ABSTRACT
Parents are the main teachers of political attitudes, even though most do not consciously indoctrinate their children into partisanship. Some people do leave the party of their parents. Large-scale change in party identifications (ID) is the exception, however, not the rule. Most Americans, once they have developed party loyalties, keep them. People who do change their party ID often change only its intensity Large-scale change in party identifications is the exception, however, not the rule. Most Americans, once they have developed party loyalties, keep them. People who do change their party ID often change only its intensity rather than convert to the other party. The proportion of strong party identifiers in 2020 slightly exceeded what it had been in the 1950s, which was considered an era of strong party ID. As partisanship revived in the 1980s and 1990s, the Democratic edge in party ID began to shrink.
