PARENTHOOD, FAMILY VALUES, AND THE 1992 PRESIDENTIAL-ELECTION

There was a ''family gap'' in presidential voting in the 1992 election , with parents of young children voting mom Republican. This voting di fference remains, even when controls are employed for relevant demogra phic variables. Similarly, attitudes on family values affected voting in 1992, even when controls are added for more conventional attitudina l variables. The parenthood effect did not exist in 1988, lending supp ort to the argument that its occurrence in 1992 was related to the foc us on family values in the presidential campaign. Family structure var iables can have partisan effects when parties address family issues in their appeals to voters. The target audience of the family values app eal did support President Bush, although their numbers were not large enough to produce victory.