Political Identity Development in a Changing World

Abstract

Political Identity Development remains an understudied area of identity development, however, in changing times, knowing where people are in their identity development informs citizens, candidates, and researchers how identity shapes our world. In a study of identity development across groups, levels of political identity development are defined and categorized. Based on categorization, similarities and differences that exist are highlighted such as gender differences, age differences, and racial and ethnic differences. With a sample of over 700, this study highlights enduring themes of development and recognizes opportunities to improve political identity development. Findings suggest age is not the only factor in identity development. Implications of the research include the possibility of manipulation by candidates and what we can do to improve identity development across the spectrum.