Family Ties: Understanding the Intergenerational Transmission of Participation

In this chapter, we consider the impact of the families in which we are reared on our political activity as adults and seek to clarify how family operates to influence future political participation. We argue that, when it comes to political participation, as important as the political learning that takes place in families is the set of opportunities bequeathed by the socioeconomic status of the family of origin, in particular, the opportunity for educational attainment.