ABSTRACT
The effects of social class environments within the United States can be observed in many areas of political behavior. Investigators have repeatedly found social class differences both in preference for political party and candidates and in the degree of political involvement manifested in voter registration, voting in elections, and participation in municipal bond issues. Although social class differences in intelligence test scores and academic achievement are the most frequently documented, there are other features of social class experience that are probably relevant to political socialization. In the search for explanations of social class differences in adult political behavior, the aspects of political socialization that differ by social class were examined by Greenstein in his study of New Haven school children, grades 4–8. In children, intelligence is the variable which most closely approximates education. Intelligence is most important as it mediates school learning.
