Types of Political Attitude Structure: Results of a Cluster Analysis

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Abstract
This study examines the organization of political attitudes. Using data from the 1980 American National Election Study, it applies the technique of cluster analysis to classify individuals into subgroups that have relatively similar profiles of opinions concerning 12 political issues. Six clusters are distinguished: liberals, quasi-liberals, conservatives, advocates of limited government, those with prolabor attitudes, and those who are middle of the road in attitudes toward government economic programs. Clusters differ systematically in political party affiliation, self-identified ideology, and vote for president in 1980. The results suggest that political attitudes are not organized along a single dimension of ideological liberalism/conservatism, and that ideologically “inconsistent” attitude patterns are still meaningfully organized.

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