"I Don’t Think I’ll Ever Be as Politically Invested in Something as That Moment" Exogenous Events and the Political Socialization of Young Adults in America

Abstract

Many factors contribute to the political socialization of American citizens. This mixed-methods study seeks to identify how high-profile exogenous events play a role in that process for young adults. Through in-depth interviews and regression analyses, I looked for changes in opinions on war, race relations, environmentalism, government trust, and sexism against women following a related event. I also explain how young adults react to those events, and how they choose to engage politically. I found support for the impressionable years hypothesis, which states that attitudes are unstable and subject to change during young adulthood. I also found that those who feel called to action following an event are more likely to choose methods of political engagement that are external and visible. Lastly, I offer directions for future research, such as testing whether or not changes in young adulthood persist over time.