A variety of factors, including but not limited to; family, peers, the media and education shape political attitudes. Many things influence the way people feel about politics, and depending on the immediate environments, views can change dramatically.Family can influence the political party that people belong to. Family can also influence the way in which a person does or does not vote. If a family has traditionally voted democratic, chances are that the children will vote the same way. There is an emotional attachment to the way in which a family has voted, and that affects the way the new voter will vote. In part, people vote the way their family has because they do not want to be different then their family, there is also the fear of letting their family down. On the other side of the coin, the new voter could go totally against his or her family.Peers play an important role in guiding the new voter. Regardless of what people might say, they want to fit in. In order to avoid being different people will tend to follow others and have the same beliefs as their peers. The psychological affect that peers have on a voter is almost as strong as the ties to the way the voters family votes. Education has a significant affect on voting. The more education a person has the more likely they are to vote. Education also gives the voter the tools needed to decide what party, if any they will join. For example, a family who may be republicans, will, to some degree influence their children and relatives to vote republican, but the relatives and childrens peer group may be democrats, but when it comes down to choosing a party the education that individuals have earned will ultimately aid them in their decision.The media can convince, confuse and or mislead a voter. During elections, ads on television radio and in newspapers can overload a voter with information. The information provided by the media is often taken out of context. When people read o...
