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Politics and Family

By Family GovernanceNovember, 2018March 18th, 20242 min read

With the recent US midterm elections in the news, there is talk of generational shifts in the electorate (which will take some time still to have a significant impact), and with the further polarisation within the US, the way political affiliations have come between friends and family members.

This fascinating NPR podcast discusses how political preferences are driven by hidden moral frameworks. The nation is often described using the family as a metaphor, with terms like founding fathers, homeland security, not wanting things in our backyard, etc. On that basis, the two political views of a nation can find parallels in two views of a family. In the “strict father” model, the father knows best, supports and protects the family, and teaches the children their moral views. In contrast, the “nurturant parent” empathises with the child, seeks to find out what they need, and has more two-way discussions.

Researchers found that Republicans were more likely to rely on strict father ideas to make their points, and Democrats were more likely to use nurturant parent ideas.

Our own political leanings are influenced by our parents and their styles, and as parenting styles change from one generation to the next, so can political views.

Consider This: What are the parenting styles in your family? How do they relate to governance of family wealth? How have they influenced the family’s political leanings, and how is that evolving through the next generation?

Original article:

Here is more on reading on family business governance.

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