The Guardian - Do we really become more conservative with age?

Source:
Do we really become more conservative with age?
Winston Churchill quote

Notes:
'Any 20-year old who isn't a liberal doesn't have a heart, and any 40-year-old who isn't a conservative doesn't have a brain' - Winston Churchill

Why are older people more likely to vote Conservative as you age?

• The ageing process may make people more conservative.
• Or older people have different lifestyles, and therefore have different priorities when voting.
• Generations may also be important
• younger generations are more socially liberal
• more likely t have been to university (35% of 30-year-olds have a degree but only 10% of 70-year-olds do)
• brought up in a more socially liberal world.
• eg. no death penalty, abortion rights, gay marriage is legal etc.
• implies that right-wing parties are fighting against the tide of history.

Outcomes:

Looking at the evidence from this article as well as some other statistics from my textbook, it is clear that the idea of being more likely to vote Conservative/be conservative with age is true. The reasons for this are unclear: it could be that people naturally become more conservative as they age, becoming conservative is a sign of maturity (suggested by Winston Churchill) or that as people get older, their priorities change and more conservative policies best reflect their interests.

Future Research:

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