharacteristicsofGenerationZ.Coincidence?Ithinknot.

100/100Welldone!