Ideological Identification and Issue Attitudes

Abstract

This paper examines variability in the impact of liberal-conservative identifications on citizens' issue attitudes. The analysis uses data from the 1984 CPS National Election Study, and it focuses on two variables: education and level of conceptualization. The results show that both of these variables have positive effects on liberal-conservative thinking. They lead to substantial individual differences in the degree to which citizens orient their issue attitudes along ideological lines. The analysis has a number of important implications for our understanding of American public opinion.