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Title: Learning to be Conservative: How Staying in High School Changes Political Preferences in Great Britain and the US

Citation Type: Miscellaneous

Publication Year: 2013

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Abstract: Education may increase political participation, but does high school affect partisan identification and voting? Political economy theories imply that schooling makes citizens more conservative by increasing current or expected income, or by imparting general skills that reduce demand for social insurance. Sociological theories suggest schooling more immediately affects political preferences by increasing political engagement, post-materialism and network externalities. This paper utilizes compulsory schooling laws (CSLs) in the US and Great Britain to identify late high schools effect on political preferences. Raising CSLs by a year induces a five percentage point partisan swing toward the Republican or Conservative party. Instrumental variable estimates show an additional year of late high school increases the probability that CSL-compliers support right-wing parties by more than ten percentage points. Assessing the theoretical mechanisms, the income-based political economy channel receives clear support. These results pose serious strategic problems for left-wing parties traditionally supporting further public education.

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Authors: Marshall, John

Publisher: Harvard University

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Education, Other

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