This article presents a theory of political socialization and the development of sociopolitical consciousness and behavior. Political development is central to personality development but too little studied by psychologists. Three aspects of this development are presented: (1) the psychological aspect, which includes subjective processes of attitude formation, (2) the social-psychological aspect, which includes the role of interpersonal and larger social forces, and (3) the political aspect, which integrates the prior two aspects into a political identity. The interaction of those three aspects is analyzed through the three stages of the political development process. The theory has a Marxist orientation but is based on Western research and has relevance for political development generally. The article concludes with a typology describing four ways people relate to political systems.
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