Should Schools Help Students Develop Partisan Identities?

• In Event: Issues in Civic Education

Abstract

This paper uses data from a mixed methods study to explore the ethics and impact of a civic education program that is explicitly designed to build high school students' partisan political identities. Two questions are addressed: How and why do teachers orchestrate an approach to civic education designed to develop students’ partisan political identities? What impact does participation in this form of political education have on the students’ political identities, political tolerance, ability to engage respectfully differing points of view, and political participation after they leave high school? Findings show that students do form partisan political identities without becoming politically intolerant, and that they are quite active politically. Nevertheless, the authors raise questions about the ethics of the approach.

Authors

• Diana E. Hess, Spencer Foundation

• Paula McAvoy, University of Wisconsin - Madison