This paper, on the relationship between political socialization, the educational process, and what is taught in schools, is organized into three chapters, each of which is largely devoted to reviewing the literature of a particular area. Chapter 1 focuses on the process of political socialization in general and seeks to convey the variety of factors that have been put forth as affecting political decision making processes. Topics discussed include myth and ideology, religious tradition, collective behavior, the "paradox" of schooling, social reality, and historical considerations. Chapter 2 examines various theories that consider the school to be a locus of political socialization. Among topics discussed are conflicting ideas concerning the functions and purposes of schooling, ideas that involve various sets of opposites, for example: the functional paradigm of schooling versus the radical paradigm; the corporate culture versus the civic culture; decision making versus the learning of norms; and the idea of social mobility split between two models--contest mobility which implies a fair race from the start and sponsored mobility which involves early selection of a future elite. Chapter 3 considers the literature on the actual socialization that students undergo in schools, and argues that most political socialization that occurs in schools is transmitted through the "hidden curriculum" and not the formal curriculum. A bibliography of 109 references is included. (DB)