Republicans Twice as Likely to Prioritize Passing Political Beliefs to Children

For many American families, the transmission of political identity is no longer a uniform experience. A new annual survey indicates that parents are increasingly split on whether they should actively pass down their specific political beliefs to their children. The data shows a distinct gap between the two major parties regarding this practice.

The American Family Survey, conducted by the Deseret News, the Wheatley Institute, and the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy at Brigham Young University, polled 2,000 Americans. The findings suggest that while most Americans do not view the transfer of political beliefs as a top priority, Republicans are twice as likely as Democrats to say it is important.

Samantha Reagan, a leadership board member at the University of Utah, illustrates the generational shift. Raised in a Democratic home in Las Vegas, Reagan noted that politics was a constant presence in her childhood. She observed that she was always aware of how her parents voted and internalized their fundamental values early on.

Reagan’s current views have diverged from those of her parents. She identifies as a socialist and is more involved in left-wing grassroots organizing than with the Democratic Party structure. Despite this ideological shift, she retained core values from her upbringing, such as faith in the scientific process and valuing the welfare system.

Jeremy Pope, a professor of political science at Brigham Young University and a co-author of the study, noted that researchers do not yet know why this partisan difference exists. He stated that the gap persists regardless of whether the metric is ideology or partisanship. For whatever reason, he explained, Republicans believe it is more important to pass on their political beliefs and values.

This finding contrasts with a 2023 study from Pew Research Center. That research found that Republican parents had roughly 81% of their teenage children identifying as Republicans. In comparison, Democratic parents had about 89% of their teens identifying as Democrats. Pope expressed skepticism that Democrats are simply uninterested or impartial to their children’s beliefs.

Pope speculated that the distinction may lie in the difference between political beliefs and political values. Beliefs are often tied to policy, candidacy, and allegiance. Values, however, are more abstract, such as a moral framework. Reagan confirmed this distinction in her own life, stating that she carries fundamental moral beliefs from her religious upbringing, even though she no longer considers herself religious.

The survey also examined how often parents discuss politics with their children. Among respondents who said passing down political beliefs is important, 41% reported discussing political or social issues with their families at least weekly. Among those who said it is not important, only 29% did so. The gap narrows for conversations between spouses, where 79% of those who value passing down beliefs discuss politics with their partners, compared to 63% of those who do not.

These numbers align with 2024 qualitative research from the nonprofit More in Common. That study found that most parents do not discuss political or social issues with children under the age of seven. Even with older children, only about half of parents spoke with them about politics. Pope noted that people are much more willing to talk about politics with a spouse or partner than with their children.

Most survey respondents reported satisfaction with their family life, with only small differences between political parties. Pope argued that people are doing different things and that there is no inherent problem if politics is not part of family life. He maintained that families can be happy with or without political discussions. The full survey, now in its 12th year, will be released later in November.