How many hold political affiliations cause that's what your parents believed?

Question

I'm just interested to know how many people have grown out of parental influence regarding political views!

And if your views have changed are you comfortable talking to your parents about your opinions?

Just wondering...

Answer 1

That is a very good question. My parents were staunch Republicans, but I was a Democrat in my very early years. I was pro-choice, pro-environment, anti-war, and pro-union labor.

However, while away from parental influence, and out gathering my own life experience, my ideals changed over the course of the next decade. I am now a card-carrying Republican, pro-life and pro-defense, but I still care about the environment (but think global warming is a natural process... and I am not willing to weaken America with Kyoto) and I have ambiguous feelings about most labor unions.

So, were my ideals influenced by my family? Probably to some extent. The Democrat/liberal influence came from public schooling and college, but I believe certain things that I was taught by my family never left me. Respect for our armed services, our flag, and the office of president - regardless of who is in it, were all ideals that just never left me from my childhood. The rest was just life experiences.

Was it Churchill who said that anyone under 35 who isn't a Liberal has no heart, and anyone who is over 35 and isn't a Conservative has no brains?

Answer 2

I am a little different being that I am Canadian, however I was born to a conservative (right) and a follower of the NDP(left). My political affiliation is a little more central. Perhaps you could say that it is an inherited trait since I took the best of both worlds and consistently vote for a more moderate party.

Answer 3

I was raised a Republican by my parents. When I decided to get serious about politics and do the research before voting, I changed to an Independent. I will generally vote Democratic and have no problems talking and showing information to my parents reasons for why I vote a certain way.

Answer 4

I think one's political beliefs are shaped by several different factors, the most important early factor being parental influence; after, you grew up with you, they raised you to have certain values (at least, the good parents do), so why wouldn't you be primarily influenced by them. It's only when the child begins to explore the wider world--in other words, when he starts going to school and socializing with other kids and adults--that outside influences such as his/her peers and teachers, as well as personal observation, begin to take effect. How the child, and later adult, reacts to these influences and allows them to shape his/her thinking depends on how strong his/her parents' influence was in the early years.

Answer 5

When I was in my teens and early twenties I was totally opposite of my parents politically. Now I'm pretty much in line with them. Not because of their influence really, but because of my own life experiences.

Answer 6

I'm a republican and my mom is a democrat makes for interesting chats at the dinner table oh and dad was a Democrat too but he died when I was an infant

Answer 7

ROFL No, we don't have the same opinions AT ALL and no, I don't talk to them about any of it. They have been manipulated by the media and we agree to disagree.