I want you to think about the concept of political socialization. Generally speaking, what does it mean, and what factors influence a person's political socialization? Also, think about your personal political beliefs. Why do you view politics in the way that you do? Is it due to your family, personal experiences, or something else?

Finally, some have criticized the South for being so extremely conservative. In fact, political scientists have argued that the tendency of those in the South to vote conservative, regardless of the candidate, has resulted in southerners removing themselves from national politics. In other words, politicians in both parties no longer spend the time or effort to seriously campaigning in the South because both parties assume that a state like Georgia or Alabama will always vote for the more conservative candidate. As such, candidates save their campaign money for swing states like Florida or Ohio which can be won by either party. What factors cause southern states to be extremely conservative, and are their steps that could be taken to once again make the South relevant in national political debates?