How much influence did you parents have on your Political view

[The Stranger]

I think that parents (or the one that takes care of the child) usually have the most influence on the child's political and religious viewings, actually the child in whole. after that comes family and friends, and of the third place rolemodels and events. Ofcourse things change later on but the fundament is still there.

But my question to you is how much influence did you parents have on you.
People that disagree with me can also debate here.

[Keba]

That entirely depends on how the parents' approach the task.

My personal experience is one of non-interference. My father is a judge and thus very rarely speaks of politics ... most of the influence in that field was done by friends during the rather long debates we've had (and still do, occasionally). Religion was a different matter, my parents' simply didn't care. They themselves are atheists, but they decided to let me choose, when I wished, and they'd support me in whatever choice I made. Naturally, since I'm at least third-generation (don't know farther than that) atheist, I really didn't care much about religion, since most of the people I hung out with didn't either, and I had no real motivation for that.

So, all in all, I agree with you ... parents come first, after that family and friends. Dunno much about role-models, but I certainly agree on the events, although I would put them pretty much near the top, as they tend to make a larger impact.

[B-Wing]

Its impossible to trully know just how much one's current views are influenced by their parent(s), but in my case, there does not appear to be much correlation. Neither my mother or father were strictly aligned to any political party and they didn't discuss politics much around me, if they discussed it at all. I'm not sure about my Mom, but in presidential elections Dad would vote for whichever candidate he thought would do the most good (or least bad) for the country, regardless of their party.

I myself am libertarian. I would actually prefer anarchy, but I realize I have a rather romanticized view of it and to be safe I stick with minimized government. I suppose the fact that my parents never tried to instill loyalty to any popular political party or emphasize their importance may have made it easier for me to come to my current views, but that's all the "influence" I can see.

[The Stranger]

I meant not only parties but also if you are left or right. ill give you an extreme example which hold events and parents.

you are very young and your up late watching the news with your parents. on news they show a group of skinheads parading on a square doing the hitler greet. You ask your parents who they are and your parents will answer to their own political and maybe emotional view.

If your parents (this is extreme example) were fascists/nazis, they would say something like; They are fighters for a better cause, they want to rid the world of lesser people and are generally good young men who are misunderstood etc.

If you were jew they would say that they were nazi pigs that our people a whole lot of wrong and did not deserve to live.

they could also say: they are the recent followers of a man who did a whole lot of nasty things in the past. they think the world will be better of without certain people and therefore they protest.

you are a small child and if your parents told the story good enough youll take it as it is. and when some other child talks about nazis, you will probably say what your parents have said. and ofcourse things can always change later on. the fundament has been paved

[scotchedpommes]

I would think it's quite possible to find out how much a parent's views may or
may not influence that of the offspring. I would be surprised if numerous studies
haven't been conducted up to now.

As for my own experience, I would say my parents played a very minimal role, if
any at all. I had been aware of where their political sympathies lay for years, but
they never actively tried to influence my own or turn me away from any
particular viewpoint. [I would suppose that environment can be a critical factor,
but of course any views on development tend to come back to whether you put
more weight behind the nature or nurture arguments.]

If you want to extend the discussion to religion and influence on those kinds of
beliefs, again their role was very much the passive one. I could believe what
ever I chose to, and to say that was their only input. Growing up with atheists
it was an easy choice for me.


As for your point regarding sentiments towards certain groups, well I would say
influence would be clear, and varies from case to case. Any answers given would
more than likely remain ingrained.

[IrishArmenian]

Well, they instilled religion in me. That was, is and will be #1 with me. Politics, hmm... beside that my father was my big political influence. He told me never (with few ekseptions) to be militant, as he was former IRA and said "Looking back, those were the worst days of my life..". Oh yes and despite being religious, my family believed in seperation of Church and State which at first I didn't understand, but now I do. My dad had no exact political leanings as he was and is not an Armenian citizen. He just told me that people needed freedom- but not freedom to hurt others.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Almost none. I'm a Monarchist and right leaning, whereas my parents are both left-wing.

As for religion, my family had some influence, though not much. My mother's side and father's side are Catholic and Lutheran respectively, and both sides are fairly religious. However, my parents believe, but hardly worship and do not participate in Lent, for example, or any religious holidays except Easter and Christmas, and only attend Church on Christmas, unless my Oma or I ask them to come along.

[John86]

Hmmmm

My parents dont really keep track on politics, yet my mother is quite facist in her beliefs, which may of had some influence over my facist self.

[rory_20_uk]

my parents views are different from each other, and I was more aware of my mother's than my father's. it was only later that I found that my views were similar to that of my father, just I am slightly more polarised than they are.

my views were also heavily shaped by how rocky their lives have been by playing by the rules and trying to do the best thing in their job. After a good look at this I've decided that this is not the way forward, and I'm going to try a different approach to matters.

[The Stranger]

i havent really developed a political stance though i guess im a left wing. my parents specially my dad have played a role though not very big in that. I think the most crucial role was played by my school, which is made up by mostly rightwing spoiled rich kids with even worse parents. after several collisions and debates i have developed distaste for right political views... and ofcourse some problems with racism kept my from becoming extreme right though i doubt ill ever become extreme left.

for religion, my mom is christian and goes to church each week, but apart from some christian events thats it. my dad is atheist and so is about the rest of our family, my mom tried to convince me going to church but failed. I guess the modern day view about religion and its importance is the major factor why i havent become religious, plus that i kinda dislike religions for the problems they cause. That has nothing to do with God or Allah or Shiva or Boedha but with Bible and the Koran and other manmade rules which you have to follow

[The Spartan (Returns)]

hardly.
my parents would talk but it doesnt affect me.

[AntiochusIII]

Unlikely. Considering how we're all first-generation immigrants to a whole new nation, and the former state really had no "Left-and-Right" politics but simply "Which Crook Do You Want For Your Master!?" one. I think they still have a caricature of a long-running political crisis over there on whether or not the corrupt, power-hungry, monopolizing prime minister ought to be thrown off the country. Naturally, I expect negative; corruption and nepotism reign supreme.

Besides, I think I discovered my bleeding heart anti-American traitorous pinko cowardly pathetic Atheistic evolutionist prophetic false liberalism on my own, and that I don't even think my parents care about politics that much, if at all.

[Scurvy]

My parents dont do politics --> and i dont either, so there must be some influence

[Moros]

It's not only if they talk about politics that influence you. It's also the moral they teach you. Parents teach they're children what is good and what is wrong. Tough most of it is the same the differences in emphizing certain thing or other differences will have it's affect. If I have a child and I alwas say that thr republicans are good. But if I teach my child morale values more comparable to that of the democrats. The Child is more likly to vote Democrat when it's grown up. And morale can be formed and change by sudden events or sometimes even small un important little things.

My parents vote mostly CD&V, Christian party, while I'll rather Vote socialist. Why? They taught me that everybody should be treated equal. And that's what I believe. I know communism is impossible and that you can't threat everybody completly the same. But I do think the situation can be improved for poeple less fortunate then ourselves.

[The Stranger]

i guess wereon the same level here ;)

[Don Corleone]

My parents had a HUGE influence on me being politically aware, though not so much on any position one way or the other. My father is a military industrial Republican (makes sense, as he's a bigwig for General Dynamics and has built submarines his whole life) who's actually pretty socially liberal. My mother was a typical Irish-Catholic-Boston Democrat for most of my youth and young adult years but switched over to the right side of the street sometime around the Clinton years. She's really big on personal accountability issues and Clinton disgusted her (I think she got more prudish as she got older). My sister is a dyed-in-the-wool hippy. Worse than Tachi or Idaho. I'm something of a Libertarian and a defecit hawk. Not exactly the homogeny you think of in most families.

BUT, one area that my parents were pivotal in my politcal opinions was having one in the first place. As long as I can remember, we were expected to read the newspaper and watch the McNeil Lehrher newshour. When subjects came up at the dinner table, the only wrong answer was 'no opinion'. They drilled it into us that it was incredibly irresponsible not to try to keep up on local, state reigonal, national and international issues and at least have some frame of reference to guide ourselves by.

[Strike For The South]

My mom is pretty live and let live but pretty adament about defense. While my dad hates pacisfism and brown people but supports welfare. My parents dont really tell me much however.

[Xiahou]

My parents are old-fashioned union democrats and are socially conservative. I went through most of my childhood believing that Reagan was too dumb to tie his shoes. It was sometime in high school that I actually started paying enough attention to current events to realize that Republicans actually had some good ideas. Their religious values and respect for tradition stuck pretty well- but we disagree on what role the government should have.

[lars573]

As I've said before my parents are orange flag waving socialists. Big on redistribution of wealth and personal freedom. But for very different reasons. My mom really beleives that the government should provide for all it's people, and care for them if nessisary. My dad just wants to stick it to rich people, cause they have lots of money and he don't. In a lot of ways my dad is an idiot. Prefers to not inform himself of anything important that goes on in the world around him, and unfortunately my sister has that propensity too. My brother believes in anarchy. For those of you who know how I can be, he's worse. I vote like my parents, socialist in provincial and federal elections. For civics I pick a name at random who isn't the incumbent. Seems kind of stupid but the campagin budgets (near nill, even for the mayor) for municipal level government hear means you never hear the candidate message at all.

[Ronin]

Well let´s see....

My father is a communist and an atheist, my mother is a socialist and a non-practicing catolic.

They sent me for a catolic school for 4 years...so I don´t think my father was trying to push his atheist views on me.....I came to them all by myself thank you...

other than that....I´d say I´m much more a "middle of the road" person politically than either of them....my father regularly votes for the communist party which is something I would never do out of principle...my mother normally votes socialist.....I also have voted socialist on ocasion...but I tend to vote more on the people than in any given party.......

My parents have also went on vacations to Cuba twice and I refused to go with them on general principal.....like hell I´m going to bring my tourist euros to a country that is a dictatorship.

if we start discussing politics things can get pretty heated....specially with my father that is a bit (ok more than a bit) of an anti-american.... if these discussions involve the american foreign policy they usually end up with my father telling me that I "agree with everything that the USA does" errr...moi? (man....I must introduce him to this forum were I am the american-hater commie pinko! )....talks with my mother are a lot calmer but she has also from time to time given her opinion that I´m too "right-wing" on some subjects for her liking....


so there you go.....right-wing USA fanboy at home and USA-Hater commie pinko in this board.....what is afoot here?
A double personality? or are we all talking in diferent languages at each other?

[Don Corleone]

if we start discussing politics things can get pretty heated....specially with my father that is a bit (ok more than a bit) of an anti-american.... if these discussions involve the american foreign policy they usually end up with my father telling me that I "agree with everything that the USA does" errr...moi? (man....I must introduce him to this forum were I am the american-hater commie pinko! )....talks with my mother are a lot calmer but she has also from time to time given her opinion that I´m too "right-wing" on some subjects for her liking....


so there you go.....right-wing USA fanboy at home and USA-Hater commie pinko in this board.....what is afoot here?
A double personality? or are we all talking in diferent languages at each other?

My Dad's foreign policy mirrors DA's and much like DA did in another thread, he frequently accueses me of being a dove, chicken, soft on terrorism, pro-Chinese... you name it. I think it's the perspective of the viewer.

So, this peace-loving, terrorist supporting hippy salutes you, you right-wing, USA fanboy.

[yesdachi]

The people who raised me, parents, grand parents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, etc. were all part of who I am today. I am different than who I was when I was young but the core values are still there and I think that is the case for most. An excellent reason to surround our children with positive people that think the way you want them to think (hopefully with free, open minds not too clouded with either left or right BS).

[The Stranger]

My mom is pretty live and let live but pretty adament about defense. While my dad hates pacisfism and brown people but supports welfare. My parents dont really tell me much however.

theyre black man, theyre black. Gotta Love Texas!!!