The dynamic relationship between group identification and issue stances: Evidence from the American national election studies.

摘要

This dissertation explores the effects of group identification on political attitudes in the United States, building on the theoretical work of Conover (1984) and others. I examine various factors that can affect the ability of groups to influence their members' stands on political issues in both the short-term and the long-term.;The first goal of the dissertation is to explain the cross-sectional relationships between group identification and attitudes toward "core" issues---issues that are stressed by group leaders. The second goal of the dissertation is to explain how and why the cross-sectional relationships between group identification and issue attitudes change over time among the groups included in the study. The third goal of the dissertation is to use panel data to explain the relationship between changes in group identification and changes in issue positions over time at the individual level.;Using both cross-sectional and panel data from the 1972--1976 and 1992--1996 American National Election Studies, I analyze these relationships among members of four politically significant groups---African-Americans, evangelicals, women, and labor unions. The findings generally support the hypothesized effects of group identification on core issue positions. However, in the cross-sectional chapters, I find that the effects of group identification on members' core issue positions are more consistent over time and across issues for some groups than for others. Similarly, in the time-series analyses there were significant differences across the four groups in the strength of the relationships between changing group identification and changing positions on core issues.;The major conclusion of this study is that group identification is a key factor explaining attitude formation and change among Americans. However, the influence of group identification on members' issue positions varies across groups and overtime depending on key external factors such as the political salience of the group to its members. Further research in this area holds much promise in improving our understanding of the processes of opinion formation and change in the U.S. electorate.