Recent evidence suggests young voters are influenced by social surroundings, genetics
In an election year where political analysts are predicting a massive turnout of young voters, experts are trying to figure out where the sudden interest in politics from younger generations came from.
A recent study by Rice professor John Alford on cnn.com suggests genetics and social surroundings are major factors in the political beliefs of the most recent generation of voters.
“What we found was that it probably is going to take more than a persuasive television ad to change someone’s mind on a certain political position or attitude,” Alford said.
“Predictably dissimilar correlations of social and political attitudes among people with greater and lesser shared genotypes suggest that behaviors are often shaped by forces of which the person themselves are not consciously aware.”
But is this theory valid when applied to Auburn students?
Morgan Thacker, a sophomore in psychology, said her beliefs reflect those of her parents, but that her parents encouraged her to make her own decisions in regards to politics.
“I wouldn’t say that I choose a certain person just because my parents say to, but we do have similar views,” Thacker said. “I feel that they have given me the option of deciding things on my own.”
Thacker said she considers herself to be an independent voter who tends to vote Republican, but would consider voting for other parties.
“If at some point I feel that the Democratic candidate is a better choice, me being affiliated with parents who are Republican won’t deter me from making that decision.”
For Ashley Harris, a sophomore in architecture, getting involved in politics and deciding on a political party was simply a personal choice.
“Early in high school, I realized that I needed to get involved with politics and figure out what I believed in,” Harris said. “Although my parents are conservative republicans, I would definitely consider myself more of a liberal democrat.”
Harris said she thinks too many people allow their parents and those around them to shape their political beliefs for them.
“So many of my friends chose to be republicans just because they were raised to think a certain way by their parents,” Harris said. “I think it’s important for people to really figure out on their own how they feel about serious political issues so when they vote, they aren’t just blindly choosing a candidate.”
While choosing to side with a particular political party is important, the real issue is getting younger voters to the voting booths.
Gustav Morgan, a freshman in business, said his parents helped shape his political view, and understanding politics from a young age should be important to everyone.
“I first got involved in politics around middle school,” Morgan said. “I would say my beliefs are pretty conservative and my parents had an influence on me. I feel like if you live in the United States you should be involved in knowing who is governing you and the rules you have to abide by.”
