The Association Between Political Organization Membership and Optimism About the Future

Live Poster Session: Zoom Link

Lincoln Alkind

(she/her)
From Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Lincoln is a junior at Wesleyan where she majors in Government with a minor in Religion. She’s a captain on the Wesleyan Mock Trial Team, and hoping to go to law school after graduation. She has three cats and a dog at home, whom she loves very much.

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Abstract: As recent research hasn’t looked into the ways various forms of political participation affect a person’s outlook on the future, this study aims to investigate the possible relationship between being a member of a political organization, group, and/or movement and an how an individual imagines the future of the country, the economy, and their own life. Using data from the Outlook on Life Survey conducted in 2012, this research project asks “Is there an association between membership in a political organization and optimism about the future?” and considers the possible moderating effects of a person’s political party affiliation within this association.

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