A Poster Child? Comparing Political Choices (Voting Intention and Topic Importance) Among Dutch Children and Their Parents

This study aims to understand the role of political socialization in political choices, that is voting preferences and perceived topic importance among Dutch children and their parents. We conducted two experiments during a national science festival for children in the Netherlands. In Study 1 ( voting preferences ), conducted in May 2022 ( N = 219), children and their parents were asked to vote for their ideal Prime Minister of the Netherlands based on candidates' physical appearances, whereas in Study 2 ( perceived topic importance ), conducted in May 2024 ( N = 199), they were asked to rank six political topics from most important to least important. Overall, this work provides a further indication of the role of parental political influence in children's political choices. For instance, the results of Study 1 indicate that parents voting for a right‐wing political party and their children are less likely to vote for a political candidate with a migration background.