Politics Through the Life Cycle

Abstract

Age differences in political beliefs and attitudes are shown by survey data to be generally smaller than popularly supposed. There is little evidence of systematic movement toward conservatism as people move through the life cycle. People of all ages respond to political issues and events in terms of their early socialization and their immediate social and economic circumstances. Age groups may be mobilized in support of specific social action they see to be in their own interest (termination of the draft, federal support of the schools, Medicare) but age is not likely to become the basis of major political movements.