Abstract
Empirical political behavior research has consistently observed a robust and positive relationship between education and political engagement, but has failed to adequately explain why education is so important. Using data from the Baccalaureate and Beyond (B&B) Longitudinal Study, I test three competing hypotheses explaining the enduring link between higher education and political behavior. I find that a verbal SAT scores and a social science curriculum are related to future political engagement, suggesting that the content of higher education, especially a curriculum that develops language and civic skills, is influential in shaping participation in American democracy.
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Analysis for this article relied on restricted-use data from the National Center for Education Statistics. Application procedures for obtaining an NCES restricted data license to access the␣Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study are available at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/b&b/. Replication code and supplemental variables (including school quality) are available on␣the author’s website.
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Sunshine Hillygus, D. The MISSING LINK: Exploring the Relationship Between Higher Education and Political Engagement. Polit Behav 27, 25–47 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-005-3075-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-005-3075-8