United States Flag (1860)

United States Flag (1860)

Manifest Destiny

Manifest Destiny

United States Capitol Building (1861)

United States Capitol Building (1861)

The Promised Land

The Promised Land

The United States Capitol Building

The United States Capitol Building

The Star Spangled Banner (1812)

The Star Spangled Banner (1812)

The United States Capitol Building

The United States Capitol Building

The Constitutional Convention

The Constitutional Convention

The Betsy Ross Flag

The Betsy Ross Flag

Washington at Valley Forge

Washington at Valley Forge

Washington at Valley Forge

Washington at Valley Forge

Washington at Valley Forge

Washington at Valley Forge

The Culpepper Flag

The Culpepper Flag

Battles of Lexington and Concord

Battles of Lexington and Concord

The Gadsden Flag

The Gadsden Flag

Paul Revere's Midnight Ride

Paul Revere's Midnight Ride

The Grand Union Flag (Continental Colors)

The Grand Union Flag (Continental Colors)

The Continental Congress

The Continental Congress

Sons of Liberty Flag (Version 2)

Sons of Liberty Flag (Version 2)

The Boston Massacre

The Boston Massacre

The Sons of Liberty Flag (Version 1)

The Sons of Liberty Flag (Version 1)

The Boston Tea Party

The Boston Tea Party

Friday, July 1, 2011

Harvard: July 4th Parades Are Right Wing

From ADF and U.S. News And World Report:

Harvard: July 4th Parades Are Right-Wing






By Paul Bedard



Posted: June 30, 2011



Print











385retweetTOP1K



Share This





Democratic political candidates can skip this weekend's July 4th parades. A new Harvard University study finds that July 4th parades energize only Republicans, turn kids into Republicans, and help to boost the GOP turnout of adults on Election Day.



"Fourth of July celebrations in the United States shape the nation's political landscape by forming beliefs and increasing participation, primarily in favor of the Republican Party," said the report from Harvard. [See political cartoons about the 2012 GOP field.]



"The political right has been more successful in appropriating American patriotism and its symbols during the 20th century. Survey evidence also confirms that Republicans consider themselves more patriotic than Democrats. According to this interpretation, there is a political congruence between the patriotism promoted on Fourth of July and the values associated with the Republican party. Fourth of July celebrations in Republican dominated counties may thus be more politically biased events that socialize children into Republicans," write Harvard Kennedy School Assistant Professor David Yanagizawa-Drott and Bocconi University Assistant Professor Andreas Madestam. [Enjoy political cartoons about President Obama.]



Their findings also suggest that Democrats gain nothing from July 4th parades, likely a shocking result for all the Democratic politicians who march in them. [Check out editorial cartoons about the Democrats.]



"There is no evidence of an increased likelihood of identifying as a Democrat, indicating that Fourth of July shifts preferences to the right rather than increasing political polarization," the two wrote.



The three key findings of those attending July 4th celebrations:

•When done before the age of 18, it increases the likelihood of a youth identifying as a Republican by at least 2 percent.

•It raises the likelihood that parade watchers will vote for a Republican candidate by 4 percent.

•It boosts the likelihood a reveler will vote by about 1 percent and increases the chances they'll make a political contribution by 3 percent.



What's more, the impact isn't fleeting. "Surprisingly, the estimates show that the impact on political preferences is permanent, with no evidence of the effects depreciating as individuals become older,"said the Harvard report.



Finally, the report suggests that if people are looking for a super-patriotic July 4th, though should head to Republican towns. "Republican adults celebrate Fourth of July more intensively in the first place."


No comments:

Post a Comment