ABSTRACT
In 1969, feminist activist and author Carol Hanisch published an essay entitled “The Personal is Political.” The phrase reflected the growing consciousness within social and political activist groups that people’s everyday experiences are highly political. In other words, attitudes toward political issues permeate everyday life and therefore hold a high level of prominence in guiding the way that people engage with and perceive the world. While the particular political issues that are discussed in everyday conversations and the news media change over time and location, such as people’s attitudes toward same-sex marriage instead of interracial marriage or their attitudes toward the legalization of marijuana instead of alcohol prohibition, it is undeniable that debates about political issues and their implications for everyday life are ubiquitous. It should not be surprising, then, that the literature concerning political attitudes is voluminous and continually growing. The scientific measurement of political attitudes, what forms the basis of people’s political attitudes, and how attitudes affect political behavior have a long history and span areas of inquiry across multiple disciplines, including psychology, political science, sociology, and economics (Huddy, Sears, & Levy, 2013; Sears, Huddy, & Jervis, 2003).
