Theoretical Introduction: Education and Political Attitudes

Abstract

The relationship between political education and democratic attitudes is the focus of this worldwide cross-national survey (see Appendix). Prior cross-national investigations (Torney, Oppenheim, and Farnen, 1975) left some major issues unaddressed. Our primary focus is on the relation between ideological content, style of education, and political attitudes. We ask: What effects do liberal and conservative-nationalist educational choices have on university students’ political attitudes, preferences, and self-ratings? When do students see themselves as multicultural, democratic citizens and when do they express authoritarian or extremist preferences? Is educational policy relevant to such attitudes despite a decline in worldwide ideological polarizations?