Explaining public opinion toward government spending on child care.

Part of a special section on family policy. A theoretical model of public opinion toward government spending on child care was developed and tested. Data were drawn from the 1988 American National Election Study. Findings revealed that respondents were generally supportive of an increased role fo...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Family Relations Vol. 44; pp. 37 - 46
Autores principales: Henderson, Tammy L., Monroe, Pamela A., Garand, James C.
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Wiley-Blackwell January 1995
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:Part of a special section on family policy. A theoretical model of public opinion toward government spending on child care was developed and tested. Data were drawn from the 1988 American National Election Study. Findings revealed that respondents were generally supportive of an increased role for government in funding child care services. About 58 percent of respondents supported increased government spending on child care, and about 42 percent did not support such an increase. Although self-interest and demographic variables did have an impact, respondents' views were found to be largely a function of their symbolic political attitudes. The strong effects identified for the symbolic politics variables are consistent with the results of previous research demonstrating the relative importance of symbolic politics over self-interest factors in shaping public opinion on policy issues.