| Research shows that college students, as a group, become more liberal overall due to the social and cognitive influences of higher learning. The most pronounced liberal shifts are on issues concerning civil rights/liberties, tolerance, and equality. On some issues, however, college exerts a conservative effect. The average college student graduates with more right-wing views on wealth redistribution, criminal justice, affirmative action, and school busing. Driving these shifts are the concurrent processes of socialization and cognitive development that take place during college. Socialization inculcates in students the values of America's "official culture," including tolerance, equality, individualism, and self-reliance. Cognitive development, in turn, gives students the intellectual aptitude to accurately translate these values into positions on real-world political issues. |
