Date of Award
4-2015
Document Type
Thesis
Department
Political Science
First Advisor
Patrick Donnay
Abstract
In American society there are certain controversial issues that have been debated for the better part of the past century. Same-sex marriage, abortion, gun ownership laws, divorce laws, and the legalization of marijuana have all come under fire on the political stage. Yet the role of these issues in recent elections is far different than just a few election cycles ago. I analyze the role of social issues among different groups of conservatives to assess the continuing impact of them on their political behavior. To do so I have analyzed the GSS 2012 from the University of Chicago. I have created an index of social issues for a more comprehensive evaluation of their role in contemporary conservative politics. I hypothesize that social issues will resonate less with younger conservatives and among those with higher socio-economic status, and that these groups are making up a larger share of the electorate.
Recommended Citation
Rostad, Justin, "American Conservatism: The Evolving Role of Social Issues in American Politics" (2015). Political Science Theses and Capstones. 98.
https://pines.bemidjistate.edu/capstone-polisci/98
Included in
American Politics Commons, American Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, Politics and Social Change Commons, Social Policy Commons, Sociology of Religion Commons
