Political ideology and party affiliation as determinants of attitudes toward legalization of Marijuana in the United States: Implications for policy conversations

Authors

Bryan E. Denham

Published

March 7, 2026

Abstract

Drawing on data gathered in the General Social Survey (GSS), this study examined the influence of political ideology, conceived as a measure of personal identity, and party affiliation, an indicator of group identity, on attitudes toward the legalization of marijuana in the United States. Earlier research found that while ideology showed significance as a determinant across a 30-year period, from 1986 to 2016, differences based on party affiliation did not become especially pronounced until 2004. At that point, in an increasingly partisan environment, individuals appeared to align themselves with perceived group stances. In the present study, with five demographic control variables in place, analyses showed that while ideology predicted legalization attitudes in each of three periods (2018, 2022, 2024), it lost significance as an explanatory measure in 2024 when regression equations included party affiliation. Findings appear consistent with recent studies addressing group identity, affective polarization, and negative partisanship.

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