Dylan Matthews
is a senior correspondent and head writer for Vox's Future Perfect section and has worked at Vox since 2014. He is particularly interested in global health and pandemic prevention, anti-poverty efforts, economic policy and theory, and conflicts about the right way to do philanthropy.
Earlier this year, the Pew Research Center polled American adults (though not necessarily parents) on what values they think it's important to instill in children, breaking the results down by respondents' political views. There was a substantial degree of overlap. Unsurprisingly, both liberals and conservatives think it's important to teach children "being responsible," "hard work," "helping others," "independence," and "persistence." But on other traits, real differences emerge:
It's important not to make too much of this. Most conservatives think teaching empathy and creativity is important, even if the majorities are smaller than among liberals. But the gaps on faith and obedience, in particular, are striking.
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