Do Fourth of July parades turn kids into Republicans?

[Marshall]

Do Fourth of July parades turn kids into Republicans?

The Week – Mon, Jul 4, 2011

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• Members of the boy scouts carry an American flag during the Independence Day Parade …

A recent Harvard study suggests that attending a July 4 parade during childhood increases the likelihood of becoming a card-carrying Republican later in life

• Happy Fourth of July... if you're a Republican. That's one takeaway from a recent Harvard study by political scientist David Yanagizawa-Drott and economist Andreas Madestam. They found that attending Fourth of July parades makes you more likely to identify as a Republican, vote Republican, vote period, and give money to political causes. Conservatives are jumping on the study as Ivy League–certified proof that Republicans are more patriotic than Democrats — or that liberal eggheads are plotting to do away with our national birthday. What does the study really say? Here, a brief guide:
  What does July 4 have to do with the GOP?
  The researchers concluded that "the political Right has been more successful in appropriating American patriotism and its symbols during the 20th century," and that nowadays, "there is a political congruence between the patriotism promoted on Fourth of July and the values associated with the Republican Party." And since Republicans tend to be more invested in the celebrations, GOP-dominated areas have "more politically biased" parades that "socialize children into Republicans."
  How much does July 4 boost the GOP?
  Significantly. Children who attend at least one rain-free Fourth of July parade before age 18 are at least 2 percent more likely to identify as Republican in adulthood, 4 percent more likely to vote Republican by age 40, about 1 percent more likely to vote at all, and 3 percent more generous with campaign contributions. Yanagizawa-Drott says he and Madestam were surprised that childhood experiences with July 4 celebrations appeared to have "a permanent impact on political beliefs and behavior."
  How did they come up with those numbers?
  By studying the weather, and taking the expression "rain on your parade" literally. Since rain either cancels a Fourth of July parade or slashes attendance, the researchers looked at historical weather data, using the randomness of rain to correct for other influences on children who attend the parades, like family and education. Then they compared this data to political beliefs and actions later in life.
  Is this study believable?
  Of course, Republicans are "more patriotic that Democrats," says John Hinderaker at PowerLine. But Fourth of July parades turning your kids into Republicans seems "far-fetched." It makes sense to me, says Doug Powers at The Powers That Be. What's more Republican than our "American flag waving, tradition embracing, God fearing, gun firing, bomb exploding, US military appreciating celebrations of the founding of the United States of America"? No, I call "bullsh*t" on this "ridiculous" study, says Janet Shan at The Hinterland Gazette. Seriously, "I would love to know who paid to fund" it, and what better use they could have put their money to.

[Marshall]

Study: Exposure to U.S. flag helps Republicans

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Joe Newby

, Spokane Conservative Examiner
July 20, 2011


According to a study conducted by the University of Chicago, Cornell University and Hebrew University, even a brief glimpse of the American flag shifts voters to Republican attitudes and beliefs.
Even the voting behavior of Democrats are affected, the study found.
Whats more, US News and World Report says the "the impact had staying power," according to the study's three authors.
Paul Bedard writes:

"A single exposure to an American flag resulted in a significant increase in participants' Republican voting intentions, voting behavior, political beliefs, and implicit and explicit attitudes, with some effects lasting 8 months," the study found. "These results constitute the first evidence that nonconscious priming effects from exposure to a national flag can bias the citizenry toward one political party and can have considerable durability."

Bedard notes this is the first study of its' kind, and it would appear to back up another study that showed children attending a Fourth of July parade grew up leaning towards Republicans.
Bedard notes the results are "sure to prompt GOP presidential candidates to add more U.S. flags at their events and speeches."
Maybe it will also prompt Democrats to use fewer U.S. flags in their events.
How did scientists conduct the study? U.S. News and World Report explained:

For this study, the scholars asked mostly Democratic-leaning voters to join in the survey conducted just before the 2008 election of President Obama over Sen. John McCain. All were given a survey to fill out. Half of those surveys included a small picture of an American flag in the top left corner.

Although 90 percent claimed the flag would not influence their voting behavior, the study found that both liberals and conservatives were affected and were more likely to support a more conservative position.
The study found:

"In contrast to the beliefs of the participants in the pilot study, the results from the experiments reported here show that exposure to the American flag introduces a bias toward the Republican Party over the Democratic Party. In one experiment, we tested whether subtle exposure to the American flag shifted people's beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors toward the Republican end of the political continuum. We found that a single exposure to a small American flag during deliberation about voting intentions prior to a general election led to significant and robust changes in participants' voting intentions, voting behavior, and political attitudes, all in the politically conservative direction."

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Eight months later, the same group was polled on their feelings about the Obama Administration. Those who had been shown the flag "felt less positively about Obama's job performance."
To validate the original study, scholars performed another test. Bedard notes:

To prove the shocking results, the scholars in the spring of 2010 conducted another test, this time to see if exposure to an American flag produces a bias toward Republicanism, rather than the party that controls the White House. For this, they showed some pictures of buildings that included a flag, and others photos with the flag digitally erased.
That result: "Subtle exposure to the American flag significantly shifted both Democratic and Republican participants' beliefs, attitudes, and voting behavior toward Republicanism."

Fox News reported:

The authors in the current study also cited a 2007 "Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin" report that concluded that brief exposure to the American flag increased aggressive thoughts and behavior, especially among those who followed political news.

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[Marshall]

more proof that conservatives are good Americans and liberals are un-American......


there's probably research out there that finds viewing gay porn makes people liberal democrats.......

[heidilynnla]

Being patriotic and celebrating our independence=republican? So what does that say for liberals?

[Marshall]

kinda explains Odumbo not putting his hand over his heart [does he have one?] during the playing of the National Anthem and the lack of a flag pin.......

[Marshall]

Originally Posted by heidilynnla

Being patriotic and celebrating our independence=republican? So what does that say for liberals?

they don't believe in independence and liberty......they believe in tyranny and statism...........

[Doove]

Originally Posted by heidilynnla

Being patriotic and celebrating our independence=republican? So what does that say for liberals?

The OP must be running out of material, because we've had this discussion already.

And i'll say what i said then. I used to be very patriotic - up until Republicans went and bastardized the entire concept.

As to your comment, I think what it really means is that the people who need to rely on where they live to feel good about themselves tend to be Republican.

[Marshall]

Originally Posted by Doofus

The OP must be running out of material, because we've had this discussion already.

And i'll say what i said then. I used to be very patrioticthen I started hating my family - up until Republicans went and bastardized the entire concept.

As to your comment, I think what it really means is that the people who need to rely on where they live to feel good about themselves tend to be Republican.

Nothing Doofus says is intended to be a factual statement.

Doofus, turn off the gay porn and give Marcus Bachmann a call.......HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!

[Marshall]

Originally Posted by Doofus

The OP must be running out of material, because we've had this discussion already.

Oooops, I didn't realize I was repeating, er...copying Whirlaway's post.....I wasn't participating in this forum when that was posted. It's my turn to put my spin on it......


BTW: Now we know why liberals are always burning the flag and celebrating Cinco de mayo over the 4th.....are they gonna start banning American flags from voting areas and campaign ads?

[Whirlaway]

Let's repeat the major finding of the study:

"A single exposure to an American flag resulted in a significant increase in participants' Republican voting intentions, voting behavior, political beliefs, and implicit and explicit attitudes, with some effects lasting 8 months," the study found. "These results constitute the first evidence that nonconscious priming effects from exposure to a national flag can bias the citizenry toward one political party and can have considerable durability."

[Doove]

To paraphrase:

Republicans are more susceptible to meanlingless symbolism and indoctrination.