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Hereditary politics?

In the Australian Election Study 2010 there is a question about the politics of the respondent’s parents. Though the generations don’t share politics as much as spouses, politics is not looking like a major source of division in family get-togethers. Labor politics seems particularly hereditary. About three-quarters of Labor identifiers in 2010 say that their parents were also Labor supporters. 30% of respondents did not know which party their parents supported.

The lower hereditary nature of Liberal politics reflects the well-known generational problems in Liberal support.

Among 2010 Green identifiers, a bit over a quarter have Liberal parents, and a bit under 40% have Labor parents.

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 17th, 2011 at 7:05 pm and is filed under Families & relationships, Political parties. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

3 Responses to “Hereditary politics?”

  • 1
    Debt Consolidation Nation
    July 18th, 2011 08:40

    Does this change depending on age. I would have been a bit further left than I am now in high school and early university

  • 2
    Rajat Sood
    July 18th, 2011 12:20

    It’s too early I suppose, but I wonder how many of the children of Greens voters will end up supporting other parties. Christmas tofu with a Liberal party son or daughter could make for an interesting day.

  • 3
    Andrew Norton
    July 18th, 2011 14:34

    This was just a simple cross-tabulation; there may be differences between the generations. And it can’t distinguish between direct transmission of allegiances and parents creating socioeconomic conditions that promote common political views.
    I think I read somewhere that Greens have low rates of reproduction, which will at least minimise arguments about politics between generations.