ABSTRACT
There is a daunting list of factors which affect civic engagement. Education, skills, efficacy, norms, mobilization, and trust are only a few of the most commonly cited; myriad others have been explored as well. One such theme which has, intermittently, guided the study of civic engagement is political socialization-which after a long hiatus has re-emerged on the contemporary research agenda. Within this boomlet of scholarship on socialization, the emphasis has largely been on schools, the media, and the electoral environment. For the most part, the family’s influence has been ignored. As a consequence, we know little about how experiences at home affect us when we leave home. Given that the home is where most people spend the bulk of their formative years, it is unfortunate that we do not know more about how the family does, and does not, set us on a trajectory toward a lifetime of civic involvement.
