Poll: Two Thirds Want Their Kids to Stay Out of Politics

Most American adults don't like the idea of their children growing up to be politicians, according to a new Gallup poll.

The survey shows that 64 percent of adults don't want to see their children take up politics as a career, compared to 31 percent who do.

The numbers haven't changed much over the decades, and are similar for both sons and daughters. For each gender of child, the numbers exactly match the overall figures: 64 percent of adults opposed to political careers, and 31 percent unopposed.

There are differences among race. Among non-white adults, 42 percent would like to see their son go into politics, and 45 percent would support that career for their daughters. Among whites, the numbers are 26 percent support for sons and 25 percent for daughters.

"This is not a reaction to the fact that the current president is black, as Gallup has found that same racial difference when the question was asked in the 1990s when George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton were president," writes Gallup's Jeffrey Jones.

"The racial differences may be behind the slight tendency for Democrats to favor a political career for their sons and daughters more than Republicans do."

The poll was conducted June 20-24, surveying 2,048 adults.