Rhetoric and Reality: The Role of Family Issues in Politician and Party Support
Published online on November 21, 2013
Abstract
Despite evidence of the political salience of family issues, little work has been done to understand how Americans link family issues to their support of various parties and politicians. This study examines whether respondents think party/politician views on family issues are important and asks respondents to provide examples of relevant family issues. Using data from the 2003 Constructing the Family telephone survey conducted at the Indiana University Center for Survey Research, we find that most respondents claim that a party’s/politician’s views on family issues are important to them. Further analysis reveals that, among people who believe family issues are important, the belief is explained differently, with the sample split between a focus on the characteristics of policymakers as compared to the policy itself. The authors conclude that these differing approaches to family issues may stem from the patchwork system of legislation for families in the United States.