Angela Bos, dean of the School of Public Service, co-authored a paper titled “Partisanship on the Playground: Expressive Party Politics Among Children” that’s been published in the Political Research Quarterly. Her research demonstrates how children develop partisan social identities, which in turn cause them to view the political landscape negatively.
The team of researchers collected and analyzed survey data from over 1,500 children ages 6-12 in 2017 and 2018. They used an innovative measurement tool that uncovered new discoveries about children’s views of politics and political leaders. They also found that some children learn about politics without developing partisan identities, and those children seem to have more positive views of the political system as a whole.
You can learn more about Bos’ work on this topic on her Kids & Politics website.