Sources of Consistency of Political Opinion

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Abstract
This article is advanced a a tentative step toward explaning one aspect of opinion organization. The relationship of liberal-conservative consistency of political opinion to ideological conceptualization of political events, interest in politics, and ability to use abastract ideas is examined. An explanatory model is advanced. It hypothesizes that interest in politics and ability to use abstract ideas precede ideological conceptualization, which in turn leads to consistency of opinion. Data obtained by interview from 208 Young Republicans and Young Democrats in a Texas state college provide tentative support for this model, although some modifications are apparently needed. When the three variables are combined in a multipleprediction formula, error in the prediction of consistency is reduced by 70 per cent.

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